There are several reasons why your car’s AC recharge hose won’t fit the low pressure port. It may be due to purchasing wrong recharge kit or stripped one. Besides, faulty ac components can also be a reason for not fitting the ac recharge hose. Meanwhile, if you’re experiencing this challenge, adding refrigerant to your air conditioning system will be difficult.
Nevertheless, don’t panic unnecessarily over the issue if this is something you’re currently facing. The causes of the misalignment of the AC recharge hose have been outlined in this article.
Also, the corresponding solutions to the problem have been unveiled below. Kindly spare a few minutes to run through the subsequent sections.
Causes Of AC Recharge Hose Won’t Fit
The various reasons why your vehicle’s air conditioning system’s ac pro won’t connect to port are explained below in this section. In the end, you should be able to figure out which issue is directly responsible for the challenge in your car.
Faulty AC compressor
A defective AC compressor is the major reason your ac recharge hose won’t fit the low-pressure port to enable you to add freon to the HVAC system. A working AC compressor is easy to identify.
For example, the center of the AC compressor pulley is a major part that determines whether the component is working or not. If the center of the compressor is not spinning, you most likely have a faulty AC compressor.
Meanwhile, the failure to spin is a sign that there is huge pressure in the lower port or low-pressure line. This issue can hinder the connection of the recharge hose.
Low-quality connector hose
A cheap quality hose is another reason why you may be having a tough time fitting the AC recharge hose to your air conditioning system for a refill. Sometimes, you may be tempted to get an inferior component because it is the one that comes in handy at the moment.
However, a poor-quality AC recharge hose will eventually fail after using it for a while. When this happens, you won’t be able to latch the coupler on the hose to the lower pressure port of the air conditioning system.
Failure to pull up the lock ring
Some quick connectors are designed with a lock ring that must be engaged to let the air conditioner’s recharge hose snap on the lower pressure port. Usually, you will have to pull the lock ring up to make it snap on the port.
Failure to pull up the lock ring will result in a misalignment between the AC recharge hose and the lower pressure port. This situation can be tricky because all quick connectors are not designed the same way, especially if you have a cheap AC recharge gauge sets.
Solutions Of AC Recharge Hose Won’t Fit
Based on the common causes of the misalignment between the AC recharge hose and the low-pressure port, the following are the solutions you can implement to troubleshoot the problem.
Pull up the quick connector’s lock ring
Firstly, if you’re experiencing a hard time attaching your AC recharge hose to the lower pressure port for a refill due to your failure to pull the lock ring, simply pull up the component to let the hose snap on the port.
However, if this doesn’t solve the problem, you may have to get a new replacement for your quick connector. This time around, ensure to get a high-quality quick connector to avoid unnecessary issues from the AC freon hose in the future.
Replace your AC recharge hose
If you notice that a poor-quality A/C recharge hose is the cause of the misalignment between the hose and the lower pressure port, the remedy would be to get a new high-quality AC recharge kit or a quick connector.
You may want to check the auto parts shop near you across the street for a new superior quality quick connector and try it on your air conditioning system. This should solve the problem if your AC pro won’t fit on port.
Repair faulty parts/replace AC compressor
A failed relay, wiring issues, low refrigerant level due to leaks, and a few other issues may be responsible for the AC compressor’s malfunction, which further affects your ability to connect the recharge hose on the port. If this is the case, kindly consult an expert auto technician to fix the fault ASAP.
However, if the problem is beyond a simple faulty part issue (relatively complicated), you may have to replace the entire AC compressor to overcome this challenge once and for all. Since the compressor is a major part of the air conditioning system, keeping the component intact is very important.
How Do You Attach A Hose To A Refrigerant?
If you’re wondering how to connect AC recharge hose to a refrigerant, carefully fix the quick connector from the recharge hose end to the low-pressure port.
Simply push the quick connector onto the port. Then, connect the other end of the hose to the refrigerant can adapter. This is what you screw onto the refrigerant can to attach the hose.
Is Low Pressure AC Line Big Or Small?
The low-pressure AC line usually has a larger metal pipe than the high-side line. The low pressure ac port is located between the evaporator and the AC compressor. It usually has a blue or black plastic cap.
The low pressure ac service port is at the vacuum side. This part runs from the metering device down to the AC compressor inlet. Meanwhile, the high pressure port side is the AC discharge side. This part runs from the AC compressor outlet down to the metering device inlet.
How Do You Recharge AC After Replacing Hose?
Once you have a good quality hose, recharging your AC can be pretty much straightforward. Keep in mind, never recharge too much freon to get better performance. The following procedure will guide you appropriately.
- Get a can of refrigerant, unscrew the trigger and remove the inner cap.
- Screw back the trigger to allow the pin to pierce the can.
- Shake the refrigerant can to mix the content.
- Connect the refrigerant can to the ac low pressure port adapter.
- Press the trigger on the refrigerant can.
- Shake the freon can every 3 – 4 seconds to allow the content to stay mixed.
- Check the pressure gauge after 10 seconds to avoid overcharging.
- Press the trigger on the can again and check the gauge after 10 seconds repeatedly.
- Disconnect the connector from the low pressure port once your gauge attains the correct reading.
Can I Recharge My AC On The High Side?
No matter what, never attempt to recharge your car’s AC on the high side because of safety issues. Recharging an air conditioning system through the high pressure port can make the pressure back up into the refrigerant can and explode the can like a grenade.
Usually, the effect of recharging the AC through the high side would cause severe damage to the user and not the air conditioning system. Therefore, always ensure to recharge the air conditioning system through the low service port.
If you’re not sure about handling your car’s AC recharge, you may want to contact a professional auto technician to do the job. It will only cost you a few bucks. However, refilling your AC is straightforward if you follow the recommended procedure.
Conclusion
If your AC recharge hose won’t fit, you already know by now that the issue is traceable to a faulty compressor, poor quality AC recharge hose, and failure to pull up the quick connector’s lock ring.
Whatever the cause may be, ensure to implement the corresponding remedy to troubleshoot the problem as soon as possible. Lastly, ensure to always use high-quality AC recharge kits when recharging your car’s air conditioning system.