BlackOp

It seems Pelican sells quite a few gaskets...is that the issue? Do I need a new receiver drier?



Thanks,

BO

KLR

I would just replace the receiver/drier. They're cheap and they are meant to be a wear item. If that one is original, the desiccant is long gone.

75ohm

Yes, replace that; however, if the dessicant is truly gone, it's in your system and you will need to flush it and depending on if your compressor ate it, replace the compressor. Not to alarm here...

When you take the old receiver off, cut it open to find out if you have dessicant in it... if you do, great, replace it and get a long vac pulled on the system (30 minutes) and see if it holds. If it does, you're good for a charge.

BlackOp

It looks fairly straight forward to replace. Just the two bolts and the clamp? Should I worry if there is freon in the system? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
BO

75ohm

You can test for freon by depressing one of the schrader valves to see if you have any charge...

For the swap, loosen the clamp and undo the two connections - ensure you have the arrow pointing the same way as the current one.

DarylJ

What 75Ohm said. And if there is any refrigerant in the system (this was converted to R134a - so it's not freon) GET IT RECOVERED. Even R134a is a greenhouse gas. Freon (R-12) likes to punch holes in the ozone layer too, so R134a is better, but still not a good thing to vent. Both are illegal to vent (for what its worth).

Edit - I'm assuming the conversion to R-134a from your picture. I might be wrong. Don't take that as 100% that it was in fact converted. You need someone who knows what they are looking at to look at it with their own eyes.

KLR

Does the compressor currently engage? If so, keep enjoying the A/C until it stops working. Maybe you'll luck out and make it to next season. If not, check the pressure by tapping one of the valves to see if anything comes out. My guess is no -- once the compressor no longer engages, there usually isn't any freon left. Just replace the drier, get the system recharged, and move on. Consider yourself lucky if that's the only leak and it holds up for more than one season on a charge.

BlackOp

Yeah, the PO did the retrofit in 07...there is a sticker on top of my fuse box that dates the installation. It works fine... just doesnt hold a charge for more than two days.

bearone

134's cheap and it depends how much you need a/c and if you can do the replacement, vacuum/recharge yourself or have to pay someone.

fwiw: you may have more than one leak.

87951
95sl320 dd

DarylJ

Oh..well, there ya go. It's already gone.

Just make sure you check one of the screaders first. Refrigeratn burns are nasty and it doesn't take much to do it. Be careful when first opening the system.

Yes, you may have more than one leak, but it looks like you found a big one. Replace it and either buy your own stuff to vac and fill it, or bring it to your a/c place fixed and have them charge it.

catbug12

Wear gloves, that refrigerant is real cold and can cause frostbite. It's against the law to vent it into the atmosphere, but i'm sure alot of people do it. You can buy a small can of 134 for about $6 at Wal-mart.

75ohm

Doubt you have anything really in the system. If you replace the receiver, which you should, you should also pour a small amount of PAG oil in it. You're going to want to draw a long vac, as previously stated, to ensure that it will hold it before adding any 134a.

DarylJ

And even if it doesn't hold for a half hour, do it again, and again (at least 3 times) before you give up. Part of the vacuum not holding isn't always a leak - water will boil off when its warm enough (which is not all that warm under a vacuum). If you want to speed things up, get some heat lamps or incandescent lights on/around the a/c system components to keep things warm. It helps get to moisture out during a vacuum.

BlackOp

Could you dumb that down for me? I am A/C illiterate. Does the drier come apart and you put PAG inside it? Can I get PAG at Pepboys? Whats does "draw a long vac" mean? Also...it there a way to "ghetto rig" and seal the leak externally at the bolt for the time being? I am ordering a new RD but its frickin' hot for the next week...thanks.

DarylJ

The only way to dumb it down is to tell you that need to bring this to a shop to be repaired properly.

There is a certain level of base knowledge (and research to acquire that knowledge) - which has nothing at all to do specifically with Porsches - that is required to work on A/C systems. You should either find someone who know A/C that is will ing to teach you and/or start doing some research. It's not that any of it is hard, its just that this really isn't the place to get into a full on A/C tutorial. If you don't know what pulling a vacuum is, you likely don't have any of the things you need to make it happen, and acquiring them will cost more than sending the car our for repair.