AC Pressures for Top Up?

I know, I know, don't do it, it's the wrong way etc etc.

Ignoring that, quick question - is there a chart somewhere for high/low side pressure on a 1st gen with ambient air temp? What am I shooting for again?

I'm just topping up an adding UV dye to get me through until I have time to do it right. I am doing it with a gauge set though not the crappy little recharge bottles. I know you can't actually tell if the charge is correct without weighing the refrigerant and all the other reasons this is wrong but people do it all the time just give me the numbers I'm shooting for, please?

I pinky promise I'll do it right next time when it leaks back out again, definitely not just going to keep topping it up once a year or so because it's a 25 year old truck with 300,000 miles and it only costs $20 each time and it works good enough...

 

Yes... this is good enough. Assuming you have 2 gauge set as opposed to one of the quick top up cans that you can buy, having said that... Get your outside air temp first then look at the chart for pressures then bleed all the air out of the lineset and add a little R134a, watch your sight glass and pressures.

$10 Useful Magnets | R-134A Temperature Pressure Magnetic Chart | Flexible Magnetic Sheet for R-134A System Pressure | Waterproof Magnet Poster for Quick Reference in Garage or Workshop | 5.5" x 4.25"

https://www.amazon.com/Useful-Magnets-Temperature-Pressure-Magnetic/dp/B099QB81TT?th=1

 

Oh, I didn't realize it's universal. Thats easy, thanks. Any tips on getting the dye in without adding too much air? I couldn't find the tool for it or the r134a with dye at my local store. I've seen people pour it into the line going to the can but I guess then you can't really purge it. Maybe there's a better way I'm not thinking of?

 

I highly recommend that you do not use leak detection dye in the system. I understand that she is old and probably not going to go to a pro for AC work... anyway, in the old days you could "get away" with purging the refriderant to the atmosphere but laws have changed and if you are caught purging any refriderant to the atmosphere you will be fined heavily, there is even a bounty that the EPA will pay you to rat on your co-worker, neighbor etc. The refridgerant, by law is supposed to be recycled via an expensive machine and the dye just plays havoc with the internals on these recovery machines. If the shop asks if you have used dye and you say no and they discover via tests that there IS dye, they will either tell you to go away or charge you to flush the system $$$$$.

95% of the leaks are at the schrader valves and if the caps arent on the quick connect ports you should put them on.