Regassing an empty air con system

[spinal_pap]

Hello all,

I've have an air con regas kit sat in the garage that i bought on a whim from ebay a while ago (leak stopper, 2 tins of refrigerant and the hose/gauge to add it).

The system is currently empty and has been since i bought the truck (checking system pressure with the gauge confirms this).

Question though. As the system is empty, the clutch on the compressor doesn't engage. Can i add gas in these circumstances? Or do i need to somehow engage the clutch to get the system going before the regassing procedure will work.

Any help or advice gratefully received.

Cheers folks.

[Bogus]

Yes. Switch on the a/c and go for it. Once you get enough in the clutch will engage and you can carry on horsing it in until you achieve full pressure. I wouldnt be too hopeful of long term success but you never know. If the a/c hasnt been used in yonks the compressor seals will likely be gone beyond the repair capacity of the leak seal ( if in fact the stuff works) and you may lose your gas quite quickly, but if you already have all the gear, there is no harm in trying it.

[KERRSURF]

Leak seal stuff is rubbish. Lad at my work does the re-gas and uses a dye to detect leaks which he repairs properly before filling system.
The re-fills done for £30 at Kwik Fit etc are done with a cheap 'vapour' version of the gas and don't last, he does a proper check and fill for £20, plenty of guys at work really pleased with the job he does.

[spinal_pap]

Thanks guys that's great. I did suspect the leak stopper would be crap but will give it a whirl anyway.

If it turns out the seals are shot I think I'll just give up. The windows work just fine anyway!

Much obliged.

[Jools T]

Erm, I think you'll find that if your system is empty, you'll need to take it to a professional to be filled.
Air-con systems usually need to be vacuumed to purge the air prior to a full refill.
I believe the kits you can buy at halfords/ebay are only really for topping up the system, and would probably struggle to refill an empty system.