2000 F150 5.4 A/C is cold at times then warm at other times. I bought recharge can with gauge but when I put it on low end connection it doesn't seat or lock in. The needles from each end must not meet enough to open low end connection so It wont take charge. It just sprays out from the connection. I've got it to snap or click but doesnt open up valve . Any Ideas ??????????????

 

I refilled my F-150 (2000 model, 311,000 miles! )(--Why have they improved F-150 4.2 L engine, front antilock brakes, power doors, and A/C, even the transmission so MUCH over my 1988 Lariat, just in time for the 'Bamster to put our U.S. car companies out of business?) A/C for the first time the other day. After trying to attach to high pressure end (mercifully they made that fitting larger so I couldn't mess up!) I DID find low end, right on top, on larger diameter alum. colored pipe, sure enough. Not enuff time to empty can and only got to 35 pounds (40 recommended on ambient temperature chart); pressure gage rose only slightly over 35 p.s.i., even with tallest can R-134 from Advance Auto Parts; I felt liquid still in (supposedly reusable guage-model) refill kit, (highest priced one they had...) I later reattached, shot some more in; can cold, no pressure increase over 35 p.s.i. truck initially had, but can still not empty. Pressure on guage was never much below 34 p.s.i., even when I started (of course had to scare myself with A.D.D. once, when I had A/C set to "panel," which means in 2000 F-150 that A/C compressor DOES NOT come on at all, gage read something like 150 p.s.i., which freaked me temporarily!)(but showed that cheap plastic guage on refil kit wasn't locked at 34 p.s.i. or something, anyway...)

After filling & shaking can for 'bout 5 min, total, I had to drive to another errand, but I felt like maybe another couple of inchs of liquid in can, wanted to get money's worth, so hooked up a 3rd time when I had some time... Blue plastic quick-connect fitting on blue hose from this "high dollar" can began to leak slightly, but DID get more refrig. into system, judging by sound and cold can. But, very LAST time I tried to hook up, when I had more time to get final bit out, blue plastic quick connect was clearly toasted; spewing the yellow colored liquid from can (supposedly containing stop-leak & moisture absorbent...) so, "reusable guage" and hose on this kit is sort of a come-on: the blue plastic quick connect appears designed to die after being hooked up 4 times or so...Also looks as if internal pin on connector bent to side; I didn't man-handle it, either... if this helps, it may be these are such CHEAP plastic quick connectors that yours was toast even on your first connection, or pin got bent; assuming you weren't dumb as me & somehow FORCED it onto larger "high" side fitting (no, I didn't actually do that -- I took the hint, when high side fitting was too big...)

Also, responding to your point that your A/C is "cold sometimes, warm others," I've had same problem here these last 1000 miles (from 310,000 mi. on odometer til now) Yes, a miracle, I've had this truck from 68K to now, with NO A/C PROBLEMS AT ALL. I actually now do not think I NEEDED that 3/4 can of refrigerant I added at all (had to throw last 1/4 can away...see above comments) I think that my A/C not cycling properly; i.e. first getting overly cold, THEN compressor turning OFF for a LONG TIME (like up to 15 min...) I have better luck when I do NOT use "MAX A/C" (On my F-150 "Max" simply means "recirculates passenger compartment air" rather than bringing in NEW hot, humid air from outside, to be cooled & dehumidified). When I am cooling hot outside air, things work better; it takes much longer to get uncomfortably cold and cycle off, and it cycles back ON much quicker also; making me think some sensor is bad, like low side pressure sensor, obvious in extreme front left corner under hood, w/ red & black wires, when looking at engine from front of vehicle. If I am right, before summer comes, I think I will strip two wires, run a wire into passenger compartment w/ a switch to close the circuit & force A/C clutch to turn on, which my mechanic friend says will happen when these two wires from sensor are bridged. He says no real danger damaging a/c even if coils ice up. Will report back if I can find this site again. Can't afford to do REAL fix on 311,000 mi. truck, esp. since having trouble getting inspected; right bank cat. converters throwing error code; will be spending 400 to $600 with good friend (muffler man) to put in 2 bed cat. converters (cheaper than 800 to $1,000 at other places, or I'm sure $1,600 or more Ford dealer svc would charge...) just so I can pass inspection ONE MORE TIME & not have to replace truck this year. Go figure--311,000 mi. on an American truck w/ hardly any substantial repairs needed, and I really BEAT it by driving w/ bad plug wires for nearly a year after my friend and mechanic fixed a few little things, but had A.D.D. and forgot to install some new wires he'd charged me for. I just assumed an injector was bad or something & causing terrible missing problem...Never ASSUME...It was plug wires!--Who knows, I might not even be dealing with these right bank catalytic converters if I hadn't had that problem; missing was on right bank, when I had to get it inspected & finally fixed plug wires again; all that unburned fuel prob'ly fused the right 'cats...