THSCC Forums

the tech on AC is all over the board...so many sources giving very different opinions...i thought I'd try the thscc folks for kicks.

the new e30's ac needs to be recharged. everything seems to work, and you can tell that it tries to get cold, but just never gets there. my guess is that there is a small leak somewhere in the system, but it must be small as there is a little refrigerant left...

so...

so i do the r134a retrofit. if so, do i just replace the o'rings and valves ($20) or also the compressor ($325) with all the brackets and belts ($282)...and how about the dryer ($20)...that too?

OR

do i go to http://www.freeze12.com/ and spend $65 3 cans of their stuff...it's not the original r12 and some believe it will blow up my system in a month.

OR

do i buy 3 cans of R12 from a guy on craigslist for $65 and fill it myself. this will of course destroy the ozone layer and a few baby seals. oh, and don't you need an adapter for the can to fit the valve? where can i get that?

thoughts?

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05 MCS

Fix the leak and buy the R12. I've read some stuff recently that says the 134A isn't as eco friendly as advertised.

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Rubbin' is Racin'

"fix the leak" - i've heard this a couple of times...then i ask "how do i do this?" and everyone goes quiet. from what i understand, in order to find the leak, you have to pressurize it...and you can't pressurize the system with out the r12 equipment...so then i'm back to my original problem...can it be done without converting to r134a?

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05 MCS

Why not drive it down to a local a/c shop to pressurize it and have them put dye in it to find the leak? Then have them evacuate the system, replace the part yourself, and then recharge it with r12. You might spend $80 on the diagnostic and it will save you hours of trouble and guessing.

I remember using a place off of Route 1 (Capital Blvd) just north of the car dealerships going toward Wake Forest. Make a left on Gresham Lake Road and they were on the right a little ways down. This was also with my E30, which the evaporator tends to be the culprit, and it's BURIED in the dash - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

i'll call around Aaron, but i'm willing to be that no one has the equipment to pressurize an R12 system anymore...i'll see what i can find out.

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05 MCS

ok, i found a place that works on r12 systems.

$150 minimum for diagnostics and for them to evac the system

then'd i'd have to fix the leak and recharge for another $50 plus the $65 for the r12.

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05 MCS

I had an old R12 car that leaked. Merchant's tire was running a free diagnostic deal, and they charged it and added dye (maybe it was $65, not free ). The AC worked for a few months before quitting again. Turned out to be a leaky condenser (the UV die they used was very handy).

I replaced the condenser and recharged with R134A. No manifold gauges, no new drier, no new o-rings, nothing new except the condenser.

The AC worked great for the remaining years I had the car.

So, if it were my E30, I'd just bleed out the old stuff (if any remains), charge it up with enough R134A and a die pack to actually get the compressor to turn on. Run it for a while. Once the leak is located, fix it, then recharge with R134A. Use a vacuum pump and pressure gauges if you really want to do it right.

You can also disconnect a line the lowest point and drain out the old oil, just make sure to charge it with new oil if you do that.

Scott

That would be Four Brothers I think.
With my 210 I replaced the dryer and the hose that ruptured and recharged it with 134. The system has a very slow leak and requires more 134 ever 2 years.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Dave Davis still has the R12 recovery/recharge machine and he knows BMW's.


829-9599

His shop is off Lake Wheeler Rd + I440



I'd buy the 3 cans of R12 and shoot one of them into the system and see what happens. OR, see if you can find someone with some R12 with dye in it- they used to sell it over the counter so someone surely has some squirreled away somewhere.


If you've got a significant leak, you'll need to fix it sometime, but some systems just leak a minute amount- so little that you can often get away with a can every year or two.


Unless it instantly leaks back out, you're not killing any baby seals right away anyway.

i found a local mechanic that charged the system with r12 for $25...it's blowing cold right now...hopefully it will keep up!!

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05 MCS

you pressurize the system with compressed nitrogen when looking for leaks, you can also use a electronic leak detector or the uv die method.

using freeze 12 is the worst idea yet as it is not compatible with the rubber seals inside the compressor, the freeze 12 will simply pass through the rubber by bubbling cracking and popping its way through.

i'm glad you made the right choice.

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#77 nasa spec 3
e36 M3

Call Mitch.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

If it has been leaking for a while you can carefully inspect all the fittings for signs of grunge (yes a very technical word!). It will accumulate where the system is leaking because when the freon leaks so does the oil that is (or, was) in the system.

I think one of the problems with just recharging with r134 is the rubber that the o rings are made of for a R12 system are attacked by r134. Also the compressor is different for r134 since it, I believe, has to be compressed more then for r12.

Ron