Refrigerant System Recovery

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2013 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

NOTE: An Air Conditioning (A/C) refrigerant analyzer must be used before the recovery of any vehicle's A/C refrigerant. Failure to do so puts the shop's bulk refrigerant at risk of contamination. If the vehicle's A/C refrigerant is contaminated, refer the customer to the service facility that carried out the last A/C service. If the customer wishes to pay the additional cost, use the A/C recovery equipment that is designated for recovering contaminated A/C refrigerant. All contaminated A/C refrigerant must be disposed of as hazardous waste. For all equipment, follow the equipment manufacturer procedures and instructions.

NOTE: Leaks in refrigerant system service equipment, hoses or gauges can cause a leak in vacuum that may be misinterpreted as a problem with the vehicle's refrigerant system. It is necessary to leak-test all refrigerant system service equipment, hoses and gauges on a weekly basis to verify that no leaks are present.

NOTE: Ford Motor Company recommends the use of R-134a refrigerant management equipment that meets the requirements of the SAE J2788 standard.

Prior to recovering, the purity of the refrigerant must be verified. Refer to REFRIGERANT IDENTIFICATION TESTING .
Connect a R-134a Refrigerant Management Machine to the low- and high-pressure service gauge port valves following the operating instructions provided by the equipment manufacturer.
Recover the refrigerant from the system following the operating instructions provided by the equipment manufacturer. Note the amount of oil removed during the refrigerant recovery (if any). Add that same amount back into the system once repairs are complete.
Allow the system to set for about 2 minutes, and observe the system vacuum reading. If the vacuum is not lost, disconnect the recovery equipment.
If the system does lose vacuum, repeat Steps 3 through 5 until the vacuum level remains stable for 2 minutes.
Carry out the required repairs.