FJC 6036 R134a U-Charge Hose with Gauge

FIrst I want to say it arrived quickly and works great. FOr the money, it is a great value. It allows me to keep our older car air conditioner going. I like this version with a metal on/off valve. I only have to use about half a can to recharge my civic when it gets low on Freon so this allows me to get two charges on one little Freon bottle. My only negative about this is the hose is fairly short. It works fine but would be nice if it were about 6 inches longer so it would be easier to hold and watch the gauge as you slowly charge. Works great though and price was very fair so can't really complain at all. If the hose was just a few inches longer, it would be perfect.

After successfully adding refrigerant to my car, I was still doubtful of the gauge accuracy on a set this cheap, so to verify I picked up a loaner professional gauge manifold from the local auto parts store. It turns out mine is accurate to within 1 psi! Instructions on the package are actually surprisingly good. As pictured, the hoses are short on this set, so make sure you can get close enough to the low side port on your car. No problem on my Toyota Sienna. As to purging air from the hose before charging (recommended), it was easy. Turn clockwise on the valve to pierce the can then, with the fitting ready to connect to your car, turn counterclockwise to release a small puff of gas through the hose. Close the valve and connect the fitting. Hose purged.

This works great on traditional cans of refrigerant and additives that have a metal seal on top that needs to be punctured. Please note, from my experience this does not work on self sealing cans. A self sealing can is a newer kind of refrigerant and additive can that does not have a metal seal on top, there is an open hole on the top of the new cans. From what I'm reading you need to use a special adapter to use a product like this on those new cans, since this product is designed to pierce the metal top of the can. *After looking into it a little more, FJC also sells another U-Charge hose and gauge designed for self sealing cans, FJC #6037. As mentioned earlier another company also sells an adapter you might be able to use, but I don't want to advertise for another company in this comment. My local auto parts stores had them, they were blue in color and screwed onto the self sealing cans. **In case someone doesn't read the comments, someone suggested naming the adapter I mentioned. I think "Interdynamics (DVA-1) R-134a Recharge Hose Adapter ASIN: B004NL2XM0" is what you would need to use a self sealing can with this FJC recharge hose. I have not tested it myself, but it says it's an adapter for a piercing tap to a self sealing can.

As other have reported: Gauge requires some guess-work. Hoses are a bit short. But it worked well for my DIY needs. I was able to add 2 cans of refrigerant to my 2002 Subaru Outback, to bring the AC from nearly empty to working great. There was some system pressure, but the AC pump wouldn't even turn on. At first I added ONE 10.5-ounce can, and the AC pump started working and I got a measly 78º F of vent temp (on an 85º F day). Then I added most of the SECOND 10.5-ounce can and I got to a very satisfying 45ºF vent temp! Hooray! One can had dye in it, so I can see where it's leaking (common Subaru issue of tired o-rings connecting refrigerant hoses to the top of AC compressor). Thank you YouTube folks for the many how-to videos. Cost me $30 total for this hose and two cans. Literally a shade-tree mechanic DIY win!

Yes the packaging was brutal to open but really who cares! Product worked great, I have a 95 Cherokee and the low side ac port is right on top. The hose is pretty short so that is a factor if your port is not as accessible. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that the pressure gauge is slightly affected by the angle it is held at. While infusing, the can will be upside down and so he gauge is too. This wasn’t a big deal, just turn it over and see where it is. Follow the instructions and you won’t have any problems, they’re clear and simple.

Used this Charge Hose/Gauge this evening to add a 12 ounce can of R134 to my automobile's AC system. The gauge helps you figure out what's going on as you wait 10 minutes for the can of R134 freon to go into the system. Great price for a tool you will only use from time to time. I also bought an inexpensive spot thermometer to stick into the dashboard vent to verify that adding the freon resolved the cooling issue: http://amzn.com/B009YM7Z2Q

The product is good... but the tubing is too short. It's not real easy to hook to the AC connector AND still have enough length left to hook the other end of the tube to the R134 can......

This is a great little tool for DIY people. I work at an automotive shop but never have time to work on my own car at work. I bought this to recharge my A/C in my 2008 Scion XB on the weekend at home. It got the job done and now my A/C is blowing snow balls again. As we be other person mentioned, if you open the valve all the way the gauge will spike to the danger zone. Tighten the valve back up to release the Freon slower & let it settle. The gauge pressure will change as the compressor cycles on & off.