98 Toyota AC Problem

[shaka526]

All;

I have 1998 Toyota Avalon and am having AC issues. Took it to the mechanic last summer and filled the AC GAS and it lasted the whole summer. This year looks like i have to the same problem. My question is can someone guide me if i can buy the AC gas cans from Advanced Auto and use it or do i need to take it to the mechanic, he charges me $150. Any help will be greatly appreciated if there is a DIY for this if some one can give me the link.

[tzagi]

Its a common problem, R134 has smaller molecules then the old R12 and it leaks easily over the winter.
$150 to add some freon.....I wish I can do that!
To find out if you can do it yourself requires knowing if the system has gas in it, as in, its not full of air, checking it is very simple, start with a cold car, unscrew one of the fitting caps (red or blue) and push on the schreder valve with a small screw driver for a split second(very lightly),
Did it spit on you? good, if nothing came out, your system is empty, the leak has to be found, repaired and the system evacuated.

lets assume that there is gas in the system and its needs to be topped off,
You got couple of choices, You can buy the gages from your local parts store (harbor fright got them cheaper then elsewhere at about $40) you can read on the web on how to use them (as in, what pressure numbers to look for )
or pick up a can with a built in gage (low side only) and follow the directions on it, note that without having a way to monitor high side pressure you wont be able to diagnose if there are any problems in your system, such as a restriction or what have you...............good luck.