I need to replace my radiator support panel and my repair manual says I need to take my vehicle to dealer or repair facility to have the A/C system properly discharged and recharged for this type of job.

Despite what the manual says, is there a remotely safe and reliable way for me to do this myself? or should I just suck it up and take it somewhere?

What exactly needs to be done? and how much should I expect to pay for such a service?

 

Bump.

 

The condensor has enough room to move to the side after you un bolt it but I am not 100% sure which panel your talking about. I would assume that would be enough to do what you need but if the condensor lines go through it then it will need discharged. But here I have a picture of what I did when replacing the radiator on a customer vehicle.



I really think that will be more then enough out of the way for you to do what you need.

 

Not sure whether or not the lines go through it. I don't have the car with me, so I can't tell. The panel I'm going to remove is the large black fiberglass one that sits between both fenders and is between the engine and bumper, it also supports the headlights. Assuming the condensor lines don't pass through it, do you think it will have enough clearance to slide by the condensor once unbolted?

 

No offense, but this question says that you are not qualified to work on A/C systems.

Legally, to discharge an A/C system or it's refrigerant, you must have a recovery system (like a RobinAir... not something a DIY has laying around the garage). You also must be EPA certified. It's not hard to get the certification, but the recovery machine is very expensive.

If you plan on removing A/C components, but want to do it yourself, take it to a shop and have them recover the r-134a from the system. Take the car home, swap out the components and gaskets. When you're done, take it back to the shop and have them vacuum the system and leak test it. If it passes, have them fill it back up with r-134a refrigerant. This way, you are not breaking any laws and are not risking injury from just purging the stuff from a line or valve. Additionally, you'll be sure there's no contamination or moisture stuck in the system after they've vacuumed and recharged the A/C system, which you cannot properly do at home without a machine.


BUT.... if you aren't doing A/C system service and just need the car in "service" position, there is no need to evacuate the A/C system. Leave it in tact as somebody5788's pic shows.

 

I'm replacing the radiator support panel because it's cracked in four different places. My Chilton's manual said to discharge the A/C for this procedure. I've noticed some not-so-necessary steps in this manual before, so I thought I'd get a second opinion from the forums before dishing out money I may not need to spend on an A/C repair shop. I have no intention of messing with potentially dangerous components or systems if I don't know what I'm doing.

So is it necessary to discharge the A/C system to change out this panel? or will the panel have enough clearance to slide past the condensor if it's partially removed like in Somebody5788's picture?

If I do need to get the system discharged, how much should I expect to pay an A/C shop for all the services you just listed?

 

I wouldn't think the shop should charge you more than .5 hours to evac the system. So maybe, 60 bucks? It will likely be an hour labor to vacuum and recharge the system, plus the new refrigerant, which is pretty inexpensive. I can't imagine more than 150 bucks to vac, leak check, and recharge the A/C system.

However, IIRC, you do not have to remove the A/C lines to replace the front radiator brace.

 

Ok, Thanks a lot, that answered my question.

 

No, thank you for serving our country. (At least I'd assume that's why you're in Iraq!)

Come back safe!

 

Yeah, I'm in the Air Force. Thanks for the support.