> It's May in Tucson, and my AC is on the fritz.
>>It's May in Tucson, and my AC is on the fritz.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> was done, there should be an update sticker somewhere, typically on the
> inside of the hood.
It was still fitted with the R12 valve with no 134 sticker in sight.
> Locate the high pressure valve on the tube that comes from the condensor in
> front of the radiator. Press this for a moment. If you get a loud, sharp
> SHHH sound, the pressure is OK. If you get a quiet, soft shhh, you still
> have residual pressure, and you can top up the system with Duracool or
> similar compatible refrigerant for about $20
Got a pressure guage. It drops daily, so I seem to have a very real
leak to find and fix.
> If you have no residual pressure, then you need to take the car to an A/C
> shop because you can't do this yourself unless you have the right
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Get a quote from several shops. It should be in the $200 or so plus parts
> range. No shop can tell the hoses are bad without running tests.
Heh. That $200 thingy is what I was hoping to reduce!
I know I can't properly evacuate, test, and recharge the system. I do
plan to go over the whole system, chasing the coolant leak and replacing
any tired parts, seals, o-rings, etc. as I go.
Thanks for the info!
-Greg
Bob - 21 May 2006 02:17 GMT
>I know I can't properly evacuate, test, and recharge the system. I do
>plan to go over the whole system, chasing the coolant leak and replacing
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>-Greg
But if you don't evacuate the system, you'll actually be wasting
money!
Greg Campbell - 21 May 2006 03:15 GMT
>>I know I can't properly evacuate, test, and recharge the system. I do
>>plan to go over the whole system, chasing the coolant leak and replacing
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> But if you don't evacuate the system, you'll actually be wasting
> money!
I'll have a service center test, purge and refill it when I'm done.
FWIW, I ran the system for a few more minutes and I found a leak; it's
at the front of the condenser - about as easy as possible to access and
fix. Also, one of Tegger's links led me to Autozone and some good
diagrams and and instructions - all I really needed. With any luck,
I'll be in cold air tomorrow! :)
-Greg