System was supposedly vacuumed down while in the shop for diagnosis. Does that change the answer?
System was supposedly vacuumed down while in the shop for diagnosis. Does that change the answer?
In reply to bigeyedfish :
No the purpose of the vacuum is to remove all moisture from the system. When you replace your line the moist air will fill the system.
Stampie said:In reply to bigeyedfish :
No the purpose of the vacuum is to remove all moisture from the system. When you replace your line the moist air will fill the system.
Quoted for truth.
Well, you guys saved me a E36 M3load of money. I borrowed gauges and a vacuum pump from the parts store. None of the work was even remotely difficult. AC was blowing ice cold today. It wasn't hot enough to need it, but I froze myself out just because I could. I owe everyone a drink.
I'm a dumbass. Last summer we followed Toyman's steps and it came down to I figured the compressor was shot. Didn't replace it as I had the truck I could drive when AC was needed. We're about to temporary lose the truck so I needed the Miata's AC to work now. My preferred AC shop doesn't do Miata's for some reason. Went to a shop that did a brake line for me a few years back. Tech while over simplifying said he wanted to "get the air out" and put freon in with some dye. I'm like ok while thinking yep he's going to come back and say the compressor is shot. About 45 minutes later he comes back and says it's really blowing cold but if it went out to come back so that he could look for the dye. WTF. It is really cold. I'm guessing he just drew a vacuum and filled it? I give up on trying to work on AC.
So while the original thread is a year old I will chime as I just paid to have the A/C in my 1990 E250 camper-van fixed.
R12 was $220 for 1/4 pound.................ouch
The very reputable shop charged me $2,533.00.
They replaced 2 lines, the compressor, the receiver dryer, the little dashpot thingy that controls the vent doors, schrader valve and some o-rings.
Additionally they mounted a fan shroud on the radiator. I'm running an oversized radiator (460 rad in a 351 powered van), the van never runs hot so I didn't think I needed the shroud (there wasn't one when I bought the van). Apparently without a fan shroud the fan will not pull enough air across the condenser and that leads to problems.
I live in the Mojave Desert so it's worth every penny.
I sold the truck that started this thread, but its AC was still working perfectly.
The compressor in my wife's Honda Pilot locked up recently, and I'm just going to get rid of it. That car has been the victim of children and poor maintenance. There is no way I'm going to pay someone else to fix it, and I'm not interested in doing it myself. It's crazy to me that a broken, "nonessential" component can effectively total a car, but I'm not making her deal with another Missouri summer with no AC.
In reply to bigeyedfish :
Sounds pretty essential to me 
Some hybrids used an evaporator core for battery cooling. So a discharged A/C system WOULD result in being immobile, or at least without a functioning HV battery/motor. (I forget if it failed to ICE-only or if it failed to "shoeleather mode")
I still haven't done anything about my miata. A can will hold for 4-5 months, and the leak never showed when using dye.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Probably evaporator inside the dash leaking.
grover said:In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Probably evaporator inside the dash leaking.
Yep, look for the dye at the condensate drain near the firewall.
Toyman! said:grover said:In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Probably evaporator inside the dash leaking.
Yep, look for the dye at the condensate drain near the firewall.
I assume that using my UV flashlight from under the car would work.
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