Any good Volvo 240 A/C Repair guides?

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John Horner - 31 Aug 2006 02:44 GMT

My nice thick Bentley manual for the 240 has apparently become
politically correct as all it has to say about the A/C system is that
one should see a professional.

I would like to do as much of the diagnosis of the non-working A/C on
our 1993 240 myself as possible. I'm a very experienced DIY mechanic
and I do have a simple A/C pressure gauge, DVM, etc.

Perhaps someone can point me to a good how-to diagnostics write-up on
the 'net somewhere???? Please :).

TIA for any help!
John

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Pat Quadlander - 31 Aug 2006 03:12 GMT

John,

You might be surprised how much experienced DIY knowledge you can get from
this group. Can you give some description on your non-working A/C
condition?

E.g., does blower motor work? With the car parked, motor running, hood up
and you standing over the engine bay, can you hear the thermostat click the
compressor clutch on and off while the temperature control is set to a
medium temperature? Is the accumulator/drier "sweating" when the A/C is
turned on? Can you see two puddles of water dripping on the ground near the
front of the tranny tunnel? Etc., etc. I think you will find it hard to get
A/C manuals or 'net literature specific to Volvos A/C.

> My nice thick Bentley manual for the 240 has apparently become
> politically correct as all it has to say about the A/C system is that
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> TIA for any help!
> John

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John Horner - 31 Aug 2006 06:53 GMT

> John,
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> front of the tranny tunnel? Etc., etc. I think you will find it hard to get
> A/C manuals or 'net literature specific to Volvos A/C.

Good questions Pat.

The blower motor works fine as does the heat and all other hvac controls.

The symptom is that when I press the switch to turn on air conditioning,
nothing different happens at all. No sound of the compressor kicking
in, etc. The blue indicator light comes on, but that is all that happens!

John

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James Sweet - 31 Aug 2006 06:59 GMT

>> John,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> John

First thing to check is the charge, try bypassing the pressostat on the
receiver/dryer, if the compressor kicks in then check the pressure.
Don't run it for more than a second or two until you know there's
something in it.

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John Horner - 31 Aug 2006 15:53 GMT

> First thing to check is the charge, try bypassing the pressostat on the
> receiver/dryer, if the compressor kicks in then check the pressure.
> Don't run it for more than a second or two until you know there's
> something in it.

Thanks. I will start by putting my A/C pressure gauge on it to see if
there is anything in the system.

John

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Jamie - 31 Aug 2006 16:15 GMT

I have a 1987 740 that I bought this Spring. It was still the old R12
system and all I knew was that the system had no charge, the hose from
the Drier to the Compressor was rubbed thin, and the previous owner
only knew he had a "hole in one of the hoses."

I spent like $120 from FCP Groton to buy an R134 conversion kit. I
spent the extra $20 for an automatic expansion valve (provides better
cooling) and I picked up a hose for $30. I also paid $10 for a complete
O-ring kit.

I went to AutoZone and used their free loaner program for a vacuum pump
and hoses. When I was ready, I made sure my system was completely
de-pressurized (I didn't release any freon into the air, I knew it had
all leaked out, but used a tire pressure gauge on the drier to be
sure).

>From there I removed the drier and plugged the lines to prevent

moisture/debris from entering lines.

I pulled the condensor and flushed it with A/C flush and compressed
air. I pulled the compressor (do not flush this) and emptied the old
oil out and refilled it with the entire bottle of new oil from the
conversion kit. (6.5 ounces I think). Don't put oil in the drier if you
fill the compressor.

I re-installed the compressor and condensor with new O-rings, put in
the new expansion valve, replaced my bad hose and used new O-rings, and
finally installed my new drier last. Install the drier last to prevent
unnecessary exposure to air. The drier is chemically lined.

Once everything was re-assembled with new O-rings, I pulled a vacuum
for 1.5 hours. I then filled the system with 3.2 cans of standard R134
and she has been working well for the last month since I've done the
work.

I wish I would have flushed the evaporator, but people have mixed
opinions on the need.

Here is the guide I used:
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/VolvoR134Conversion/R134ConversionPage1.htm

Jamie

> > First thing to check is the charge, try bypassing the pressostat on the
> > receiver/dryer, if the compressor kicks in then check the pressure.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> John

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