I tried to recharge my air conditioner in my 97 Explorer. When I hook up the recharge kit, the pressure reads 85lbs. What's up with that??

probably overcharged the system and now the high pressure switch is stopping the ac from working
did you fix the leak first

Either the compressor is shot or freon needs a recharge

There is a high pressure side and a low pressure side on your refirgirant line the fittings are different sizes because it is very dangerous if you hook up to the wrong side of the line. Make sure you read the directions on the recharge kit and follow them precisely. The high pressure side fitting should have a red cap and the low pressure side should have a blue cap. You will need to hook the charge kit to the LOW pressure side to recharge.

Hi, determine if your car uses R134 or R12 refrigerant. You will notice screw type connectors on the both the High Pressure Side and Low Pressure Side lines in models using R12 refrigerant. R134 compatible models have quick connect valves on both sides. Models made before 1995 may use the old R12 refrigerant. If this is the case, you must have your Chrysler's air conditioning system retrofitted to use R134 refrigerant. Mixing R12 and R134 refrigerants is dangerous and may cause damage to your vehicle. Check your air conditioning system pressure using an automotive air conditioning pressure gauge. Keep in mind that in order to get an accurate reading, the air conditioner has be turned on the coldest setting with maximum blowing power. Remove the Low Pressure Side port valve cap and set it aside. The location of the port varies, but it is usually in front of the engine block. Attach the refill hose to the port on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The Low Pressure Side port is smaller the High Pressure Side port. Because the ports are different sizes, the refill kit hose should fit only on the Low Pressure Side port. Additionally, the High Pressure Side port will usually have a red cap or be marked with an H or the word High Allow the air conditioner to **** the refrigerant out of the can by slowly turning the valve on the refill kit hose. Pay attention to the way you hold the can. Most kits will have you hold the can upright when you recharge the air conditioning system. It may take as long as 10 minutes to empty a single can. Turn the valve to the off position and remove the refill hose from the port. Recap the port before closing the hood. Let the air conditioner stay on for at least 30 minutes. This allows the refrigerant to move throughout the entire system.
Take care

it is located between the compressor and the accumulator. the quick disconnect valve is smaller than the high pressure valve so you can't make a mistake using the single recharging hose.

You can buy a recharge kit at your local parts store. The kit comes with a pressure gauge to let you know when the coolant level is good, over charged, or low. The kit cost about $25. With the kit hook up, it can't be hooked up wrong with the high and low pressure ends. You will be able to use this over and over, just buy new cans when you need to refill.

go to a parts store such as Advance Auto Parts or Auto Zone and buy the A/C recharging kit they have with the rubber line and connector that connects only on the side that you need to recharge your system. If you can put air in your tires you can out freon in your a/c system.

It depends on the type of freonyou use. If it is R134a then yes you can buy a kit and recharge it. ost recent cars use this type o freon. check your manual. Or, when you go to any parts store jsut ask them to look it up and they can tell you what it takes.

the rear fitting is the low pressure side where you charge the system

With aftermarket kits, you can't screw it up. The fittings are two different sizes so you can only hook it up one way. They sell new kits that have gauges built onto them to show you when to stop putting freon in. That should prevent you from overfilling.