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So your air conditioning (AC) is blowing hotter air than a politician hoping for reelection Bummer! Rolling the windows down only goes so far, and sitting in a stagnant olfactory pool of under-thigh sweat and oil-rich exhaust fumes is a recipe for an uncomfortable and nauseating ride.

Contrary to the perceived belief that AC injects icy air into the cabin, an AC system creates the feeling of cool air by making the hot air less hot. It removes heat rather than adds cold. This is accomplished with a circulating system that includes both a compressor and a condenser and relies on refrigerant, which absorbs heat. The most frequent reason an AC system goes warm is a low level of that refrigerant. 

Luckily, that’s also the easiest thing to fix. To get you back to feeling icy and cool in the summer’s heat, The Drive’s informational team is here to show you exactly what you need, what to do, and how to do it. 

Now, let’s follow these steps to learn how to recharge car AC.

There are seven main components of a car’s AC system. The system uses a closed-loop format and runs refrigerant throughout. Here’s the role of each piece of the puzzle: 

Working on your car can be dangerous and messy, so here’s exactly what you’ll need to ensure you don’t die, get maimed, or lose a finger.

Additionally, working with cans of compressed air presents its own set of safety concerns. Never leave the pressurized can in direct heat or on top of a hot engine block. In extremely rare cases, the can could be heated to the point the compressed air explodes.

NOTE: Spraying refrigerant into the air is ILLEGAL.

Take a quick trip to the local auto parts store, and you’ll be ready to go.

Or if you don't want to bother with a bunch of parts, and like to have everything that you need nicely organized in one place, then you can use an AC Recharge Kit .

Organizing your tools and gear so that everything that you need to recharge your AC is easily reachable, will save precious minutes waiting for your handy-dandy child or four-legged helper to bring you the sandpaper or blowtorch. (You won't need a blowtorch for this job. Please don’t have your kid hand you a blowtorch—Ed.)

You’ll also need a flat workspace in order to recharge your AC properly, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking. Check your local laws to make sure you’re not violating any codes when using the street because we aren’t getting your ride out of the clink.

Anybody who can follow instructions can recharge car AC. Get your glasses and gloves, grab the refrigerant and attachment hose, and let’s get chilly! 

The Drive recognizes that while our How-To guides are detailed and easily followed, a rusty bolt, an engine component not in the correct position, or oil leaking everywhere can derail a project. That’s why we’ve partnered with JustAnswer, which connects you to certified mechanics around the globe, to get you through even the toughest jobs. 

So if you have a question or are stuck, click here and talk to a mechanic near you.

Over the years, The Drive’s editors have worked on dozens of vehicles and logged hundreds of hours wrenching under fluorescent garage lights. During our experiences, we’ve picked up a few tricks and noted the important things. Here’s what we learned in our times recharging car AC.

Related Post: Best RV Air Conditioners

Refrigerant slowly leaks out of a car’s AC system, but there isn’t a schedule to follow for AC maintenance. If you own one of the AC pressure gauges, simply use that to check the system whenever the AC seems to be losing its cool.

A basic can of generic refrigerant costs less than $10. A can that includes a hose and a gauge will likely cost roughly $40-50.

Because you may not have access to the right tools, or have a friend you can bum a wrench off of, we also compiled our best hacks to make your life easier and drain your pocket less.

XtremepowerUS Air Vacuum Pump and AC Refrigeration Kit

CLC Custom Leathercraft Work Gloves

Got a question? Got a pro tip? Send us a note: guidesandgear@thedrive.com

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