Having the system evacuated should remove the moisture from the entire system. I would then still replace the accumulator as they are inexpensive.
FYI, you'll notice from the previous post that a lot of people still call r134a "Freon". the proper term is to use for your vehicle is r134a. "Freon" is a brand name used by Dupont.

 

Thank you, 1998MSO, for all the help. Alright, ONE more thing. Are leaks something I could fix myself? I should probably pinpoint the leak first, then have the system evacuated, next fix leaks, then replace the accumulator, last recharge. Sound about right?

Oh yeah, I did the test with the jumper on the low pressure sensor, and the compressor came on, so that was the culprit.

 

Sounds about right. The most common site for leaks is the "o"rings that connect the hoses to the compressor, accumulator and condenser. These are usually pretty easy to spot with dye and and yes, are easily fixed. Most parts stores carry these "o"rings. However, the HT-6 compressor (I believe that is the model your year uses) has been known to leak at certain joints. That would also be obvious to see the dye on the compressor seals/joints. Hope that's not the case.......but if it is, these compressors are fairly inexpensive to purchase and replace yourself.

 

BTW....glad your compressor came on. How did it sound? was it really noisy or OK? Also, did you happen to put your hand on the accumulator after it had run for a that short time? I'm curious if their was any cooling at all which would be noticeable pretty quickly at the accumulator?

 

It actually sounded okay. There was a quick burst of rust from the two surfaces touching each other for the first time in three years. I am an idiot. I forgot to touch the accumulator to see if it was cold. Would it still get that cold even with such a low pressure of R-143a? I probably won't have a chance to work on this again for several days. I will probably be back at that time with more questions, if you don't mind. Thanks.

 

If the system still holds pressure and has some remaining refrigerant, it would get cool if the compressor is working right. If it's really low or totally depressurized you won't notice any coolness at the accumulator. Worth a check because if it did get even slightly cool it would tell me the system stayed pressurized and even though it's been a few years, it probably wouldn't have got moisture in there. At that point I would probably go to the parts store and buy a recharge kit and try that first. If you do buy a kit, get one with a gauge on it. I know many on this forum will say those gauges are junk, but they do provide a good reference point for recharging. They don't cost much extra and make the recharging easier. You definitely don't want to overcharge these systems cause then your hi-pressure switch will kick in (It's on the back of the compressor) and shut things down. Let us know....

 

So are you saying that if I notice even slight cooling on the accumulator, I don't need to replace it? I would still need to get the system evacuated though if I was going to attempt to fix leaks. I assume most if not all of you guys reccomend not using any of that stuff you add to the refrigerant that supposedly stops leaks? I think I saw somewhere that it actually harms the O-Rings, I think.

 

Correct. And, I think that any stop leak additive usually only works if the leak is really really really small!

 

So I bought some R134a and started the recharge today. How immediate after adding refrigerant will there be a noticable change in temperature in the A/C parts? I mean, will the accumulator get cold as soon as you start to add refrigerant? I was at it for around ten minutes, the gauge reading was about 20 psi or so with compressor on. I still need to add more to get a full charge, but I don't want to waste anymore for nothing. Sould parts/hoses feel noticably cold at this state of charge?
edit: I guess I forgot to mention that the accumulator wasn't cold at all, actually felt warm. I felt other various parts in the system, nothing felt cold at all.

edit2: Nevermind. I got it up to full charge, accumulator was cold. I've got a leak, though. I can hear it with the engine off, coming from around the compressor. I'm an idiot. I was hoping that the leak would be small enough for the leak seal crap in the R134a would take care of it. Nope. Back to square one.

edit3: Here's a picture of where the leak is on the compressor. I put some soapy solution on it and you can see the obvious bubbles. There are also less obvious bubbles right near, if you look closely. Do I need a new compressor, or are these rings replaceable? I'm guessing not.

 

That sucks... looks like you need a new compressor. I just did mine in july.

I'd advise replacing the high pressure and low pressure cutoff switches as PM (they go bad, they're cheap). You might want to look into a high quality aftermarket compressor. I bought the cheapest one I could find and it leaves something to be desired when the sun is beating down on 95 degree days. I've heard of an "upgrade" option, but I don't have a recommendation.

You should definitely replace the orifice tube ($2) and should seriously consider doing the condenser ($70-100 rockauto.com) and hoses ($50) as preventative maintenance against a future clog. You can try to flush these, but it's not that much money to put in new components compared to hiring an A/C tech for a second go around next year =).

You can swap the condenser, hoses, and orifice yourself to save on labor, but the shop will have to install the accumulator when they do the A/C service (has to be installed immediately before they draw vacuum).