A/C Problems

Post by **Nismo1182** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

When I bought my car 4 months ago, a/c was ice cold. About 3 weeks ago, the a/c kept getting a bit warmer until no cold air came out. So I figured I had to recharge it, but I didnt understand what made it loose the freon. So about a week ago the a/c compressor stopped working altogether. Before I could hear the clutch engage and the green a/c light come on when I pushed the button. Now when I push the button, no green a/c light, no compressor clutch engagement. I checked all the fuses and all are fine. I havent checked the a/c relay yet but that still wont cause the freon to escape.

Any ideas/suggestions before I go buy a new compressor?

Post by **yellow_jacket** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Ya, don't replace the compressor. You don't know if thats the problem yet. The a/c light probably won't come on once the low pressure switch is tripped. If it's not the low pressure switch it is wiring somewhere else but it is not the compressor.

Post by **Nismo1182** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Oh there a low pressure switch? I didnt know that. My old civic didnt have one and there was no freon left but the compressor still came on. Go figure :rolleyes

Thanks for the heads up. I'll try recharging it first to see if it does anything.

Post by **byroll01** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

can we revive this thread?I have a similar problem with my a/c light not coming on.the history--- My a/c worked fine. I installed a UR pulley and had to leave the a/c belt off for a day because i had the wrong size. The day it was off i had to run my defrost(which also runs the a/c compressor). Now a tried to run my a/c today and the light wont come on or the a/c fan. My fuse is good. Could i have broke my relay by running the a/c with no belt on the compressor???

please help me, it's finally getting warm up here in NY.

Nismo 1182 did the recharge help?and is there anywhere or anyhow to get my pressure checked?

thanksbyron

Post by **nnkfws333** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Nismo has the R134a conversion. You can get it pressured check at any AC place. Just make sure its free to do it. because all they do is hook up a device and check to see the pressure.

If you have the old R12 like me tough luck. Its expensive to buy. I was lucky enough to get it through secret. You have to be EPA certified in order to have it. They stopped production in the USA because it produces CFC's which in turn deplete the ozone layer. My only question is where is the hell the relay? My AC is faulty too.

Post by **byroll01** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

my relay is in the fuse box right next to my battery.

can anyone help with this relay question?

Did I fry it?

thanksbyron

Post by **clrkn** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Guys,

I guess it aint that big a deal. I had the same problem, the mechanic told me it was the blowoff valve, I got it replaced. He told me it could blow... it never did... check that.

Also on my friends NX2000, the compressor would not start coz there was no freon. We decided to retrofit it, it was only 50 bucks more than filling in freon and if there was a leak... it would leave a big dent in the wallet.

Hope that helps.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

What exactly is an AC blowoff valve and how much did it cost to have it replaced?

Post by **Nismo_Freak** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

A/c machines > all of you.

Thank god I work as a technician for Mazda! Free machine work and I get a reduced price on R12 if I need it (which I don't)

Any a/c problems can be resolved by the A/c machine and some dye.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Actually I own the AC machine.

http://home.socal.rr.com/robverna/DSC01421.jpg

I'm not a tech; I just like to pretend I am on weekends.

Post by **Nismo_Freak** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Cool, we got that same machine. As well as two of the newer dual coolant Robinair's, the manual R12 can chargers w/ gauges, and several similar models to the one you have but probably older.

Post by **clrkn** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

The blowoff valve is supposedto be some kind of thing that opens and lets the freon out if the system gets too pressurised or somethin like that.

the valve cost me like 40-50 bucks I guesss (it was a year ago) and labour cost me around 120 bucks.

hope that helps

Post by **Calvin** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

yellow_jacket wrote:Ya, don't replace the compressor. You don't know if thats the problem yet. The a/c light probably won't come on once the low pressure switch is tripped. If it's not the low pressure switch it is wiring somewhere else but it is not the compressor.

Actually, its a dual pressure switch, so high pressure could also be a reason for the green light to go out. An example of what could cause high pressure is sitting in traffic without adequate condensor fans.

Post by **zachosz** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Well, sorry to mention this on this thread, but i don't want to start a new A/C topic, so here goes:

My A/C is not working, BUT the compressor is on and stays on. Low pressure side reads 85psi, wayyy to much, so i think i have enough freon in the system. Also, the low pressure pipe is extremely hot, high pressure is ambient temperature. What do you guys think?

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

What does the high-side read? Sounds like there might be air in the system. You still have R-12 in there?

Post by **zachosz** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

I haven't checked the high side, and yes i have R-12. How do i know if there's air in the system? I'll try to get the high side reading, but i guess i'd have to go to a mechanic for that, right? The gauge i got only connects to the low pressure side.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

You can get an adapter for the gauge...just a short length of hose with 1/8npt on one end and 3/16npt on the other. I got mine from an online tool supplier. The only way I know how to tell there's air is to either recycle the freon (the machine separates the air out) or to use a refrigerant identifier, which tells you what % refrigerants and air are in the system. The symptoms may also be indicative of a blocked line. Does the AC ever work, even for just a few minutes?

Post by **zachosz** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Cool, thanks a lot, I'll try to get that adapter. No, the AC never blows any colder than outside temperature.

Allright, off to the store i go.......

Post by **byroll01** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

I had mine looked at and the shop said it was low on freon. Now it will be $200 to convert from the r12 to what ever the new one is. is this normal price? is there anything i should make sure they do?

thanks byron

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

"Normal price" depends on what they actually do. Replace drier, flexible hoses, seals, compressor? Flush out the system properly? Fix all leaks? When a shop charges $70/hour + parts + R-134a, $200 doesn't get you too far. It doesn't take much to get a system to work with R-134a. But an improper conversion will probably fail much sooner than a proper conversion. It depends on how long you plan to keep the car and how much risk you're willing to take. If, for instance, you planned on selling the car next week, and just wanted the AC to work for another year, you could just spend $40 on 2 cans of R-12 at a garage sale and top off the system.

Post by **zachosz** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Well, i went to the shop too and they quoted me the same price, turns out I have too much air in the system, so i had them remove all the R-12 from the system, hoping to do the retrofit myself for $35. They said for a full R-12 recharge it would be $225, for the retrofit it was $215, I guess just for the new fittings and flushing the old fluid and oil and recharging it, not 100% sure.

They checked the system for leaks and couldn't find anything, he said they can detect leaks as low as 1/1,000,000 molecules or something like that.

I'll try to get it done myself sometime next week, and I don't mind having to recharge the system every once in a while, R-134 is cheap, and since I'm moving to IL in a few months i won't need the AC for much longer anyway, if the compressor or anything else goes bad, it goes bad, more reason to remove it and be done with it!

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

I've found the midwest summer climate to be pretty miserable, though not as bad as FL of course, and for not as long. Since you're going to DIY, do all that you can to get the old oil out. Remove the lines to the compressor and just let it drip for a while. I know it'll cost more, but consider replacing the drier too, since it'll be completely saturated with water and also contain oil. It's the moisture and the old oil that will eventually kill the system. Replacing the drier will probably extend the system's life. If you do the drier, seal the system as soon as possible to keep it effective. Replace the o-ring anytime you disconnect a line, and don't forget to lube the new o-ring with R-134a oil before assembly.

Post by **zachosz** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:34 pm

Cool, thanks DAEDALUS, you've been a tremendous help, I'll check how much the drier is, hopefully not too expensive:).

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