Adding refrigerant to a 2000 Saturn air conditioning system might be mandatory if you want to keep the interior of your vehicle cool on a hot day. If your 2000 Saturn's A/C appears to run properly but the air appears not to be cool, it may need a refrigerant recharge. If you want to do this job yourself and save money, you can get a recharge kit, which includes a recharge hose and one or two cans of refrigerant, at an auto part store for less than $25.
Attach the top of the can of r-134a refrigerant to the valve handle of the recharge hose, screwing the end of the hose to the top of the can.
Attach the other end of the hose to the low-side charging port on the Saturn, which is on a metal air conditioning line near the air conditioning compressor in the engine compartment. Is it covered by a black cap. Screw the end of the hose onto the port.
Turn the valve on the recharge hose to pierce the top of the can of refrigerant, then return the valve to the open position.
Turn on the car and run the air conditioning on the maximum setting.
Turn the bottle upside down and gently shake the bottle back-and-forth every few seconds. Continue shaking until the bottle feels empty.
Place a thermostat in the center air conditioning duct and test the temperature. A properly operating system should be at approximately 30 to 40 degrees colder than the ambient air temperature.
Add a second 12-ounce bottle of refrigerant if needed. No more than two 12-ounce bottles should be added at one time.
Turn off the car.
Turn the valve closed on the recharge hose to seal any refrigerant inside the can.
Unscrew the recharge hose from the low-side charging port.
