Rochester Today and AutoTech 101 – Recharge Your Air Conditioner

Dick Zeitler joined Andy Brownell Monday morning on KROC-AM for AutoTech 101 during the Rochester Today show.

As always, Dick's appearance resulted in numerous calls from listeners with questions about maintaining and repairing their vehicles.

The topic of getting vehicles ready for the summer travel season led to a call from a listener with a non-working air conditioner. While the problem could require a costly repair, Dick noted there are some things a do-it-yourselfer can try that might keep the cool air blowing through the summer.

Most auto parts stores, and even many Big Box retailers, now sell air conditioner recharging kits. They vanished from the store shelves for years after the old style refrigerant (R12) was banned, but they've since reappeared using the newer and more environmentally friendly refrigerants and are relatively easy to use.

If your vehicle's problem is a seal that shrank during the winter and allowed the refrigerant to escape, Dick says a quick recharge might just do the trick, although the same problem could occur next year.

Zeitler also cautioned that if you choose to purchase a product that includes a substance designed to stop leaks you need to put a tag on the air conditioner unit in the engine compartment noting that information. He says the sealant could end up damaging the equipment used by an auto repair professional if they were unaware of its presence.

The YouTube video below WAS NOT made by Dick, but it shows how to recharge your air conditioner by yourself.