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"Uh oh"  So I'm looking at a compressor replacement on my car. The clutch is what failed, but a complete compressor with clutch is $50 more than just the clutch, and it looks a lot easier to just swap the whole thing. Plus with the miles I have, I'm sure the compressor is tired. The system still has pressure, and the compressor did not seize (I can spin the actual compressor by hand easily, and every now and then the clutch will grab for a minute or two, resulting in a very nice cold surprise). So what am I looking at if I swap to 152? It's a factory 134 system. My main concern, I think, is probably oil compatibility, right? I also have a couple of friends telling me I can get away with not touching the dryer, so long as I'm quick with swapping the compressor and immediately pull a vacuum. True/false? The dryer is part of the condenser on my car, and the condenser has to come out through the bottom (so a lift would probably be needed).
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Jun 1, 2017 07:12
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| # ¿ May 19, 2024 06:34 |
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R134a is available at any parts store here; but yeah, it's a bit of the wild west. I've added a very small amount to it once, a few years ago. To the best of my knowledge, the system was probably topped off at some point before I got the car (it was missing the cap on the low side valve), but I don't think any components have ever been changed. I would think some oil would accumulate in the condenser, wouldn't it? I guess it'd be very much a "measure how much oil is in the compressor, add that much back into the system". 152 is definitely a bit of an experimental thing in cars AFAIK, but the potentially increased fuel economy makes it look a bit attractive (lower pressures = compressor easier to turn = less load on the engine, right?).
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Jun 1, 2017 10:16
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So I'm about to order a new compressor for my car. Rockauto lists "CVC" and "PXV16" compressors. There's only one listing for hoses, so I assume the fittings are the same. Also, the compressor did not seize - the clutch performed a rapid unintended disassembly on its own. I'm still able to spin the compressor itself by hand, so I'm not too concerned about black death being an issue. It's a 2006 Saturn Ion, the part numbers seem to be the same for a 2006 Chevy Cobalt. edit: huh... so some google work turned up PXV16 being a Sanden compressor, and CVC being Delphi, both being variable displacement compressors. Sanden's website shows that they do not offer a compressor for my car, Delphi's website does show a compressor from their CVC lineup. Gonna leave this here in case someone else (unlikely as it may be) happens to have the same question. I guess GM switched between them at some point. Enourmo posted:Is there any easy way to hook my r134a gauges up to my apartment's r22 system to see what's going on, or is that a fool's errand that I should leave to maintenance? Leave it to maintenance. You don't own it, and apartment maintenance loves to find ways to blame the tenant (ask me about maintenance claiming my Nest thermostat caused a dead short in the compressor). You mentioned in the chat thread that the panel is buzzing when it's on, so there's a decent chance the compressor isn't even starting and is just a really expensive outdoor space heater at the moment. I'd guess it needs a new cap, but I know just enough about ac to be dangerous. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:34 on Jun 3, 2017 |
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Jun 3, 2017 10:23
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Colostomy Bag posted:can a compressor get to the point to locking up and prevent starting? Absolutely. Usually the clutch will burn out when that happens, but they occasionally weld themselves to the pulley when the compressor seizes if the clutch was engaged at the time. Happened to my 88 Accord ages ago.
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Jul 11, 2017 06:18
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Makes me really glad that the clutch came apart on my Saturn instead of the compressor taking a complete poo poo. ... just hoping it didn't poo poo black death. I'll know tomorrow! And yeah... on my Accord, I wound up having to cut the belt off of the compressor to get the car running again (I had a pretty good clue that it was the compressor.. the fuse for the HVAC blew when it died, and replacements would blow as soon as I thought about touching the ac button). But back then they used individual belts for every accessory. 
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:10 on Jul 11, 2017 |
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Jul 11, 2017 10:07
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| # ¿ May 19, 2024 06:34 |
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New compressor is in. I know the amount of refrigerant is correct (it's actually slightly undercharged), but I'm suspecting they may have overfilled it with PAG oil (almost positive, actually.. didn't see him remove any from the new compressor, but he added some to it). AC is pulling a lot more power than I'm used to, and my mileage has tanked (30 mpg to ~20 mpg). It's not as cold as it used to be either. He pulled vacuum on it for a reasonable amount of time, so I don't suspect any moisture contamination. I'm assuming the only real way to remove the excessive oil is to yank the compressor, right? Or will a recovery machine get some of it out? Upside is I now know what's involved in removing the compressor on my car, so I'm confident I'd be able to pull it myself if I need to. If I wind up doing that, I may just go ahead and do the r152a conversion. From what I've been able to dig up, 152a is compatible with both ester and PAG oils, right? My car holds 0.9 lbs of 134a, which is about 408 grams - if my math is right, that's about 264 grams of 152a?
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Jul 16, 2017 07:13
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