Acura A/C Air Conditioner Recharge Instructions
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If your Acura blows warm air with the air conditioning set to cold, the system is usually low on refrigerant. Before buying a can, understand what that means: an air conditioning system is sealed and does not consume refrigerant the way an engine consumes oil. If it is low, it has leaked out somewhere. Recharging will usually bring the cold air back and is often worth doing, but if it is warm again within a few weeks the leak needs finding rather than refilling.
At a Glance
- Warm air usually means low refrigerant, and low refrigerant means a leak.
- Check the label under the hood: R134a and R1234yf are not interchangeable.
- Connect only to the low pressure port; the can fitting will not fit the high side.
- Add refrigerant slowly with the engine running and A/C on max; don’t overcharge.
- If it is warm again within weeks, find the leak instead of refilling.
- A scanner such as the YOUCANIC UCAN-II Pro shows live A/C pressure sensor and compressor data on supported Acuras.
Before performing the procedure below to recharge Acura A/C, check the air conditioner information sticker under the hood to determine which refrigerant is used on your vehicle. R134a and R1234yf are different types of refrigerants and are not interchangeable.
Before You Start: Which Refrigerant Does Your Car Use?
- Check the label under the hood. It lists the refrigerant type and the factory charge amount. Most cars built before about 2015 use R134a. Many newer cars use R1234yf; manufacturers switched model by model between roughly the 2014 and 2021 model years.
- The two are not interchangeable. R1234yf systems use different service ports, so an R134a DIY kit will not connect, and mixing refrigerants contaminates the system and the recovery equipment shops use.
- A DIY can only top up a system that is slightly low. If the A/C stopped blowing cold completely, there is a leak. Find and fix it first, then have the system evacuated and charged by weight. See why the system must be evacuated before charging.
- Do not overcharge. Too much refrigerant raises system pressure, makes the vents blow warmer, and can damage the compressor. Stop when the kit gauge reaches the recommended range.
- Protect your eyes and hands. Liquid refrigerant can cause frostbite, so wear safety glasses and gloves.
What you will need
- Air Conditioner Recharge Kit
- Gloves
- Protective Glasses
Procedure
Park the ACURA in a safe area. Turn off the engine. Engage Parking Brakes.
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Open the hood of your car. The hood release is located under the dashboard on the driver’s side.
Find the A/C info sticker under the hood and verify your Acura uses R134a or R1234yf refrigerant.
Locate the low-pressure port. This is where the A/C charging port is on an ACURA car. Note that there also is a high-pressure line. The A/C kit connector will not fit on the high-pressure line port. The Location of the A/C charging port on the Acura TL is marked with an L.
Acura AC Charge Port on TLX
Acura AC Charge Port on TL
The line for the low-pressure side has a larger diameter than the high-pressure line. Remove the cap from the low-pressure port.
Connect your A/C hose to the charging port.
Start the engine and let it idle. 
Turn the A/C on and set it to the lowest cold setting. Set the fan to blow at maximum speed. Once you do this, you can add refrigerant to your ACURA air conditioner system.
Rotate the dial on your gauge so the arrow corresponds to the outside temperature. Keep the can in the upright position. Don’t tip the can to the side as this may introduce liquid refrigerant in the a/c system, which is not recommended and could lock up your a/c compressor. Keep the can upright and rotate it between 1 and 2 o’clock as you charge the a/c.
This process can take several minutes. The compressor may not be engaged when the a/c system is low on freon.
As you add refrigerant, the compressor should kick in. As you charge the system, stop pressing the trigger every few minutes to obtain a pressure reading.
Continue adding refrigerant until your gauge reaches the charged range. Do not allow the system to overcharge.
Using the method described here, you can also check the refrigerant pressure and if the system is fully charged.
These instructions apply to various Acura vehicles, including:
- MDX
- NSX
- RDX
- RL RLX
- RSX
- SLX
- TL TLX
- ZDX
- CDX
- CL
- EL
- ILX
- Integra
- Legend
Never connect to the high pressure side
The fittings are deliberately different sizes so a DIY can will only attach to the low pressure port, but people do force adapters on. Do not. The high side reaches pressures that can burst a small can in your hands. If your coupler does not click on easily, you are at the wrong port. The low side line is the thicker of the two and runs from the evaporator to the compressor.
Avoid cans containing sealant
Many cheap recharge kits include a stop leak additive. It rarely seals anything useful and it sets inside the condenser, the expansion valve and any shop recovery machine the car later visits. Workshops test for sealant before connecting their equipment, and a car that tests positive is usually refused or charged for a full system flush. Buy plain refrigerant with no additives.
Overcharging cools worse than undercharging
The colored band on a DIY gauge assumes a particular ambient temperature, which is why the dial has to be set to the outside temperature before the reading means anything. Add in short bursts, let the reading settle between them, and stop when the vent air is cold. Too much refrigerant raises head pressure, reduces cooling and puts the compressor at risk, and getting it back out needs a recovery machine.
When recharging is the wrong fix
If the compressor clutch never engages at all, if the air is cold at idle but warm at speed, or if only one side of a dual zone system blows cold, the charge level is probably not your problem. Those point to an electrical fault, a blend door actuator or a blocked condenser. Reading fault codes from the climate control module rather than the engine will say which, and saves emptying a can into a system that was never low.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Acura A/C blowing warm air?
Warm air usually means low refrigerant, and low refrigerant means there is a leak somewhere in the system.
Which refrigerant does my Acura use?
Check the label under the hood. Older models use R134a and newer models use R1234yf, and the two are not interchangeable.
Which port do I connect the recharge can to?
Connect only to the low pressure port. The can fitting is designed so it will not fit the high pressure side.
Can I overcharge the A/C system?
Yes, and an overcharged system cools worse than an undercharged one. Add refrigerant slowly with the engine running and the A/C on max.
More guides: browse all of our Acura repair and troubleshooting guides.
In my 2008 Acura TL, the low port is a smaller dimension than the high one.
not bad, but the instructions on tilting the can are confusing and contradictory. Plus the video only repeats the text and is cut off at the end when some new info was being provided….