Where do you pour PAG oil into A/C compressor?

[Nuje]

Ever since I got the car, the A/C system works great right after it's charged up, but then within a week, it's dead. Leaking somewhere - most likely the evaporator given that I can't see dye anywhere else. While ordering the evaporator, I got a little carried away and ordered all the lines plus the condenser. So - system is gonna be empty. I removed the compressor and flipped it over to drain out all the oil, turned the compressor by hands a few revolutions to make sure it all got drained out.

So now...I know I need to put in 135mL of PAG46, and from what I've read, I can just dump it into the compressor and let it distribute to the rest of the system. Is that correct?
And to the subject line here....where do I pour in the PAG oil? Do I just use one of the open ports where the lines connect? Or is there a designated "fill" port elsewhere on the (Sanden) compressor?

 

[csstevej]

I’m assuming you’re replacing the receiver dryer too?
Are you flushing the system?
I would put the recommended amounts into each components that are changed…..usually there’s a chart on how much oil each component gets , I wouldn’t really worry about adding to the line you can add a little more to the receiver dryer , it acts like a reservoir.
Just went through this on my Silverado , I had a small leak on the lower lh side of the condenser , found it using nitrogen and a soapy solution , replaced the condenser and the receiver dryer, added oil to both components, sucked it down for a good half hour , added recommended amount of 134a and it’s like a meat locker in my truck.

 

[J_dude]

I don’t think you’d be able to get much into the head through the line ports, but there’s a fill port on the side of the body. (At least, that’s where you lube it when you convert one to an on-board-air compressor )
csstevej sounds like he knows what he’s talking about though for the rest of it.

 

[Nuje]

I’m assuming you’re replacing the receiver dryer too?
Are you flushing the system?

Yes, everything's getting replaced - new condenser came with dryer already installed/attached (which is nice because getting to the top bolt is such a PITA). Not flushing the "system" because the whole "system" is being replaced (except the compressor).
And from what I've read, the compressor shouldn't see any compressed air, so....not sure how to flush it outside of what I've done (poured oil out of the line ports).

Ahhh - here we go. Found a Sanden manual - not exactly the model, but looks close enough, and mentions the same 135cc (why cc both here and the VW manual) and not mL; mL is liquid measure while cc is more typically volume ) of oil as VW manual states.

Remove the oil filler plug and charge the compressor with the amount of additional oil determined in step 3. Use only new oil of the correct type as shown on the compressor label. If calculated amount is greater than 300cc (10oz) oil can be added to other system components.

(15-20Nm torque on the filler plug.)
Thanks @J_dude for pointing out to me that one of those bolts was a fill port.

 

[KLXD]

You should drain the head too. Prolly not much in there on a new pump but you never know.

 

[dieseldonato]

FYI ml and cc are the same measurement. 1 ml =1cc.
I also doubt you got all the oil out of the compressor without taking it apart. Which, isn't really that terribly difficult but you'll need a seal kit. You can add it through one of the refrigerant ports. I have a fun little gadget I got off Amazon I use.
A/C Oil and Dye Injector Refrigerant Tools 1/4" SAE Connector 2 OZ Hand Turn Screw with Snap Quick Coupler for R134A R410A R22 R12 System https://a.co/d/ecNXKET
Works well. May not be worth it if you don't do ac much.

 

[Nuje]

FYI ml and cc are the same measurement. 1 ml =1cc.

Being Canadian (and thus well-acquainted with the metric system), I was aware mL = cc. My question was more a wondering of why, for a liquid measurement, Sanden and VW use cc instead of mL.

Thanks for the link to the oil injector; if I thought I might do this more than once, I'd look at getting one.

You should drain the head too. Prolly not much in there on a new pump but you never know.

What's "the head"?

 

[J_dude]

What's "the head"?

The end opposite the clutch, the piece that the lines bolt to, is the head. Held on by seven or eight 10mm bolts.