dwygrsshpr

Just got the whole car back together and road running after a long spell. One of the last priorities is getting AC working as black over black (leather) is HOT!!! I am going to take to a shop because my mechanic and I do not want to get into it. What is a ballpark figure? I plan on paying the premium for R12 instead of the replacement so I can get a "cooler cool". I don't want to be railroaded though. I guess I should find a shop that has experience with 944s? It ain't a Taurus.... Anybody with good stories or horror stories?

TIA

Bob S. 1984 Silver

Jamie:

I have converted a number of vehicles to R134a. (Certified MVAC Tech) My own '84 944 is ICE COLD as is my wife's old '87 Sundance!!. In my humble opinion, unless you have a thorough analysis done of your system you will continue to lose R12. There are kits out there for the conversion that require a modicum of effort; simply having the system evacuated of any R12 that is remaining. Then the system is left alone for a specified amount of time with the gauges attached to see if there is any leakage. If not, a combination of new oil/sealant is introduced into the system, followed by the proper amount of refrigerant. Some shops will actually pay you for the R12 they scavange. Recommend this to your tech and see what he (or she) says.Once the conversion is done, the system works rather well. Mine has been working on the same charge for going on three seasons now. And, if you need to "top it off" the new refrigerant is much cheaper!!

Bob S.

Dan in Pasadena

My '87 NA sat unused for six years! The car has low miles but the A/C didn't work before the storage -the owner almost never turned it on the first 8 yrs. I'm assuming the seals dried out (?) will they have to be changed? Cost? Or will the re-charge liven them up? I assume my '87 had R-12, am I correct? Any info on DIY A/C recharge would really help. The mechanic wants $200 for a routine service plus $48/lb. for refrigerant!! And that's if I don't have compressor/condensor/drier problems. Help!
Any suggetions on a good shop in Southern California?

MadMax

Bob,
I have a 91 S2. For our cars what has to be done to switch to R-134a? I have had techs tell me I have to change the dryer and expansion valve. Is this BS? Being an A/C guy you are providing invaluable info on this topic. My compressor keeps kicking on and then off...seems a little too frequent. Indicating low refrigerant by that cycling? If so, I want to switch to R-134a...want to get as far from R-12 as I can. Too damned expensive to replace. A little leak can screw you big time.

TIA,
Max

TomH

For what its worth,I just paid Porsche dealer about $250 to test for leaks and recharge mine. It took two cans of the old stuff to recharge. It works great now, but I still have an issue with my AC compressor relay. Most times when I use my AC (but not always),the relay will click on and off about every 10 seconds. Is this an indication of a relay going bad, or is it something more serious?

Rog

Ideally, you'd have a different expansion valve installed, but as Bob said, the systems in the post 85 944s work pretty well even without that swap. In fact, better than the conversion I had done to my same year (86) Audi which did get a new compressor, dryer, and expansion valve. Seems to work on this car as good as any pseudo conversion I've seen.

stkr

I converted to 134 when my oem compressor locked up. After I replaced the compressor all that was needed was a conversion kit from Wal-Mart(about $30.00). I got my mechanic to vacum the system and charge it with 134 (a steep $80.00). I live in south Georgia where the temp is routinely above 100 and so far have had no problems with this setup keeping me cool. Remember the lo pressure fill is on the compressor.

stkr

I forgot to say I also changed the dryer. $20.00 from Tweeks.

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: stkr ]

Greg Hammond

I believe the 10 second cycling of your compressor is about normal. When the compressure builds the high pressure side up to a certain point, the cycling switch cuts off the compressor, and then the refrigerant bleeds off pressure until the high side gets low again. The A/C compressor is -not- designed to be 100% duty cycle, unlike the kind that's in your home A/C or refrigerator.

Greg

Tabor

All you guys should check out This. It is a FAQ about R12 -> R134.