Hi all,


Air conditioning is not cooling, noticed it this last year, now nothing. Looks like I have a leak on the condenser unit, so I am going to replace it and the drier at the same time. Whilst I have the radiator and condenser unit out I thought I'd like to clean up the front of the engine and bay area (make it all nice and shiny) so hence not taking it into a dealership to have it done (+cost!) I realise that after I've completed I'll have to take it in to have the system recharged etc. Have any of you guys out there got any practical advise, tips or things I should look for before I start. Any help would be most appreciated.


Bob

 

Bob,

I'm interested to know where in England you've been recently to feel the need for the refreshing chill of the A/C.

Graham

 

Hi Graham, you've obviously not been down to Norfolk recently...scorchio at Costa Del Hustanton....well, you just need a good imagination!


Bob

 

It's good shop practice to plug all openings in the AC system when its open. Moisture gets in and when it hits the inside, it turns to acid and can damage things. Be sure a professional does the recharge, he will need to pull a vacuum first, then oil and charge. Just a note, jackleg work on the AC system is not a good idea. There are a lot of rules for working on this stuff that are not general knowledge.

 

Thanks Oldmots, I'll certainly take your advise on plugging any ports once broken to keep any moisture out. There is a garage not far from me who will evacuate and then recharge the system once I've carried out the repair. My thinking is that as there is a leak and it's not cooling that most of the refrigerant has already vented to atmosphere, but I'll still take care when breaking the joints and I'll get the garage to dispose of the old condenser and dryer. Jackleg?? not a term I've heard before, though I guess I know what you're saying. Thanks again for your reply.


Bob

 

Jackleg is like shadetree mechanic. Just a warning that saving money by working on the AC system is not often cost effective as it is not like changing a head gasket, there are procedures that are not intuitive.