Today, I decided to add some freon (R-134) to my truck, as during last summer it was apparent that the old girl was running a little low.
So I buy the kit at the local Advanced Auto, install it, and add freon, watching the little gauge thingy so I wouldn't overcharge it. According to the gauge, I didn't, even after adding a full 19-ounce can.
So I go in and buy another. Plug it in, and ITS guage goes into the red!
I immediately unplugged it and returned the second can (I was doing this in the parking lot). When I plugged the original gauge in, it also went into the red.
So I drive off, and about a block away I hear a distinctive pop and hiss. Immediately stop the truck and pop the hood. Smells like freon. Oh, oh....
So I bled the system down until the gauge (which seemed to be working fine now) read just a hair below normal (I bled a hair too much.). End of problems. A/C running fine.
So.... the question is, does the A/C system have a safety purge valve to release excess freon pressure? Do I need to top off the R-134 correctly?
Last summer, my A/C could not compete with the 110F+ temps of Laredo, but this is NC, which gets hot, but not that hot.