How to Check the Standard Freon Pressure in Car AC? Here’s How to Check It

Driving a car will feel comfortable when the temperature in the cabin is cool and refreshing. To maintain that comfort, you must pay attention to the condition of the car AC. If the cabin feels less cool but the AC filter is still in good condition, it could be that your AC freon is depleted. Therefore, you need to refill it and know the correct freon pressure. 

In the refilling process, you must pay attention to the car AC freon pressure so that the AC works well. The following will explain how to check the AC freon pressure along with the standard pressure values. 

Standard AC Freon Pressure

The refilling of AC freon pressure should not be done carelessly and must be precise. If the pressure provided is too low, the magnetic clutch will have a sufficiently high electric current, leading to excessive power consumption. On the other hand, if the pressure is too high, it can cause several problems such as the following:

1. Cutting off the electric current flowing to the magnetic clutch
2. Increasing the engine load when the AC is turned on 
3. Less cool temperature even though the AC has been on for a long time
4. AC condenser easily overheats

Therefore, usually, the freon AC refilling is done with the help of a skilled technician. Typically, the technician will use a tool called a manifold gauge to determine the freon pressure. This tool has five important parts: sight glass (the part indicating the freon level on the manifold gauge), nipple (coupler), pressure measurement scale, hose, and valve. 

Here are the freon AC pressure thresholds that you need to know. 

High Freon Pressure

It is said to have high freon pressure if the pressure is in the range of 160-250 psi.

Low Freon Pressure

It is said to have low freon pressure if the pressure is in the range of 15-30 psi.

Read Also: How to Safely and Practically Maintain Car AC Freon!

How to Check AC Freon Pressure

Although it is recommended to refill the freon pressure with the help of a skilled technician, you also need to know how to check the freon pressure independently. Here are some steps you need to pay attention to when checking the AC freon pressure:

1. As previously explained, the manifold gauge has five important parts. Before checking, you should already know the function of each of these parts. The first step you take is to close the manifold valve according to the clockwise direction. 
2. Next, attach the blue nipple to the low-pressure AC service valve. Meanwhile, the red nipple is attached to the high-pressure AC service valve. When installing the nipple, you must understand the type of AC you are installing, as the nipple positions vary depending on the type of AC.
3. Turn counterclockwise on the top part of the AC to make the nipple installation easier. Then pull the lower AC button so that the nipple can fit properly into the service valve.
4. Turn both AC fasteners, whether low or high pressure, clockwise so that the freon pressure is easy for you to read.
5. The pressure measurement results using the manifold gauge are similar to the AC pressure when the car engine is not turned on, which is 70-90 psi.
6. Next, start the car engine and immediately test the pressure. At low pressure, the pressure is in the range of 20 to 30 psi. Meanwhile, at high AC pressure, it is in the range of 170-250 psi. 

Read Also: Negative Effects of Overfilling Car AC Freon

Thus, the method you can use to check the car AC freon pressure. If you feel less competent, immediately seek help from a skilled technician or the nearest Daihatsu dealer. There you will receive excellent service when checking the car AC freon pressure or other car parts.