The 2015 A/C Thread: Another two years of telling you it's not Freon

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > The 2015 A/C Thread: Another two years of telling you it's not Freon

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

If I'm replacing the entire A/C system because of a disintegrated compressor that flung a buncha poo poo throughout the A/C system, destroying everything, would I be able to re-use the hoses? I really don't want to use any of the individual components, but I'm confident that I can flush out the hoses well enough to get all those little metal bits out.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2015 22:49

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 03:12

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

No, they do vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The kit I got came with 6-8 different adapters of varying size and pitch.

Yes. Just flush the gently caress out of them, and replace the drier.

Bitchin. Just so I can run this by someone else, this is my shopping list:

Compressor
Condenser
Drier
Expansion valve
Evaporator
O-ring/seal kit

I had the high and low pressure lines on there but I'll just flush em out.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2015 22:54

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

You guys are the best, thanks!

# ¿ Sep 30, 2015 23:55

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

The band is taking our 1995 Econoline into the wild heat jungle of Missouri this weekend and I'll be fixing the A/C come hell or high water. When we turn the A/C on in the cabin, I don't hear a loss of revs, and when I was having someone turn the A/C on and off in the cabin, the clutch on the compressor wasn't kicking in. Is the clutch something I can replace separately from the whole compressor, thereby saving us the money on a recharge/new accumulator/compressor?

# ¿ Jun 7, 2016 22:43

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

What is your system pressures like? If its low, the compressor won't engage because the pressure switch will prevent it.

Eep, I guess I'll start there before firing the ol' parts cannon :buddy:

Thanks for the pointer!

# ¿ Jun 7, 2016 23:23

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

EightBit posted:

Even though this knowledge could conceivably be inferred from the OP, it should have some kind of explicit mention for people that are troubleshooting the electrical side of automotive a/c.

I read over the OP a few more times just now and yeah, there's a bit in there about it. I'm hoping that since HarborFreight has the R134a manifold gauge set on sale ($55) that I can get this diagnosed this evening cuz I ain't driving through Missouri without A/C. So if the pressure on both sides is low, I should start adding refrigerant and if the compressor doesn't kick on once the pressure is at the recommended level, I should stop and curse the world, right?

Mobius1B7R posted:

So my compressor died on my 08 Mazda 3. The shop wanted 1400 to replace it, the drier and the expansion valve (hah, no.) I was planning on getting a shop to discharge the system, then putting all the parts in and then taking it back to a shop to have it recharged. Here is my question, when should I have the flush done? I keep reading that when the compressor goes it tends to shed metal shavings all over the system and it needs to be flushed before use. Can I have it done when I discharge the system or should I do that when I take it to have it recharged again?

I'm in the same boat as you here. Shop said that all the pressure readings are 100% perfect, no leaks, compressor turns on, no cold nothing, so I'm thinking the compressor grenaded the A/C in my Golf (not the van that I'm talking about above). I'm gonna replace absolutely everything in the A/C system cuz I don't trust that all those little metal shavings are gonna be completely gone after a flush.

scuz fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Jun 8, 2016

# ¿ Jun 8, 2016 17:39

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

If you get enough pressure, it should trigger, if it does not, next trying 'bypassing' the pressure switch. If that doesn't kick on the compressor, then yeah, you are probably down to the compressor clutch.

Get it up to pressure and like, idk, put a paper clip between some stuff?

# ¿ Jun 8, 2016 17:58

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

Welp, looks like I'm dealing with R12 here so to the shop it goes. Got a shiny new R-134a manifold gauge though! It'll come in handy for the Golf's fix, at least.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 01:39

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

No big deal. R-152 to the rescue.

I'm seriously green here, how does this help me? Where could I find such things? Also when I tried to jumper the high side plug, nothing kicked on, but I don't know whether I was jumpering it correctly. I'm just gonna bring it in

I have no idea what I'm doing.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 16:17

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

Enourmo posted:

To jump it you'd unplug the pressure switch and jump the 2 pins on the harness side of the connector.

R152 is more or less a drop-in replacement for R12 in terms of performance, don't even have to change the oil out iirc like you do when converting to R134a. It's also sold as keyboard duster for like 12 bucks a can, as opposed to new old stock R12 which can run triple that.

You can get r12 to r134a adapters that screw on to your current fittings and let you use your current gauges, if that's the issue. That's what I did for my Blazer and it worked a treat.

CommieGIR posted:

I regularly fill R-12 systems with R-152 from PC Duster cans. Won't get as cold as R-12 but it gets pretty damned chilly.

Holy crap, really? PC Duster cans work for that kinda thing? Neat. I'll take another crack at it this evening, but I need to make sure that this manifold gauge set is gonna work with R12/R-152.

As for the adapters, is that all that it takes for the conversion to R-134a? I wouldn't need a new compressor or anything? Cuz poo poo, I could take the van to like a Valvoline and have them evacuate the whole system and they don't charge me anything for it.

As for the jumpering, when I was attempting to get the thing to kick on, I was using the plug that was right next to the high side port and did every jump configuration (there were only 4 pins) and nothing turned on, so I'm either not using a thick enough wire (was using 22ga stranded) or my compressor is fuckered.

scuz fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Jun 9, 2016

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 16:35

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

Thanks for the pointers, guys. I get cold feet doing this kinda thing some times.

Darchangel posted:

No, conversion to R-134a is more than the adapters and putting in 134. Different oil, and you really should drain as much of the old oil out as possible and replace all the o-rings with 134-compatible ones.
He was just saying that you can use 134 gauges on R-12 with adapters. The pressure/temp chart on the gauge face will be wrong, but the you can still just go by pressure.

Regarding R-152A, read this:
http://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/c-charging-easy-cheap-safe-alternative-refrigerant-997918/

I have it in my RX-7 (originally R-12), and had it in my Cherokee (originally 134a). The '7s AC is mediocre when new, but it's acceptable with 152. The Cherokee was better with 152 than 134.

Good to know, I woulda just dove in I think. Also that dude's thread you linked is hilarious. OP says "keep politics out of it" and 3/4s of the way down the first page he gets on his "global warming is a boogie man" soap box :jerkbag:

Anyways, aside from the fact that I can't get the compressor to kick on, I'm not able to source a can tapper locally anyway so I'll have to bring it into a shop since we're heading out tomorrow around 2PM. I'll still be using these fun facts and points you guys have given me when I'm tackling the Golf, which is totes R-134a thank goodness.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 17:10

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

Yeah, half the AC threads in other forums turn into political grandstanding and moronic conspiracy theories.

To fill with the PC Duster cans, you'll need this:

~$14 online. You'll want to tap near the bottom of the can because
1. Its the strongest point on the can
2. The majority of the R-152 liquid is sitting at the bottom.

You may need to remove the schrader valve from the can tap to hook it up to the Gauge Manifold to fill, as my Gauge Manifold did not have the pin to open the schrader valve on the can tap.

Hey, rad, looks like that'll work with the R-134a stuff, too, which is great since my gauge manifold doesn't have the little pokey jobber that will open the R-134a cans.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 17:52

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

CommieGIR posted:

You mean the little screw on tap like this?:

Right, yeah, doesn't have that. I would expect that it would be pretty useful but if the tapper does the same job but for more things, I may as well get the tapper.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 18:00

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

For those who need closure: the van got outta the shop for $380. The A/C system going to the rear had a massive leak and refrigerant was leaving the system as fast as it was getting put in. The guy capped off the back, charged up the system, and we were outta there; no other parts were broken. Blew cold the whole weekend and we were very happy indeed.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2016 18:43

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

revmoo posted:

Anyone know how to bypass the pressure switch on a 1995 Lincoln Town Car?

Looks like squirrels ate wiring on the pigtail and the car needs to drive to FL this weekend.

Tape the ends together! :buddy:

# ¿ Jun 17, 2016 18:52

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

My compressor grenaded and shot tiny metal bits throughout my A/C system. Obviously I can't just replace the compressor & drier since there are still itty bitty metal torpedoes waiting to eat my new components, but I also want to replace as few things as possible cuz I'm poor :yum:

. I'm not gonna take a chance on the evaporator since there seems to be a high chance of not being able to flush that completely, but I'm curious about the rest of the system: what's flushable/clean-out-able enough to be trusted in a "new" A/C system?

# ¿ Aug 2, 2016 21:44

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 03:12

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

Enourmo posted:

Lines, condenser if it's a single run of tube and not a parallel-flow type. Compressor and drier you mentioned, probably do the orifice tube/expansion valve too.

Awesome, re-using the lines alone will save me like $140.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2016 22:01

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > The 2015 A/C Thread: Another two years of telling you it's not Freon