Chevrolet A/C Low on Freon? Here’s How to Recharge It
Does your Chevrolet HVAC system blow warm air? Learn how to fix it by recharging the freon in the air conditioner.
Symptoms
Common symptoms that you may notice.
- A/C blowing hot air
- A/C blows cold, then hot
- The A/C blows cold sometimes.
- A/C blows cold air, then stops
What you will need
- AC Recharge Kit
- Identify which refrigerant type is in the owner’s manual or see the label under the hood.
- Gloves
- Protective Glasses
Procedure
- Park the Chevrolet in a safe area. Turn off the engine.
- Pull the hood release under the dashboard until you hear your Chevrolet hood pop open.
- To add freon to your Chevrolet, you must find the A/C low-pressure charging port in the engine bay. The high-side pressure port will not fit the A/C charging kit connector.
- Carefully remove the low-side pressure port cap by rotating it counterclockwise. Connect your A/C hose to the A/C charging port. You are almost ready to add freon to your vehicle A/C system. Don’t start adding refrigerant to your Chevrolet A/C system yet.
- Start the engine, turn A/C on, and set it to the max cold setting. Set the blowing fan to maximum speed. Now, you are all set to recharge the A/C system for your Chevrolet. Add refrigerant as directed by the A/C recharge kit you are using.
- Press and hold the trigger until your Chevrolet A/C is charged. This process can take several minutes. The compressor may not be engaged initially when the A/C system is low on freon.
Notes
- As you add refrigerant, you should see the compressor kick in. As you charge, the system stops charging every minute to obtain a pressure reading.
- Continue adding refrigerant until your gauge reaches the charged range. Do not allow the system to overcharge.
- This procedure is used to top off the Chevy A/C system. You must remove the air from the system if your A/C is totally empty.
- The location of the A/C charging port can vary between Chevrolet models, but it will always be in the engine bay.
- Before recharging the Chevrolet A/C system, ensure that other components are working.
Chevrolet’s air conditioning may be inhibited if it is low on freon and has other problems, such as a seized A/C compressor, a bad A/C clutch, faulty temperature sensors, a major freon leak, etc.
The instructions in this guide will help the owner of Chevrolet Spark, Sonic, Bolt, Volt, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Corvette, City Express, Trax, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado, Silverado, Sonic, Blazer, Astro, HHR, Uplander, Avalanche, etc. Charge the A/C that is filled freon (R134a).
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Hey.. Great article. I was hoping to add some more information for the early symptoms. One which is quite rare, but not impossible is when your A/C does not throw any air.
That is obviously a poor sign, and can simply mean that the ‘Fan’ is not working. In this case, You might need to buy some extra parts or take it for repair.
If you are feeling more adventurous, you can try to find the problem. It might be something as similar as a broken circuit or a bad motor.