'98 S70 How much oil is necessary for the A/C compressor?

[dosbricks]

Full summer in South TX and both cars are blowing cold--refrigerant at 45psi @ 1200rpm.

The S70 A/C at 224k is all original except for the addition of the bread clip fix. I noticed the compressor to condenser hose is leaking some oil. This is the line that runs under the fan shroud and is the lowest component of the system. It has quite a bit of oil on it (the hose portion of the line only) which looks wet but is in fact rather thick, so indicative of a very slow leak. That would be true to the history of the system which has required only about 12oz. of refrigerant in 17 years. But I am concerned that the compressor might get low on oil. So does anyone know how many ounces of oil the system needs to operate safely? Does this set off alarm bells? and I do need to replace the line? It's $107 for the part plus the service cost, so I'm not inclined toward that since the system is holding a charge pretty well--needing only 1/2 can last summer and about 1/3 can this spring.

I know you can buy refrigerant with oil in it, but how does one get it into the system if it presently does not need any R134? Let some pressure off? Thanks for any advice.

dos

[Ozark Lee]

They don't leak oil unless they are leaking refrigerant - it all flows through the system as a mixture. If you have oil on the lines but you aren't needing to add R-134A then the oil is coming from somewhere else.

...Lee

[dosbricks]

Thanks, Lee. I don't know where the oil could have come from, but would prefer it not be from the A/C.