I have the option of purchasing a 1989 XJS Convertible. It seems to be in good condition (no leaks etc) and the engine "sounds" strong. It has 42,000 miles on it. The leather is in good condition as is the roof. However.....the "A/C does not work". That is all I know. The dealer said that maybe it needs to be recharged. They are not prepared to offer anymore advise or service it due to the purchase price. They never said if the fan was running, but based upon their prior statement I assume it is.

So, my question to this forum is.....where do i start? Is there an "easy" way to asses the problem? What is the absolute worst case scenario? I assume the worst case would be the compressor has gone out. But I am new to this so would appreciate some input from experienced persons such as yourself.

I should add, that this vehicle is about 200 miles away from me and i do not have access to the car. Before i decide to go and test drive the unit i want to be sure it is worth it.

Thanks in advance.

 

No, not really. The only somewhat easy thing is to have the system charged and see what happens from there. You might get lucky :-)





A compressor replacement is one of the "better/easier" possibilities.

A bad scenario would be evaporator replacement....25 or so labor hours + parts....but these seldom needed. Or a control module replacement---$1500 for a new part if you can find one, maybe $150 used....but possibly quite a bit of diagnosis involved.

Could be a loose/corroded connection, could be a problem with servo motors or feedback potentiometers....could be, could be, could be. A problem with the refrigeration portion of the system (compressor, hoses, expansion valve....anything except the evaporator) would generally be easier to fix.

Cheers
DD

 

Unfortunately I was $2k for a complete system rebuild (compressor, hoses, dryer, condenser) while a friend of mine with an 88 was $40 for a can of refrigerant from auto zone. I would at least try and bully the garage to putting in a can of refrigerant. What price are they asking for it ? (helps us judge whether the additional worst case scenario A/C repair costs are going to turn this into a bad deal or not)

To be honest, on an 89 car, the A/C is going to be one of a long list of things that will likely need looked at........ According to my poor US geography, OH is pretty wet and is prone to snow.......... I'd be checking for any corrosion as this can be the end of an XJS very easily.

 

Is the car for sale at a dealer? If so you can negotiate that they at least give you a diagnosis before you buy the car.

 

I purchased a 91 xjs convertible with 64k on it and I had the same worries about the air conditioning system. I had a leftover can of that LEGAL R12 replacement stuff and I figured it would be better to sacrifice that if there was a leak than my saved up REAL R12 cans, you know the stuff you used to be able to buy for $1.79. Well I figured the compressor was not kicking in BECAUSE there was no freon in the system. So I gave it a shot. Very shortly after connecting the can I started hearing a hiss (Of cource, what else). So I closed off the can to save what was left. The first thing I checked were the O rings at the back of the compressor.(My car had sat for 5years in a garage...BBAAADDD).The rings were flattened. I took them out, got new ones, and put the remainder of my freon in. I checked around...no noises...said well.... let's put the other can in... did it... no noises...hmmm,. I can't be that lucky can I? I turned on the fan...ICE cold!!! Holy carponzella!! But wait, it may be a slow leak and be gone soon, so I came back the next day and the next and the next and so far so good. So since you have a low mileage car, that may be all you need to do. That is if you've got those golden CANS and the do it yourself hose. Either way it could be that simple. I hope this helped. People here have helped me immensely! Cheerio Bud