AC recharge-VIP Laconia
 

Took my 2014 Subaru w/117k-miles to VIP Tires & Service-Laconia for an air conditioner recharge and it was a totally excellent experience. First, I made an appointment two days ago, for this morning, and it took about 50-minutes for the air conditioner recharge service. It cost $163.26-total which breaks down into a/c recharge labor-$133.99, R-134A with dye-$16.00, shop fee-$13.27.

The problem was the ac did not make very cold air, it only made medium, luke cold air.

Now, it makes very cold air, and now with this May 85-degree heat, it is definitely appreciated.

So's ....... VIP Laconia is where they know what the heck they are doing when it comes to recharging the air conditioner in your car.

I was told that if it does not continue to make cold air over the next month, then the dye will indicate where is the leak. But, so far so good, it is C-O-L-D! .... :D .... and I like it this way! ...... C-O-L-D! ..... :D .... plus VIP has excellent strong courtesy k-cup coffee.

I think I may be recharging the AC in my vehicle.
I don't really need the AC, but it is a nice extra.

Excuse my ignorance, but I thought this was a job you could do yourself? Don't you just get a couple of cans of refrigerant and add it to the port? I once got some refrigerant at Auto Zone. As I was leaving the store, a young man with a friend in the parking lot said, "Hey, weren't you our second-grade teacher?" Turns out I was, and they were both mechanics. They recharged my AC right there.

So, looking at the Walmart website, it shows a $36.97 AC Pro ACP-100 Ultra Synthetic R-134a Car Refigerant Kit, 20-oz that has a pressure gauge on top, and a hose about 18" with an attaching valve. So, maybe this could have done the same for $36.97, that I just paid $163.26 at VIP Laconia?

I don't know?

Anyone here know about using this with a 2014 Subaru where the ac was running luke cool but not super cold?

This used Subaru has no yellow warning lights showing, and drives very good, so's I wanted it done by someone with good skill and the service writer at VIP used to work at a Subaru dealer, and he knew a lot about the Subaru ac system so I decided to spend the big money, there at VIP-Laconia.

Also, what would it cost at Belknap Subaru in Tilton or at Forrest Howes' Auto Repair in Campton, where it is normal to see Dodge Charger police cars, there, for car service?

Never research AFTER doing something. The money's gone, the problem's fixed—move forward.

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It's a bit technical, but there are videos showing how to do it. Not something I would do myself, but maybe you could.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz8G3e2yMxA ..... 2015 Subaru Forester with "almost 40,000 miles": A/C not c-o-l-d

After watching this video, paying the VIP-Laconia $163.26 was my smart move because the ac is now running very cold, at least for now, and my car has over 117,000 miles so it probably just lost refrigerant due to slow leaky, aging o-ring seals. The o-rings dry up or something with age?

If this was a Toyota, it would have lost it refrigerant due to similar leakage, FIVE years ago ... !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?_lBFMLYZEzl ..... fast talk'n, 68-year old Scott Kilmer in Tennessee says "is best NOT to do it yourself" as you can do damage with the do-it-yourself $36.97 self-fill refrigerant kit.

The car I mentioned above was either a Toyota Corolla or a Toyota/Scion xA (I can't recall). Both would have had 140,000 miles or more when I had to add refrigerant.

My last car was a Toyota Scion xB 5-speed, purchased new, that I drove till April 2021 and 221,000-miles and the ac worked excellent throughout, with no need for any service.

But, it had a defective 4-cylinder engine that needed a 3/4 quart oil added with every gasoline fill-up, so's I became the #1 biggest user of that Walmart $2.76 oil in the country! ...... plus I got lots experience adding oil in the dark, in the winter, without a funnel, etc .... :laugh:

It seems this Subaru never ever needs to get oil added, and every 5000-miles, I get the $46.44, 7-am, Castrol Edge oil change and ten dollar tires rotation at the Plymouth NH, Walmart. The $46.44 comes standard with the cheapest Fram filter, but you can upgrade the filter for an extra three or five dollars from the black to silver to gold filter but for 5000-miles of NH 'golden road' driving it probably doesn't matter all that much, which Fram filter.