How easy is it to do a car DIY air con recharge. And what kit should be used/ avoided.
06 Honda CRV is the car.

Most cars require more than the recharge cans hold. Cheaper to get a local AC specialist to do it for you.

Get it done properly.

A proper re gas should include a pressure check to test for leaks, and a complete clean out of the old gasses and crap that accumulates in the system.

If your kit doesn’t include what’s needed to do that, then I wouldn’t bother.

I only paid £45 to get it done professionally.

(Edit- and that was on a Multivan with a dual Aircon system for front and rear)

As craigxxl said, get a garage to do it properly, our garage charges £30 and for that you get a full system discharge, pressure / leak check and recharge. The AC now works perfectly. Much better than a DIY can from halfords.

Cool, great replys so quiclky.
Wont be doing the DIY kit then.
Thanks everybody

For the cost of getting it done, even by the clowns at KwikFit it is not worth the hassle of using diy recharge cans – there is a strong possibility of you over pressurising the system with them and killing the compressor.

If you go to Kwikfit their offers is if they can’t cool your car by more than 10 degrees then it’s free. If you’re main fan isn’t running then the air con doesn’t work as it cuts out to protect the compressor.
I had 2 free recharges at different Kwikfits because they couldn’t get it to cool down or find a leak. I took it to an air con specialist who quickly found a blown fuse for the main fan and all working for £5. No feelings of guilt for my free recharge because they’re supposed to know what they are doing and should of diagnosed the fault.

So take fan fuse out take it to Kwiksh*t complain it hasn’t worked so get it free, drive home put fuse back in 😉

Lesson; run AC intermittently during the winter months so that the seals don’t dry out and all the refrigerant runs away to the stratosphere.

@wrecker. Lesson learnt (expensively). I leave it on all the time now…

clowns at KwikFit

nuff said, dont use the clowns at quickfit! i would use a decent independent garage anyday over those fools.

Just looked into this as during this weekend’s sunshine I realised mine isn’t as effective as it should be! Kwikfit are £49, several local independents (incl mobile) were about £60 (Surrey/Berks border) but I did find a local independent who is doing a special for £40. Most of it is done on an automated machine anyway – plug it in, it runs a cycle to discharge the old stuff, check for leaks, re-gas etc.

Just to drag this up….. Dunno where you’re based but I’ve just had mine regassed at Vauxhall Melton Mowbray for £29. Feel a bit dirty though being seen in a Vx garage 🙂