I ran over a big chunk of semi tire in my 2004 Ford Focus and now the A/C condenser & radiator are bent. The radiator holds the condenser in place so I have to replace both parts. I've never worked on the A/C system before so if I disconnect the lines to the condenser all the refrigerant will come out right?
If there is refrigerant in the system, in order to stay legal you need a shop to evacuate it using recycling equipment. If the condenser already let all the refrigerant out due to damage then you don't have to worry about that, but the drier will need to be replaced due to being exposed to atmosphere for so long.
If you have never worked on AC before it would probably be best to take it to a shop.
If your A/C worked before the damage was done and still blows cold now, you'll need to put it into a shop to recover the refrigerant. This sort of a job is doable, but I'd consider it to be one of the most upper tier things a DIYer can do.
I replaced the condenser in my truck two years ago, I had no working experience win servicing air conditioning systems, but I at least knew from engineering school how they work, so I did some research on diagnosing and servicing them. That's how I found Scotty. I bought my own equipment and did the job for less than half of the shop's cost. It's still blowing freezing cold. If you're a technical guy, it's doable. If not, leave it to the pros. It can be dangerous in more ways than one 🙂
Hmm... I don't think it was punctured but if I have to take it to the shop to have it evacuated I may as well bite the bullet and let them replace it. Thanks