Cass944

had it checked out. suprisingly it held a vacuum for 35 minutes perfect;y and he said if there were any leaks by the fitting there woudl be signs and he said there were none. So i guess my system is good but he said that the R-12 or whatever my car uses doesnt even exsist anymore and that he would have to put an updated dryer on and change the oil in the compressor and then it would blow ice cold. all this for about 350$.

does it sound like he knows what hes talking about or is there anything else i should try first?

Jakerx

wow i called my porsche dealer and to convert my system to r-134a they said it would only be about $275 with labor...they're actually INEXPENSIVE for once. haha

Jakerx

o but btw...you CAN still buy r-12...it's just hella expensive and only certified people can sell it...

Mouthpiece

When I asked my mechanic about converting my system to R-134, he said he only does the conversion if the AC system has a problem other than low freon. He confirmed my AC was still working and only added a can of R-12. It's still blowing cold after 1 year. The cost to me, with labor, was about $75, $50 of which was for the can of R-12.

Since your system is sound, I suggest you find another mechanic who has a license for R-12 and get your present system recharged.

Matt H

R-12 is still very much available. I would go somewhere else. If the only place he looked for loss was at the fittings, he didnt know what he was doing. Did you ever see him grab a tool that looked like a long bendable poker?
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Porsche-O-Phile

Stick with the r-12 even though it's more expensive. Even the so-called "conversion kit" I bought from 944 Online does NOT address all the needs of r134. There are different oils used and consequently different sealing methods are required to ensure long-term life of the compressor and other components. I will be posting a long analysis of this information I obtained (mostly from Sanden's web site), but I'd just do the r12 thing. It's what your car's system was designed to work with. If it isn't leaking, no problem in using it.

Jakerx

hey matt h...where'a place in dallas i can get my a/c system flushed and recharged with r12?

Matt H

If there is no freon in it then it is leaking! A/C systems are sealed, there is no where for the Freon to go. Most likely culprits are old seals, bad o-rings or the evaporator (esp. in older cars).

The only other possibility is that someone opened the system using the schrader valves. In which case you should replace the drier as well.
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Matt H

Let me know when you are ready to have it done, I will send you to the right place.
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jjjr944

quote form MattH:
"....Did you ever see him grab a tool that looked like a long bendable poker?"



Is that the thing UDPride was talking about in his excerpt on HOW TO BUY A CAR?
aka: Let me run some numbers and I'll be right back...

Sorry, had to do it!

joes

There is an alternative to using R12 or R134. There are some very good blends out there. "I use hot shot" in my 944 and it works very well and is a direct replacement for R12. Hot shot is a blend of 134, 22, and propane and maybe others. We have also been using this in commercial refrigerators and it works great. an A/C system is a closed system but there is one place the freon will leak out from sitting is the compressor seal. That seal needs the oil from the system to help keep that oil film on the seal. The only way the seal can get oil is to run the compressor, thats why some systems leak down in the winter. After you run a system that has been down.... sometimes ... the oil will help seal that leak.

Wayne Hutton

Yes, your system is sealed and if the freon is gone, you have a leak. A vacuum test is a good place to start but he should put a charge of freon in there and leak test it with the "poker". That is the only sure way to tell or inject the die system. Anything can be leaking including the schrader valves themselves. It is hard to find someone who is good and reputable in the car A/C bizz but I would sugjest you go find a second opinion. Good luck.

Matt H

jjjr - I know exactly what the tool is, "freon leak detector" but I didnt know if he would a) know what it looked like b) know what it was.

There are than one kind of detector as well...I could go on but there is no need.

Joes - using propane in an auto AC system is done frequently in South America, it is also extremely dangerous and ruins AC equipment, not to mention tanks of recovered freon. The blends are a "jury-rig" type fix. R-12 is not that much money and is a good refrigerant. FWIW - there is a difference between a home an auto AC system, though if you do one you probably understand the other.
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jd944

There is a product called Duracool that replaces both r134 and r12 with no oil change or any conversion at all required. It is priced on a par with r134. The manufacturer claims it's cooling capacity beats r12 slightly and r134 by alot. I have not used it but I have heard good things about it. They have a web site if you want to check it out. BTW, I did a poor man's r134 conversion on my 84 3 years ago. No oil change, just pulled a vacuum, and charged till the head pressure was between 180 and 190. Still pumps 40ish degrees in Florida in July.

jjjr944

Joes, i'll second MattH's response about the "techno blend" that is the go between. I do not see how propane as part of a mix in your AC system can lead to anything but trouble. My current mechanic will not even touch the stuff. Two main reasons being possible combustion during 944 collison/accident, and independant auto mechanics are sometimes smokers (not all-but quite a few) and lit cigs and AC evac gone wrong -go BOOM! (his reasons, not mine).
I have to act on this R-12 vs R-134 thing soon, so I have done quite a bit of research.
Keep up the post and see where the chips fall.
Ooops, sorry Matt H, tool comment was just a joke on a past topic.
Thanks!