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Showing results for tags 'refrigerant'.
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I . GOOFED . BADLY . 2015 Taurus Limited, 3.5L. Doing the 100,000mi radiator flush (no chemicals and in the dark of night) and all online advice said the drain was on the driver’s side. All I can find is a hex plug (never seen one like that). So I turn it until I hear a hiss and small drip. Odd… I make sure I had the cap off the fill tank, then come back and give it a quick spin. A gush of vapor and fluid hits my arm and I REACT as if badly burned. Fumble…. and …throw…the wrench… then realized its actually COLD COLD COLD!!! 1 second later I realize my mistake and eventually fumble the wrench back in and tighten up the drain plug ….. for the condenser….SMH. I head gas balancing out in the system after I tightened the plug. Finished the flush but now I got a bigger problem. I lost quite a bit of gas and the catch pan had an ounce or two of green fluid (I’m guessing the oil). I know I’m banned from AC for a while so Ill either run full blast heat (HI) or turn the climate control off until I can get this fixed. I don’t know how much refrigerant I lost and how much was actually compressor oil. I have done my own AC work on cheap vehicles with success (AC PRO + Oil), but this is my “nicest” car ever so I don’t want to damage or goof up anything else. Obviously no air got in the system, but I’m definitely low on something. I have not turned the AC on to see if it’s cold or not. 1 Is it safe to drive as long as I don’t use the AC? 2 Is it safe to use the heat on HI? 3 Would much lubricant be in the condenser or was that green fluid just liquid state R134a that had not evaporated yet? 40degress F ambient temperature. Car was pointing steeply downhill and had been off from AC use for about 45 minutes. 4 I understand the AC cycle, am an engineer, but also understand I don’t have the tools to measure what I actually have left vs what I need (1.43lb R134a + 5.2oz oil per manual ). If the green fluid was just liquid state R-134a I should be able to just use a can of AC PRO. It was 40-45F outside. 5 Should I just eat the cost and take it to the dealership or a local shop? I’m guessing they would drain it and start over so they know what is in it.
