A/C refrigerant question
05-12-2005, 02:48 AM
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A/C refrigerant question
Has anyone here used one of the all-in-one R134/oil fill kits from Pep Boys or similar place? My 89' has been converted to 134 and isn't blowing quite as cool as it should. There are bubbles in the sight glass. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with these or if I needed to take it to someone certified. Hitting the sack now so thanks in advance for any help.
05-12-2005, 04:57 AM
#2
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Don't do it. R134A is a fill by weight routine. To do it right, your system needs to be sucked dry and the proper weight filled. Sight glass filling is NOT an accurate method of charging with R134A. You can over charge the system and cause problems.
05-12-2005, 04:57 AM
#3
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The most important factor is airflow over the condenser. Does it blow cold enough when moving? Does the fan come on whenever you engage the AC? I would caution against simply adding coolant. Overcharging the system can give you results just as crappy as undercharging it. Too bad you're not local or I could recommend an AC shop that would take excellent care of you and your shark.
05-12-2005, 09:56 AM
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I have converted about 5-6 cars to R134. R134 is just not as cold as freon. Funny though I did one of my mustangs and it was ice cold. I assumed it had a better expansion valve setup or the compresser was a better compressor for R134. I have done 3 928's but as mentioned above you should flush everything and replace the drier. I finally got one of my 928 car blowing pretty cold, by wrapping all of the metal ac lines from front to back.
05-12-2005, 10:04 AM
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I had a similar situation...
My Chevy 383 conversion also meant I was using a GM AC unit, which meant switching to R-134... At the same time I had the Eclipse NAV system built-in.
After having the AC work quite mediocre, yesterday I took it to experts, to see if the Stereo guy who relocated all the contols for theh heat/ac to fit the Nav system did something...
They found that my engine mechanic put too much R-134 into the system which was preventing valves to open! Now I'm blowing very cold air and all the controls work great!
After having the AC work quite mediocre, yesterday I took it to experts, to see if the Stereo guy who relocated all the contols for theh heat/ac to fit the Nav system did something...
They found that my engine mechanic put too much R-134 into the system which was preventing valves to open! Now I'm blowing very cold air and all the controls work great!
05-12-2005, 10:49 AM
#7
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If you decide to re-fill it with the cans, make sure you only get the pure refrigerants and not the ones with oil in it. The only time oil is required is if the system was flushed or if a hose has been cut bellow the AC compressor and the existing oil leaked out. The oil hardly ever leaks out from the system, the refrigerant will cause it's a gas but the oil almost always stay in the system.
Having a pro fix the leak and re-fill the system is the proper way to do it, but if you are in a jam a can or two will get you going for a bit.
Having a pro fix the leak and re-fill the system is the proper way to do it, but if you are in a jam a can or two will get you going for a bit.
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05-12-2005, 10:56 AM
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As usual, thanks again for all the helpful info everyone. It is blowing cool but not what I would call really cold. My daughter rode with me last night and I turned on the rear air for the first time this season. It is noticeably cooler than the front, almost to the point of feeling exactly as it should. I know that they work off the same system, so any ideas what to check from here? Thanks again!!!
05-12-2005, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by gf261
As usual, thanks again for all the helpful info everyone. It is blowing cool but not what I would call really cold. My daughter rode with me last night and I turned on the rear air for the first time this season. It is noticeably cooler than the front, almost to the point of feeling exactly as it should. I know that they work off the same system, so any ideas what to check from here? Thanks again!!!
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