OK here is the thing with those DIY bottles. Don't do it. Obviously if you are low you have a leak. Have it checked and fixed by a professional. If you are not low then you are adding more than required and ultimately overcharging the system which will and can cause damage to your system. You are also at risk of adding more oil than normal as some of the bottles have oil in them as well. Forget about the seal conditioners in the diy bottles, they can also cause problems. There can be other problems than just low refrigerant as to why you should have it evacuated and checked. Many parts wear out especialy on our older cars. That comercial that is going around on the DIY bottles is a joke.
hopesmp3's car is obviously experiencing the common problem we all have.
tweety, it is the low side of the system to add to.
I have the manifolds and the evacuator pump and have done my personal cars but that is only because they have had a leak and leaked out the refrigerant. If I had to DIY to fix a problem with it still holding a charge, I would have a shop evacuate and recover the refrigerant. You need to follow the directions in the Protege shop manual as Ambient Temperature, Low and High Pressure readings and so forth play a role in charging the system. Easy to do you just have to pay attention how much oil/refrigerant you are putting in and I can't stress how important it is to purge the manifild lines of any air before you recharge. That is a party killer as well, air in the system as to why you don't just stick the DIY bottles on and "charge" away.
