Well summer heat is around the corner and I need to fet my ac running. My compressor runs witout any problem. It's quiet and runs smooth when it turn the knobb to ac inside the car. how do I tell if my ac compressor is not broken? I don't feel cold air coming when I turn the knobb to ac. Also I only get ait through the deffrost vents on the dash and the floor vent. Where should I start from with my no air through the vents problem? I can't get the dash out, even with all the screws out and wiggling and tugging on it. I may drop the steering colum to see if that helps. What are the componets to the cars ac system and does any one have pics. I am currently going to school for HVAC so I'm okay with a challenge. Anyone have pics of what they think can be the problem? BTW I do have heat. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks
TTT Is there any ac techs or someone that knows this cars ac. I will just go ask the automotive dept at my school if they can help, but I'm hesitant becausee I heard they stopped helping students because people abused the help.o No:
TTT Is there any ac techs or someone that knows this cars ac. I will just go ask the automotive dept at my school if they can help, but I'm hesitant becausee I heard they stopped helping students because people abused the help.
I don't have pictures. It would be a good idea for you to buy an assembly manual for your car. It is very helpful. think you can find on ebay, but not sure. Many things can be wrong with an AC not cooling. First thing to check is for freon. Many of these older cars have leaked out everything in the system from sitting. For the vent issue. Vent direction is controlled by vacuum, and some cables attached to the main switch. You need to get a diagram and check all of the lines and vacuum components to make sure they all work.
Ok guys here is a easy one will someone look under the dash move the vent, ac and heat knob and tell me where the box/ flap is located that directs the air flow, so I can have an idea where to start other than the switch please:beers2:
The default setting for the flow of air is to the windshield, because you need to have a defroster, for obvious reasons. You should check your A/C controls, make sure that the cables are still good, and make sure that your vacuum connections are good, and the hoses are not cracked/brittle. Checking for the A/C working properly is pretty easy. Run the engine up to temperature, turn the A/C on max, and make sure that your compressor clutch is engaged. Then after a few minutes of it running with the A/C on feel the A/C lines. The high pressure side will be hot. (high pressure side is the lines that go into the condensor) and the low pressure side should be cold. (low pressure side are the lines going into the evaporator)
Yes! I got it... well somewhat. I found out why I couldn't get the air throught the vents. The fan switch has 2 vac hoses going to it. Apparently it was not letting the vaccum pass through, so I bypassed it and now I the vent, heat, and def work great! I don't know what or why the vac hoses go through the fan switch. Anyone have an idea:idea2: On another note. The freon in the lines is a brown color I saw some leaking when I turned the compressor on. The high pressure line was hot after a little while of runnin the compressor and the low side was first slightly cool not much, then warm. Freon is supposed to be a green color right? Anyways thanks and any suggestions welcome:beer
It seems like it is contaminated. I am assuming that it is r-12, and has not been retrofited to R-134a? You might have a restriction as well. The low side should be cold to the touch.
Actually, the price of Freon (R12) has dropped considerably over the past few years. It was $60-70/lb at it's peak, and is now available for $15-20/lb. The price of R134a, however, has gone up quite a bit since last summer. It was $3-4/lb, it's now around $10/lb. I've heard of $13/lb in some places. ceas350, Don't try and put R134a in your old R12 AC system if it has not been properly converted! There is an incompatability with the existing oil and you risk damaging the compressor. You can tell if it has been converted by the service ports. R134a ports look like big air hose quick connect fittings and have threads on the inside of the opening. R12 ports look like big tire (schrader) valve fittings with external threads. That brown fluid leaking from the system is troublesome. Where was it leaking from? All refrigerants are clear unless dye has been added. Then it will be green. The oil will be a very light gold color unless it's badly contaminated, then it can be brown or even black. To fix the AC correctly, you will need a few tools that you probably don't have on hand. You need to evaluate the system first to know how to proceed. You will need at the very least a manifold gauge set, a vacuum pump and a can tap for the refrigerant cans. The type of manifold set and can tap you need depends on the refrigerant you have in the car or plan to use. They are different between R12 and R134a.
Ok so I know what I have is r-12. Should I try vaccuming it out and in with the new and see if I have leaks. I only wish I could get the folks at my school in the auto dept to vac and refill. But they say because off somany previous problems they no longer work on student cars. I will find someone cheap to vac and refill if that is the route to go. :beer
At the moment you don't want to evacuate and recharge the refrigerant, that's never the first step. Also, you CANNOT just remove the R12 and add R123a. It's not that simple. (R134a is available at the parts store, R12 is not). -Where did you see the brown liquid coming from? -How long has it been since the system actually worked? Bringing a 40+yo ac system back to life takes some work, and unfortunately some $$$ if you want it to be reliable. You will probably need to disassemble and flush the whole system, replace all of the 40yo seals and replace the receiver/dryer at minimum. If you're not familiar with AC repair, I would highly recommend spending some time in the FAQ section at www.autoacforum.com before diving in.
I unscrewed the pressure check cap an the back of the comressor and saw fluid. In this link that I got from a fellow board member http://www.buickperformance.com/ac.htm take a look. It was very helpful
So the plan is to vac out the old, flush, new seals, new oil, pressure test, and have a tech instal new freon
