Veteran Mechanic Walks Into O'Reilly Auto Parts. Then He Reveals the No. 1 Product You Should Never Buy There
It's getting hot out, and your AC is barely blowing cool air. You're on a budget and want to DIY a solution. So you go buy an AC refrigerant kit from your local auto parts store.
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It's tempting, but there are some good reasons why you should avoid these kits.
Seasoned mechanic Sherwood Cooke Jr. (@welker.farms11) recently posted a TikTok warning people against using AC refrigerant kits.
In the video, he goes into an O'Reilly Auto Parts store and locates the kits. These kits include a can of refrigerant, a charging hose, and a pressure gauge.
Cooke says you should 'never' buy one.
As of this writing, Cooke's TikTok has 267,000 views. His advice has people feeling conflicted.
Why Shouldn't You Use These Kits?
Cooke points out a few reasons why you should steer clear of AC refrigerant kits.
Both of the brands he picked up advertised leak sealer. Cooke says you want to avoid this at all costs because it'll start 'gumming things up' and could damage the components in the AC, like the compressor, dryer, and condenser.
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Cooke says that using one of these kits could ultimately cause damage to the tool a mechanic uses when fixing your AC. The canned refrigerant can get sucked into their professional grade tools, he explains. Cooke says that some
mechanic
shops won't even risk hooking their machine up to a car if they know you used one of these kits.
According to Cooke, these kits don't really work on leaks, either.
'It's just not gonna fix a big leak on your car, it's just not gonna work,' he says.
Even if your vehicle has a small o-ring, he says it's better to replace it than use the sealer.
He also claims that the kits don't fully charge your vehicle's system. The professional process includes evacuating what's in the car to then refill it, he says, and constantly keeping track of the refrigerant tank weight to know how much refrigerant is going in.
While he acknowledges that the kits might make your air conditioning colder, Cooke says, 'You're never gonna get the right amount. I will assure you it's a total guess.'
'I couldn't do it, I mean no professional can do it, and we've been doing it for a long time, there's no way that you're going to be able to do it as a DIYer,' he adds.
Cooke further notes that the tool in these kits uses pressure to measure how much coolant is needed. He says that not only is the green 'filled' area on the gauge in the kits a large range, but using pressure as a measurement at all is flawed because conditions like the outside temperature, outside humidity, and temperature under the hood plays a huge part in what the pressure should be in the system.
That's why he says you should never use an AC refrigerant kit.
How Much Do Pros Charge to Recharge AC?
At the mechanic, it'll typically cost you $150 to $300 to recharge your air conditioning, AutoZone
reports
.
There is no set schedule for how often this service is needed. You simply take it in when you start to notice a decrease in your car's cooling power.
'These costs are generally not that expensive when considering that this maintenance also extends the life of your compressor, keeping your air conditioning performing optimally season after season,' AutoZone adds.
AC Kits Get Mixed Reviews
People were conflicted by Cooke's advice.
'I used one of these back in 2020 and it still blows ice cold to this day,' a top comment read.
'In a new car probably not...in a old beater hell yes!!' another chimed in.
'As a former diesel mechanic, that worked in a shop and recharged AC systems in a controlled environment,' another wrote. 'I personally don't think they should sell that over-the-counter, because it is extremely dangerous!'
'I made this mistake not knowing anything about AC systems on cars. Replaced a gross leaking hose and 'charged' my system. 2 months later it cost me $4500 for a new AC system,' a commenter shared.
Motor1
reached out to Cooke for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to O'Reilly Auto Parts via email. We'll be sure to update this if either responds.
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