I have a 2007 ford 500 and am having a difficult time accessing the recharging port. I bought a 24 inch hose but dirrections say to have car running when hooking up the hose. It is a very tight fit for the one hand. That's all you can get in there. And the engine gets too hot. Can I hook up the recharging hose before starting engine?

 

Before attempting to offer any suggestions, need to know just what you have and are working with.

When the pressures in the AC system have equalized the pressure could be anywhere from 80 psi to higher depending on the ambient temp.

We always try not to allow any air or moisture to get into the system when adding refrigerant, so we usually purge the hose with refrigerant to allow the possible moisture and air to escape and not be introduced into the system. Both in sufficient quantity can affect the efficiency. of the system. If they suggested that you connect the hose after the system has been turned on it may be to have you make the connection when the pressure is lowest or lower. Are you sure you are looking at the right port for adding refrigerant? If you have never done this before it would be a good idea to consult with someone that has and can be there to guide you from possibly having problems.
Adding refrigerant does not have to be difficult, but you need to be safe and know what you are doing..

 

Thanks Hanky, I have a 2007 ford 500 and have Googled the location of said port and it's the right one. I managed to get recharging hose on port with car running and air on high but as soon as I made the connection the gauge shot up into the red. I unplugged it and redid the hookup but its still in the red. This car has been very well maintained and air work fine til a couple months ago but now all its doing is blowing air that's the same as outside air and I don't hear the engine change as before when compresser kicked in. Advice?

 

Without being there to actually see what is happening I suspect,

the compressor is not coming on and you are getting the reading of the refrigerant at ambient temp.

The system may not be low on refrigerant, but there may be another reason for the compressor not coming on.

The only suggestion I would offer at this time is for you to check all the fuses. Not having all the tools to do all the checks, it might be a good idea to have a shop check it out.

Maybe someone will come up with another suggestion for you to consider.