turbo8

i press the a/c button the light turns on but the clutch doesnt engage, there is a blick wire hanging from the compressor where does it go? there is another wire near the a\c C that is red does nothing when connected, im clueless here

thanks

Porsche-O-Phile

That's probably it. Yes, there's a wire off the compressor that needs to be connected to the engagement circuit. Additionally there's a safety cut-off switch near the receiver/drier that will prevent the clutch from engaging if the pressure in the system is below a certain amount. This is to prevent a compressor from running in a discharged (or severely undercharged) system, not receiving adequate oil (the oil is carried in the freon) and killing the compressor. Even if you hook up the wire and engage the system, the compressor may not kick on. If it doesn't, either the system is discharged (easy to check with a pressure gauge) or the safety sensor is bad.

Best of luck. A/C systems on these cars are a major pain in the butt.

turbo8

yeah i see its not charged, whats reccomended for a recharge

Porsche-O-Phile

If it's discharged, it has a leak somewhere. You'll need to do a UV test and determine what leaked, replace it and go from there.

danny951

may be a slow leak. they can put some UV dye in your system that will show where the leak is (hopefully) as Jeff mentioned. Mine stopped working last August and I haven't gotten it fixed yet, but now that it's getting warm here in Tejas it's time to get it fixed and charged.. you will need to find out if it is using R12 still (stock) or has been converted to 134. There are ways to tell by looking at it, but I don't remember them.

Charlotte944

To save you some grief I recommend you take the car to a qualified service center. A/C systems are potentially VERY dangerous and if you do not know what you are doing you can get hurt.

Unless the system has been converted to R-134, a recharge is going to be EXPENSIVE. R-12 is no longer being produced, and supplies are VERY limited. I have heard of people being quoted anywhere from $60.00 to $100.00 PER POUND for R-12.

Converting the system to R-134 requires special tools (gages, vacuum pump, system flush tools, A/C thermometer) and an in-depth knowledge of A/C systems.

The basic process is to recover any remaining R-12 (EPA regulations prohibit venting R-12 to the atmosphere), open the system, remove and replace the reciever/dryer and o-rings, remove and drain the compressor (R-12 and PAG or Ester oils for R-134 are not compatible with each other), flush the system to remove any remaining R-12 oil, put the system back together, evacuate the system to 30" Hg vacuum, install R-134 service fitting adapters, charge the correct amount of Pag or Ester oil, charge the correct amount of R-134. During the charge you MUST closely monitor system pressures (compressor suction and discharge), ambient temperature, and A/C vent temperature.

NOTE: Because of the properties of R-134, an R-12 system that is converted to R-134 will not be as efficient, so vent temperatures may not be as cold. This has to do with the pressures that the system will run at after it is converted.

If you want to get some additonal info, try here: Griffith's

Porsche-O-Phile

You can do 100% of a/c work yourself if you're willing to put a little time and effort (and yes, expense) into it. You'll learn more too and not have that unpleasant "I-just-got-ripped-off" feeling when you leave the shop.

The ONE time I paid for service on my 944 was to have the a/c system vacuumed out and recharged with r12. Cost: $450. Yes, you read that correctly. Cost for an EPA certification, case of r12, receiver-drier, new set of o-rings, vacuum pump, leak test (UV) kit, thermometers, pressure gauge and r12-compatible oil was under $350. You decide what the wiser choice is.

IMHO the "only-professionals-should-work-on-a/c-systems" mentality is bull and it's promulgated by the industry so they can keep raking in the bucks for work that really doesn't cost them all that much. There's a lot of profit in a/c work, don't kid yourself. . . Why do you think so many places push it? It's like everything else on a car - yes, it can be dangerous if you're stupid about it but if you read up and do your homework you most certainly CAN do your own servicing.

The only thing you CAN'T do (from a legal standpoint) is evacuate a charged system. It's illegal to discharge into he atmosphere. You can buy or rent the recovery equipment but it's typically in the $1,500+ range. Good news is if you end up in that situation most places will evacuate the system for you for under 50 bucks. If they try to charge you more than that just to drain the system, they're trying to rip you off.

testarossa_td

The list can help you here.

However if you don't know what you are doing....you can start a fire and burn you car to cinders!

Go to an AC shop.

The control panels on the older cars are very easily set alite despite the pathetic overload protection offered. Think Dash fire and how you would put it out.

Now I might have scared you, but your car. I like to gamble like that so I do it all myself

bearone

$60-100/lb is how they recover the cost of that $1000+ bottle.

mine is r12 and i'll just have to bite the bullet when the time comes. right now, 60 deg out the vent.

it was great when you could get the 1 lb can's for a buck, it's like $.19 gas, gone forever.

87951

Porsche-O-Phile

Unless you can go to Tijuana and buy it.

bearone

is it still a buck a can or have they wised up?

i used to get it in rocky point.

87951