How to Retrofit a 1989 Ford Ranger Air Conditioner
- 1). Get the air conditioning system evacuated of all coolant by taking the Ranger to a garage or oil change facility; these shops are compensated for collecting the coolant and will normally not charge for it. All the old R-12 coolant must be removed from the system before adding the 134a, because the two do not mix well and decreased performance or leaks may occur.
- 2). Connect the nipple adapters included in the retrofit kit to the high and low side nipples on the air conditioning system. On the Ranger, the low pressure port is on the evaporator, near the passenger firewall. The high pressure line next to the battery has the high side port on its uppermost bend. The blue adapter is for the low side, and the high side gets the red colored adapter. Under normal conditions, it will not be necessary to access the high pressure lines, but adding the red adapter will make it easier for shops to perform maintenance on the system. The adapters simply turn clockwise onto the existing nipples and can be hand tightened with a pair of pliers. These adapters are usually soft aluminum, so do not over-tighten them.
- 3). Refill the system using the retrofit kit's valve or by purchasing the 134a refill kit with an included valve and several cans of coolant/lubricant. Turn the engine on and set the A/C to its maximum setting. Connect the can of 134a coolant to the valve by turning it clockwise into the base, then connect the hose's nozzle to the low side port adapter from Step 2. Open the valve and the can will discharge into the system. In about five minutes, the can will be emptied. The nozzle can be removed from the low pressure port. Replace the can of spent coolant with a can of compressor lubricant oil. Repeat the procedure of discharging the can into the system. When the can is spent, replace it with another can of 134a coolant and allow it to discharge. The Ranger can hold about two to three average sized cans of coolant, plus one can of lubricant, from a completely empty state.
