How to Add Refrigerant to a 3.3 Dodge
- 1). Park your Dodge on level ground and set the parking brake. Shift the gear according to transmission type -- if the Dodge is an automatic, put it in "park"; manuals should be placed in "neutral." Get out of the Dodge and open all the doors.
- 2). Open the hood and prop it up using the hood support rod. Examine the engine and find the low-pressure service connector. Toward the center of the engine, you will see two aluminum pipes. One is thinner; the thicker tube has the low-pressure service connector. Remove the cap from the connector.
- 3). Connect your R-12 or R-134a recharging kit to the low-pressure service connector. The kit will include a hose coupler that easily snaps into place. If the coupler doesn't fit, you have the wrong kit. The shape of the service connector is different for R-12 and R-134a systems. The two types of recharging kits are configured only to fit on a compatible system.
- 4). Put down the kit but make sure it is well clear of the moving engine parts. Start the engine and let it warm-up. Turn on the air conditioner and set the temperature to the maximum (coldest) setting. Switch the air conditioner's blower to "High" for maximum airflow.
- 5). Go back to the front of the car and return your attention to the air conditioning pipes. Pick up the recharging kit and turn the nozzle downward. The nozzle has a built-in needle that will break the seal on the container holding the R-12 or R-134a refrigerant. Once the seal is punctured, Freon will rush into the system. Let the flow continue for 60 seconds. Shake the can while recharging the system.
- 6). Close off the flow of the R-12 or R-134a refrigerant by turning the nozzle upwards. Let the air conditioner blow for about one minute. This will allow the newly added R-12 or R-134a refrigerant to circulate through the system.
- 7). Continue adding R-12 or R-134a in one-minute increments. Monitor the kit's pressure gauge for an indication of how much more recharging is needed. You can also monitor the progress in one other way -- if you place a thermometer in the central air conditioning duct, you can ascertain the air conditioner's internal temperature. When set to its coldest, the air conditioner should cool to 40 degrees, although this can be affected by the air temperature outside. If the weather is extremely hot, the system may cool to anywhere between 40 and 60 degrees.
- 8). Remove the recharging kit from the low-pressure service connector. Allow the Dodge to idle for 15 minutes to fully circulate the newly added R-12 or R-134a.
