Low-side Air Conditioner Fitting

[mlconnors529]

Where is the low-side air conditioner fitting on a 2002 Savana 3500 with 5.7L engine and front and rear air?

[ZZ327]

If you know where the ports are it is the BIG port. If you buy a R134a charge kit from a auto parts store It will only fit the low side port!! on the passenger side near the firewall there should be a silver looking can with 2 lines running to and from it. Follow those and youll find it.

[mlconnors529]

If you know where the ports are it is the BIG port. If you buy a R134a charge kit from a auto parts store It will only fit the low side port!! on the passenger side near the firewall there should be a silver looking can with 2 lines running to and from it. Follow those and youll find it.

 

Thanks ZZ327.. I did buy a recharge kit. I see one port just left of the "can". It's too big for the fitting from the kit so I assume that's the high side. I don't see the low-side fitting. Hopefully its not buried to deep in the engine compartment.

[txab]

Look closely in the area around the accumulator (silver can). Maybe on the side of it. Also look on the ac lines in the area.

[mlconnors529]

Look closely in the area around the accumulator (silver can). Maybe on the side of it. Also look on the ac lines in the area.

 

Thanks txab... there is a port on the upper side of the accumulator itself. Could that be the port? It looks to be the correct size.

[txab]

Should be. The fit will tell.

[Spurshot]

My recollection is that the "low side" port is always smaller. I could be wrong, but I just evac'd and recharged my 99 truck's system a couple weeks ago. The fittings are sized differently to prevent you from putting a can on the "high side" and blowing the can up in your face.

 

If you don't have any gauges, putting refrigerant in is like putting oil in your engine without a dipstick to measure it. You may get it to run fine, but you don't know how much is in there. Not enough, and it stops working. No biggie. Too much, and it could hydraulic the compressor.

 

Go ahead and give it a shot. Best route when doing this in the blind without gauges, don't put too much in. If one small can doesn't fix it, don't add more. Actually, try about half a can and stop, then run the system as normal. Sometimes all it takes is a little.

 

To get that freon in, you may have to "jump" the clutch trigger circuit. Look for a sensor with two wires going to it, either on the accumulator or just in front of it, but before any large fittings in a straight run of hard line. That fitting is where the orifice will be. It's only about 3" long and needs a straight section of tube and a fitting to get it in. The orifice is what separates the high from the low sides. When you find the low side sensor, pull the connector and take a small paperclip and form a jumper from one side of the connector to the other. This will energize the clutch continuously so you can add freon. Remove it once you're done, of course. You can run it in the driveway with the jumper, but watch to keep from freezing up the system.

 

If it still doesn't get cold, take it to a a/c shop.