The PO says the A/C worked fine before sitting in the garage for 2 years. I was able to get the compressor to kick on for a few seconds, so hoping it just needs Freon.
Tomorrow I am planning on running the vacuum pump on the system and checking for leaks. If all OK then charge it up.
So...my question is...is there anything strange or unusual I should watch out for? Having owned this car for a few months I have learned that when working on this car nothing is ever normal.
Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers...Jimmy

 

I can chime in here. The service manual only tells you how much refrigerant it needs....by weight. That's right. The only true way to tell how much refrigerant your car needs is to empty it, preferably with a vacuum and refill it...by weight. I think it was like 32.5oz. Cans come in 12oz, so you're going to need a scale.

Try to find 134a withOUT any conditioner or sealer.

You'll also need some PAG150 oil. (The manual never mentions what kind of PAG, so I assumed 150, the most common.)

 

Jimmy,

A loss of gas on XJSs that are laid up is invariably due to hardened seals on the back of the compressor.

You might be lucky but I think it unlikely that you'll hold a good vacuum if the gas has gone. After all, it's exited somewhere!

I'm assuming that it's not had a leak dye installed previously? If not, then if the vacuum fails, you might want to fill with nitrogen(?) + dye to ascertain where the problem lies.

Paul

 

My car had a leak in the condenser. I ended up replacing the condenser, drier and expansion valve.


https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...n-valve-96397/


Not a hard job to do at all.

 

I had a 1996 VDP and now a 1990 XJS, both leaked refrigerant. Once a year, maybe twice a year I would go to Wal mart or Canadian tire pick up a can of 134a refrigerant maybe a can of oil and refrigerant and sometimes a can of "dryer". I would spend about $20 a year to keep the A.C. running

 

How long ago was this?
You haven't been able to buy R134A in Canada at a Walmart or Canadian Tire in a long long while! R134A is banned from general sale because kids were "huffing" the stuff

Canadians with refrigeration tickets are the only people allowed to purchase R134A and from Refrigeration supply wholesalers only (you can buy it in the States and bring it in no problem though) ....you were probably filling your cars up with Red-Tek refrigerant? Red-Tek is about the only stuff you can get "over the counter" in Canada.

BTW, Red-Tek is good stuff, probably better than R134, colder and less leak-prone with it's larger molecules ...however, Red-Tek is good old PROPANE

There is a workaround "over the counter" source for R134A in Canada, some brands of dusters are R134A, most are R152A though ...which can ALSO be used in our cars BTW, apparently 60% by weight, but better check on the web for further info before stocking up on 6-packs from Costco

Larry

 

Your right, Red tek, that's what is was/is

 

My '92 car had r12 in it. When l had the compressor replaced they changed the A/C over to r134a. I was told that you couldn't just fill up with the new stuff as the seals and oil needed replacing so that it all worked well. Did the later XJS come with r134a ?

 

I believe that all cars sold after 1993 in the US were required by the EPA to use R134a instead of R12.

Paul

 

I put new compressor on and still leaked put die in and traced all up to the firewall and no leak so it is inside the dash which i have heard you have to pretty much dismantle the dash and take it out also heard the wind shield has to come out, probably will be awhile before I try to tackle that. I can put freon in and it only last 3 or 4 days.

 

This is from the Kirby Palm book, and it might be worth looking into in your circumstance:

I have no experience or knowledge with the product, just remember it being mentioned in "the book".

 

PO took it to a Jag shop and had heater core work done and I took it to him one time and realized he is very dishonest. I think he loosened a hose nut under the dash
and that is where the leak is. JMOP.

 

Mac
The screen does not have to come out to remove the dash, but there is a little trick to undoing the small pozi right under the screen, centre front of the dash screen defrost outlet. Get a pozi bit as used in a drill etc, and a small spanner that fits the hex drive, then hold the bit down in the pozi with your finger and use the spanner to undo it!

Dash removal is far far easier than you think when you start out, but cannot be rushed and needs care and quite a bit of straightforward dismantling and unbolting bits. Your leak is either the core going home (happened to me); or the guy who wrenched it has split the copper evaporator pipe that goes through the firewall into the core because he did not support the pipe nut when undoing the joins under the bonnet (highly likely).
Once the dash it out then and only then can the Delanaire unit be undone and the core be changed. But while you are in there you can then clean up all the many electrical connectors, earths, firewall positive posts; and also re-glue the noise insulation, replace tunnel grommets and generally prevent all sorts of worries as far as the dash and instrument operation is concerned.
Greg

 

What is a pozi ?
Is this a one man job and does the center console also need to come out ?
This sounds like I should video tape so I can get it back together.
Greg,Thank you for the info

 

A"pozi" drive is a type of screw head similar to a Phillips, it's used extensively on British cars and it why most are stripped or damaged because people use Phillips on them. They have additional grip cuts on them extending from the center of the "cross" cut. You can pick up a set of tips or drivers on Amazon or ebay for cheap and save a lot of future grief.

 

Sears sells them too.

Fun fact: All IKEA screws are posidrive as well.

 

It is a one man job to get the dash and console out. It is a two man job to get the aircon unit out as it weights about 40 kilos and needs someone each side to remove it without wrecking wiring, vac tubes etc etc. If you do get to it, post beforehand and I'll try to write up what I did. A video of what you have to do would be a terrific resource for the forum. the big thing is to label each side of all the loom plugs you undo, and take VERY many very detailed and careful shots of exactly where the two huge fat looms that go over the top of the unit are placed. There is only just room for them between the dash and the unit and the instrument binnacle.


This is what you need for the pozi bits: Milwaukee 1" 25mm PZ2 50 Screwdriver Bits Pozi 2 Drill Shockwave Impact Duty | eBay
Short ones. All the cross headed screws on the XJS are pozis.
Greg

 

I have a 94 XJS V12 as well, and on mine it was leaking from the quick connect ports. The little check ball inside wasn't sealing properly. I think they are standard GM parts, I saw them in the junkyard on similar vintage GM cars.

Aside from vacuum, the other way I check for leaks is to charge the system with some propane and then I run a hydrocarbon detector over each joint. Mine is good down to 5 ppm, and I can usually find a leak quite quickly.

I've never liked "sealer in a can", I much prefer to fix the leak properly. Then the inside of the whole system isn't gummed up with that stuff.

 

Quick connect ports leaked on mine too, (94XJ40) AFAIK the XJS 94's with R134A use Aeroquip ports also, which have non-replaceable valves.

Jag doesn't sell just the ports, you have to get a whole hose assy ....unless you go to O'REILLY'S and ask for part numbers Murray 59973 and Murray 59972 at about $7 each ..then you can have ports that DO have replaceable standard schraeder valves.

These ports from O'Reilly screw right on to the lines and come with their own o-rings, so no need to buy pricey new hoses!!


Larry

 

I let the vacuum set overnight and it held, so I will try to charge it. I'll also use PAG 46(which compressor calls for) and a little UV dye. I'll just need to get the car through the summer and then I'll shut her down for the winter months and get serious about going over everything.
...Jimmy