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Well, the proper way would require you to first do a system performance test. This will require a manifold gauge set ($100 - $120 for a proper one from MAC, Matco, Cornwall, or Snap-On - don't rely on the defective junk they sell at Wal Mart or Harbor Freight), two thermometers, a fan, and a pressure/temperature relationship chart (I know the Cornwall Tools manifold gauge set comes with it, and I'd imagine the MAC, Snap-On, and Matco sets would, as well). You'd place the fan one to two feet in front of the grille (with the air blowing towards the grille) and turn it on. Then you'd connect your manifold gauge set... red line fits onto the schrader valve on the high side, blue line fits onto the low side schrader valve. You'd crank your motor, turn it to max ac, and set one of the thermometers in the center (or most centered) panel vent. After running for about five minutes, the clutch should begin to cycle. You would take note of the pressure readings just prior to the compressor clutch cutting out and just prior to it kicking it back in, and you'd make a note of these readings, along with the ambient air temperature. You'd then audit your findings against what the pressure/temperature relationship chart says in order to determine what condition your AC system is operating at - Condition One is normal operation, while the remaining six conditions indicate a deficient system. If your findings show your system to be operating in Condition One, good. If not, then you have to troubleshoot... exactly what you're looking for depends on which of the six deficient conditions your system performance test shows your AC system to be operating at... to go in-depth would require much too long to feasibly be put here... if you want to pursue this, I'd recommend the Heating and Air Conditioning Systems book from the Today's Technician series.
Afterwards, you would do a full refrigerant recovery. This can be done either with a machine specifically for that purpose (somewhere around $6000 from the aforementioned Cornwall or Snap-On), or with the manifold gauge set, a vacuum pump, a floor scale, and a cylinder to store the recovered refrigerant in. Since, by law, you're supposed to be ASE certified and operating in an EPA certified shop to do this, as well as the policy of WikiAnswers to not give answers which facilitate illegal acts, I'm not going to go into detail on how to do this. Anyhow, you would take note of how much refrigerant was pulled out vs. how much the manufacturer recommends for their AC system... subtract the amount you pulled out from the amount the manufacturer recommends, and the difference is how much you need to add in addition to the refrigerant you pulled out.
You would also need to recover the compressor oil, and measure how much you pulled out, so that you can determine how much needs to go back in. Again, the ASE certification and EPA certification make this an illegal act if you perform these actions without said certifications, so I'm not going into detail on this, either.
Afterwards, you would pull a vacuum in the AC system, and let it sit for 15 minutes. If it holds pressure, you don't have a leak. If it loses significant pressure, then you have a leak, and need to find it. If you don't have any leaks, you simply add the appropriate amount of R134a and PAG oil, and repeat the system performance test. If your vacuum test does show a leak, then you can either add the appropriate amount of R134a or you can use dyed HCFC22. Either way, you crank the motor back up and cycle it through the system again. If you used R134a, you would need to have a halogen leak detector. You would run it over the AC system, and also into the panel vent by the passenger side door to sniff the condenser. If you used the dyed HCFC22, then you could use a blacklight to detect dye leaking out of the system. Once you determined where the leak is at, you would do a full refrigerant recovery, and keep it stored until you repaired the leak. Also, if the leak required you open up the system and expose it to atmospheric air, you would, depending on whether your vehicle had a Fixed Orifice Tube system or a Thermal Expansion Valve System (I believe an 02 F150 would have an orifice tube, but I'm not 100% certain), also have to replace either the accumulator (on a FOT system) or the receiver-drier (on a TXV system), as both contain a desiccant which will become fully saturated within five minutes of exposure, even in an arid state like Arizona or Colorado.
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How do you add freon to a 2002 Cadillac deville?
How do I put freon in a 2002 Cadillac deville
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