How hard is it to re-charge the A/C on a 1996 850 Wagon? The A/C is cycling every 2-3 seconds and I want to try to recharge it before assuming the evaporator is shot. Any tips? Is this hard to do? THanks!~

Update- I bought the afore-mentioned Interdynamics kit to do the recharge. Instructions were simple and easy to follow although I did have one small problem. The kit recommends a recharge if a pressure reading of 0-25 PSI is taken on the low pressure fitting. Mine would cycle between 25 PSI and 45 PSI which is supposed to be normal. I decided to go ahead and add a bit of refrigerant anyway and immediately noticed a difference in the output at the vents.

I was concerned about overfilling it but given that the temperature did drop significantly, I can only assume that it was the right thing to do. Thanks for the tips!

Glad it worked out for you, did you use the rubber and metal sealant too? If not, consider adding the sealant next time if your AC starts cycling fast again.

Sounds as if you were right at the low pressure cut-off point (25). If pressure was cycling 25-45, my guess is that the compressor was cycling on and off, since the pressure rises when the compressor is off. You need to measure the pressure with the compressor running steadily and the system stabilized by running a few minutes. Be sure that your pressure while compressor is running isn't stabilizing at 45+, as that is going to cause problems. If you added one can iof freon, I would expect your pressure went from 25 to around 35-38, and that will be fine for al normal climates.
--
Mike Sullivan ('91 745 (171k), '93 965 (147k), '95 855T (60k), '98 V70XC (78k). Past Volvo's: '85 744 (256k), '86 245 (165k), '86 245 (195k), '88 745 (208k).

I had this problem and would have to recharge about every 6-9 months. I assumed it was the evaporator since the local gas station mechanic couldn't find any leaks in the engine compartment. Apparently the evaporator is located under the passenger dash and you'll need to look under the dash for the leak.

Anyways, I assumed it was the evaporator so I thought what the heck, I have nothing to lose if I try recharging it myself, I've watched the mechanic do it a few times so I know where the fitting is and read the previous posts here on this issue.

I purchased the Interdynamics A/C recharge kit with pressure gauge, R134a refridgerant and a sealant kit that had two cans, one for rubber (hose) leaks and another for metal leaks (evaporator). All for about $50.

Follow the directions carefully, I put in the metal and rubber sealants followed by 1 can of the R134a. The AC has been cool for about 2 years so far. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO OVERFILL.

Do a search on this site, there's tons of info about recharging (pros and cons). Unfortunately, this is a common and expensive problem for the 850. I figured I saved $1100 in the process.

I just did this yesterday. I thought my ac was blowing a little warmer from one summer to the next, and then this spring i noticed it was cycling and only blowing cold at higher rpms, speeds. i saw the bottles of r134 at the shop and asked around, got various quotes from repair shops, a mandaory "inspection" from CA state law is required at about $50, then you pay by the ounce of refrigerant added, or you can go with entire evac/recharge. i used a place that only does ac/heating on cars. They put the 30lb tank of r134 on a precise scale, put a digital thermometer in your center vents and take initail reading. mine was 72. then they add 3 oz at time and check temp. mine was 10 oz low, the system holds around 32 i think. the tech was very nice and explained some thigns about sytems. If you do the can route yourself you need to add small amounts at atime and NOT overfill. overcharge the system. You will lose efficeincy and start making stuff work harder and not be as cool. Inside the garage, it was 85 deg, after 10 oz of r134 the thermometer was reading 39 deg out of center vents. very nice, they also added oil and dye to the refrigerant. when you lose 1/3 of your orignal refrig, you also have lost 1/2 of the oil that lubs system, the dye helps find the leak when you come back with a uv light in a month or two.
my total was $76 in sacramento Ca. you could do it yourself for less, but you dont get the oil or dye and help down the road.
good luck, so far, the best "repair" money spent on the car

Do you have R-12 0r R-134 coolant?

Volvo switched everything to R134 no later than 1993, I believe
--
Mike Sullivan ('91 745 (171k), '93 965 (147k), '95 855T (60k), '98 V70XC (78k). Past Volvo's: '85 744 (256k), '86 245 (165k), '86 245 (195k), '88 745 (208k).

It is r134 refridge. You must be careful about charge adding too much could
hurt the system. I had a similar problem.. I found that the evap had a small
pin hole and that it was common on 850's. have your sustem checked and
make sure of what's happening before drawing a conclusion. If its the evap.
it run about 1100.00 to replace.

96 850 GLT wagon 37,000 miles.

Thanks for the help all. I'm going to pick up a kit today and see how it goes.