How Much Does An AC Recharge Cost?

If there isn’t enough refrigerant or pressure in the lines, your car’s air conditioning system will shut down on its own. This will prevent further harm from happening. Driving without air conditioning is completely safe, but doing so for a long time may cause the compressor to seize from lack of use, increasing the cost and difficulty of repairs.

And when you’re driving, you obviously won’t be able to cool off. Knowing the cost to recharge the car ac is a wise idea, although it’s not a difficult task to recharge your air conditioner, but it does require a little knowledge.

Well, in this article, you’ll get to know how much it costs to recharge the AC system in your car. we’ll also take a look at the factors affecting the ac recharge cost, signs that your car ac needs to be recharged, how often you should recharge the ac system, how long an AC recharge takes, and how to recharge your car ac system yourself.

AC recharge cost

Well, the cost to recharge the car AC will vary depending on your car make and model and where you reside. If you have it professionally recharged, it will usually cost you between $150 and $300.

However, the car AC recharge kit would cost you $40 to $50 if you decided to do it yourself. The cost of parts and labor to correctly recharge the car’s air conditioning system could range from $125 to $200.

The service visit shouldn’t go beyond an hour unless other services are being attended to concurrently. If you want to save money, you can recharge your air conditioning unit in your garage. Before recharging the freon in your car’s air conditioning system, you should check for leaks.

But you also need to be knowledgeable about the process of recharging your air conditioner because refrigerant is hazardous to the environment, and if you don’t manage it correctly, you risk seriously damaging your air conditioner.

And for that reason, having your air conditioning recharged in a licensed mechanic shop is recommended. You might save a huge amount of money by recharging the system at home for around $20 to $30 if you already have the required tools and skills.

Factors affecting the AC recharge cost

Below are three main factors affecting the cost of recharging the car’s AC:

1. The make and model of the car.
2. Person carrying out the job (DIY or professional).
3. If it requires additional repairs.

The make and model of the car

The cost will be greatly influenced by the kind of car or truck you drive, just like with any sort of fluid you use in your vehicle. A compact car won’t require as much refrigerant as a heavy-duty truck or van would.

Furthermore, if you are having someone else work on the car, the labor cost will vary based on how difficult it is to recharge.

Not all vehicles are straightforward to refill. Driving a luxury car might result in substantially greater recharge costs, especially if you need to take it to a specialized shop for the service.

Person carrying out the job (DIY or professional)

You only need to buy refrigerant if you can recharge the system yourself. And you won’t have to spend money on anything else as long as you have all of the necessary gauges, tools, and knowledge required to recharge it.

However, getting a professional to recharge will cost much more. You’ll probably still be able to save money if you can take your car to a nearby lube station or repair shop rather than taking it to the dealership.

If it requires additional repairs

It doesn’t help to recharge the system and have the new refrigerant leak out again, so you need to make the repairs right away. However, the AC system is a closed system. It shouldn’t be necessary to recharge the refrigerant unless an issue has arisen.

However, if you notice that the recharges are happening frequently, there may be something else going on.

The price of any additional repairs that could be required must therefore be taken into account. Possible causes of the refrigerant leakage include dried-out rubber seals. Additionally, leaks may be occurring as a result of hoses, lines, or other parts deteriorating.

How Often Should Car AC be Recharged?

There’s no set requirement on when to recharge the car AC. It’s not part of the recommended maintenance, because the goal is that you shouldn’t need to recharge it since the system is closed.

However, that’s just a dream, because any minor defect can lead to a refrigerant leak, causing you to need a recharge.

Ideally, you won’t need to have the recharge more than every few years. If you are having the air conditioning recharged more often, there’s probably something wrong that should be looked at by a professional. 

How Long Does it Take to Recharge an AC System?

If you have the skills to do it yourself, it shouldn’t take you longer than 30 to 60 minutes to complete the job. Recharging an air conditioning system doesn’t take long, but the leak test is what takes most of the time. You usually want to pressure or vacuum test the AC system for at least 30 minutes.

On the other hand, it’s naturally going to take longer at a shop. While the service itself doesn’t take more time, there are other factors adding to the time. For example, you first have to wait for your car to be taken into the bay. If there are other vehicles before yours, that wait time could be extensive.

Additionally, most service stations do more than simply recharge the system. The technician should provide a quick inspection of the air conditioning system to see what’s causing it to need a recharge.

If there are any other problems that must be addressed, you will get a quote from the repair shop for these fixes. If you aren’t sure that these problems are real, you may want to take the vehicle to another shop for a second opinion, which further adds to the time. 

How To Tell The Car AC Needs to be Recharged

#1. AC Blows Warm.

The most obvious sign that your system needs to be recharged is that there’s no cold air coming out of the vents. If you are only feeling warm air, a simple recharge might be all that’s required.

Low refrigerant keeps the system from pressurizing fully, so it can’t get cold. However, there are many other problems that can cause the same issue, so you might want to have the system checked. 

In comparison, if the air coming from the vents fluctuates between warm and cold, the problem is not the refrigerant. You have something larger going on. 

#2. AC Clutch Doesn’t Engage.

If the car air conditioning isn’t working, the clutch might stop engaging. This can happen when the refrigerant gets low to protect the system from further damage.

When the clutch engages, you will hear a prominent click sound. It’s easier to hear if you are standing outside the vehicle.

When you don’t hear the click, the clutch isn’t engaging, and you aren’t going to get cold air from the vents. Again, this could be more than a low refrigerant problem, so have it checked out if you aren’t sure.

#3. Leaking System.

One of the main reasons that a car would need to be recharged is because there’s a leak. How do you look for a leak? You can get a special UV dye kit that shows what’s going on. These products are great for hunting down where the leak is coming from, so you can resolve the problem once and for all.

You may also notice that there are some grease-like puddles occurring under the engine bay. This leakage could be from the refrigerant. 

Is It Safe to Drive Without an AC Recharge?

Whether it’s safe to drive with an empty AC system depends on what type of AC compressor your car has. If it is the old style with a clutch, it will not activate when the AC system is low, and you can drive without issues.

However, if it is a modern variable AC compressor, it can seize if the refrigerant is low, which can be costly to repair in the future.

The coolness of your car’s air conditioning doesn’t affect how the vehicle drives. With that said, it can make the ride uncomfortable, especially if it’s hot outside. If you want to keep people happy, it’s best to keep the air conditioning running as intended.

Even if it isn’t warm outside, the air conditioning can still be important. The system is used to defrost your windows, so you may want to consider getting the system checked, even in the middle of winter. 

For the cost of a recharge, it often doesn’t make sense to procrastinate, especially if you can do it yourself. However, you may need to budget accordingly if some parts need to be fixed prior to the recharge.

How to recharge your car’s AC system yourself

Well, if you want to perform a DIY AC recharge, here’s how to do it.

Make sure the car is in park, turn the key, and engage the parking brake. Set the fan to its highest setting, the AC to its maximum setting, and push the recirculation button. Remove the plastic cap from the AC low-pressure service port that is located between the compressor and the evaporator.

If you can’t locate the service port, A/C Pro provides a helpful online port locator. You can also check your car owner’s manual in order to locate it.

The connector piece from the refrigerant hose can also be used, but it can only be used on the low-pressure port. Connect the attachment hose to the low-pressure point after removing it from the refrigerant can.

Look at the included gauge while the compressor is running and turn the temperature dial to the appropriate setting. Do not recharge if the pressure reading is in the red area of the gauge.

This could be a symptom of a larger issue, such as a broken or malfunctioning compressor. More refrigerant is required if the PSI reading falls below the gauge’s “full” area. The hose must be taken off the service port. Reattach the gauge and hose to the refrigerant can after shaking it and removing the safety tab.

Use the trigger to start recharging the system with refrigerant after attaching the line to the low-pressure service port. To keep the refrigerant flowing properly, rotate the can up and down. When the system is full, use the built-in gauge to determine this. Don’t charge too much. Disconnect the connector from the port, then follow your state’s recycling laws to recycle any empty cans.

A Mechanic’s Tips about an AC recharge

• Always leak-test the AC system with vacuum or pressure before you refill the system to save yourself some money and the environment. Releasing AC refrigerant into the air is very bad for the ozone layer.
• It’s recommended to put the AC system to vacuum with an AC service machine to remove all moisture and water from the AC system before filling it.
• Check the AC compressor clutch and AC pressure switches before doing any advanced work on your AC system. If the AC compressor clutch does not engage, you may be able to remove some shims inside it to make it last longer.
• The best way to find AC problems is to connect the AC service machine – Drain the system and set the vacuum for 30 minutes. Check for leaks, and then fill the system with leak detection fluid, oil and coolant. Let it run for 20 minutes and check the operation and watch for any leaks. If everything seems fine, you can give the car to the customer. If something is wrong, bleed the system again, repair any leaks, and continue troubleshooting.

FAQs.