A 2008 forum post about my car's AC made me see I'd been topping it off wrong for years.

I was always just adding a can of refrigerant every summer until I read a mechanic's comment saying that constant low pressure usually means a leak, not normal use. Anyone else have a simple fix that turned out to be making a bigger problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.shane1mo ago

That "simple fix" mentality had me driving on a donut spare for a month once...

kevin_roberts411mo ago

Oh man, the "simple fix" idea is a trap I keep falling into. I once told myself I'd just top off the oil and ended up needing a whole new engine block. That donut spare month sounds about right for my level of mechanical optimism. I'm basically a danger to myself with a set of tools. My garage is a museum of projects that were "five minutes" of work six months ago.

perez.christopher1mo ago

A month on a donut spare, @butler.shane? That's a level of commitment to a bad idea I can barely picture. It makes my own "simple fixes" look almost smart, like the time I kept gluing a door handle back on instead of just buying the new part. You convince yourself it's fine until the whole thing just comes off in your hand.