how cold is your AC?

[ninjajim4]

it is...? if it's on whenever the AC button is pressed, then when the AC is running, the AC fan is always running. how is that intermittent? and if that's the case, then you're implying that the radiator fan is not, meaning it's always running all the time, which i know is not the case

[MrMazda92]

I believe both fans come on when the AC is turned on, if anything it's the AC fan that should be intermittent.

i don't think that's true. i believe the AC fan is supposed to on anytime the AC button is pressed. true or not?

That's what SHE said...

Sorry, had to find some humor in what you said =)

[amber lynn]

Ya my ac is out and blowing hot desert winds at me. My mechanic says that he is going to fix it but I am wondering if its even worth the money. I do live in Las Vegas NV so its very hot. When the air was working it would only be mildly cold when I was moving and in traffic...forget it. I dont know if its just that its old or that the compressor clutch is bad. I will keep you updated gonna have it worked on a bit tomorrow. But even today when my car idled for 15 minutes the fan didnt come on and when I tried to run the ac to listen to the system that fan didnt turn on either. These little cars are tricky

[Daninski]

Unless you have your windows tinted especially the back one your A/C will have to work to keep your car cool. R134a really sucks as a refrigerant.

[Rass]

It sounds like you have an airflow problem, I would also check to see how dirty/plugged up your condensing coil is (the one in front of your radiator), as well as making sure your condensing fan is on. If it isn't getting good air flow, it can't dump heat outside and you get crappy AC. HVAC Supply stores have a cleaning agent that helps desolve dirt, cottonwood fibers and other junk that can plug up your coil and then all you have to do is backflush it. I would also recommend removing your refrigerant if it is 134 and putting good old r12 in (but that can get pricey.

[OkieOFT]

Mine was ice cold before all the freon we put in it leaked out of a pinhole in the condenser New condenser will be here today, just in time for a good old humid 100 degree Oklahoma heat wave.

[ninjajim4]

i am debating on shelling out yet more dough for a new condenser and evaporator to get this up to where it should be. not sure it's worth it though, or indeed if it would even get the results i am hoping for. seriously keep going back and forth on saying goodbye to the MX. sigh...

[solo_ryder]

Ac is a tricky thing. I really wanna replace my compressor and clean out my condenser (or get a new one), but I'm scared to waste money filling it again and then find out there is a small leak somewhere else and waste even more cash filling again and diagnosing.

Unrelated-ish question... Is there any other type of refrigerents that work with a 134 system that are better then 134 that you can get? You guys are stating that R12 is better but I'd have to find a pretty shady shop to do that :p

[ninjajim4]

i have seen HVAC guys who will put R22 in your system which is pretty close to R12. supposedly it will degrade rubber over time, but i knew a guy who did this on his own car for years and it was fine.

i can tell you i was hoping to see a dramatic difference with a new compressor but i did not and was pretty disappointed for the expense. but i had the wrong compressor on my system in the first place so i suppose it was somewhat worth it.

[SuperK]

OK so I think I can shed some light on this. I'm no AC expert but I did install AC in my car and ask a CRAP TON of questions to AC mechanics.


Here's my findings and suggestions on all the parts of the AC:

1. Evaporator:If you've ever pulled a used evaporator out, it's NASTY with debris. No seriously it's awful. There's also a expansion valve on the evaporator with a little temperature sensor I believe, because there's a little wire that connects from the car to it. the thing is taped up against the evap coil. You might want to consider replacing that expansion valve/sensor thing because when I removed mine the thing was rusted and degraded very heavily.


2. Dryer: I would look here first. This thing is supposed to be vacuum sealed at all times. 24 hours is all it takes for a little moisture to rust the insides. And when it does, they say bam there goes your AC. Now I don't believe it kills the AC like that but it does degrade it's performance heavily. I would drain your refridgerant anduse a freon with a chemical drying agent to pull out the moisture if you don't feel like replacing the 20 dollar part... but this part is important.

3. Condensor: Posh, this thing either works or works... I've never seen anyone complain about it unless it had a hole in it.

4. Compressor: Most compressor failure I've been told is too little or too much oil. IIRC it takes 8oz of PAG46 oil. generally as we go along and charge the lines most people add oil to the compressor which overfills it. Too much oil, as soon as the AC is engaged, all the oil in the system hits the compressor and causes lots of pressure and locks it up... causing your AC to disengage and killing the compressor softly with your words... And too little will cause wear over time as well. You might want to drain it, add 7-7.5 oz and have the remaining oil in the lines count for the last oz of oil.

5. Fan: Turn it, if it turns and nothing's broken, fantastic.

I'm in TN and we've had a MISERABLE heat wave come through. Memphis one day was 112 without the heat index. I don't live in memphis but I never cared to check the weather, I know we got close to that. But I was still comfortable in my car with her AC. And my compressor is shot, there's a chunk of compressor that broke off and is jingling in my evap. coil's innards which is causing a annoying rattle but I'm still getting enough cold air in my B6 to sit back and cruise.

[SuperK]

I use duracool 12a in my car, solo, as far as different refridgerant replacements.

While it's working good I don't think it is very compatible with PAG46 oil because it's locking my system up, that's why I got chunks in my evap coil.

[sneechsandwich]

As far as I know, all the A/C components in BOTH my MX-3s were fine, but the temperature of the air blowing out has never been impressive. Doesn't usually bother me though, I prefer fresh air. On those days that you want it to blow dry your sweat, i've learned to expect disappointment.

[nolig2278]

I heard a leak from my pressure switch, so I pulled it and re-tapped the threads but it still leaks. I will replace the sensor with one I have from another mx-3 and buy new orings. Did pulling this drain all of my r134 or did it only drain the high side?

If I replace the dryer, do I need to have the system evacuated or just charge it up?

How many cans should an empty system require?

thanks

[Dark_Rider2k3]

I never did post my ac adventures but here goes...
Killed my ac a year ago, and changed to r134a... was mildly cold but nowhere near what it used to be.... so eventually I got a compressor out of a later model mx.

Now its ice cold again. I think if your swapping to r134 you should also replace the compressor for the coldest ac. Mine is great even with the change to r134 now!!!

[nolig2278]

I replaced the ring around the pressure switch
then i was able to charge it to about 35 psi but that is still too low
I used a 12 and 14oz can,
i vented a little of the 12 oz can from the high side to try to push out some of the trapped air
there seems to be more in the can as i can hear air coming out when i open the release

i might buy one more can tomorrow to see if i can get more into it unless I hear otherwise.

thanks