- 1). Park on level ground if refilling the El Camino anywhere other than your home's garage. Activate the emergency brake, and move the El Camino's gear shifter into park or neutral, depending on the type of transmission -- an absolutely necessary step, since the refilling process will have you running the El Camino's engine.
- 2). Open the hood. Toward the center of the engine compartment, you will find a set of metal tubes. These pipes, part of the El Camino's air conditioner, each have two service connectors -- one located farther toward the rear of the engine. Your R12 kit will not fit this port, and you will damage the system if you try to add Freon through this outlet.
- 3). Locate the low side pressure connector, which usually features a black or blue dust cap. Pull off the cap, and attach your R12 kit to this location. Find a safe area to deposit the kit temporarily. Since the engine will be running soon, keep the kit's R12 canister away from anything that will move it.
- 4). Unlock and open all of the El Camino's doors to prevent cold air from building up within the vehicle's passenger compartment during the recharging. Sit behind the El Camino's instrument cluster, and start the engine. Allow the car warm to up to its standard operational temperature.
- 5). Switch the El Camino's air conditioner to the hardest air-blowing force. Turn the air conditioner's temperature setting all the way down. While you recharge the system, you must take accurate temperatures within the system; you will also need the system's blower to help circulate the new R12 Freon evenly and quickly.
- 6). Exit the El Camino, and walk back to the engine. Pick up the R12 kit. Turn down the kit's valve, and release the R12 Freon into the system. You will hear loud noises -- specifically the sound of a gas "rushing." This is normal and not a cause to worry.
- 7). Place a thermometer into the El Camino's center air-conditioning duct. Let the Freon charge for 60 seconds, then close the kit's valve. Allow the system to rest and stabilize for 60 seconds. The blower will circulate the Freon. Continue to charge the system in 60-second increments.
- 8). Monitor the thermometer in the AC duct while the system charges and circulates. A fully charged air conditioner will refrigerate air to 40 degrees. Once the thermometer shows 40 degrees, you will have completed the recharging task. If you are charging the system outside during sweaty summer months, the air conditioner's internal temperature may plateau somewhere between 60 and 40 degrees.
- 9). Pull the thermometer from the duct. Close the kit's valve, then remove the kit from the low side pressure connection. If you wish to ensure the R12 has fully circulated the system, let the El Camino idle for another 10 minutes, then shut down the air conditioner and engine.
- 10
Store a partially empty R12 canister in a dark storage closet. Leave the kit's components attached, and do not discharge leftover R12 into the atmosphere.
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