Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 15:01:59 -0400
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com>
Subject: Re: Advice on Evaporator Icing
I'm not sure Ken about one of the things you assert about the older Vanagon
AC systems, and I just wanted to verify. Never having done the AC thing on
a Vanagon I may be all wet on this.
One most ALL AC units (even old VW 411/412s) there is an ice-prevention
switch on the evaporator. It consists of a metal ferule that is closely
placed on the air-coming-out side of the evaporator. If it gets below 32,
it shuts off the compressor. Once the air warms to about 36-38, it kicks
back on. This is the thing that makes the compressor cycle on and off once
your car is crispy-cool. It keeps the evap. From icing up.
Even cheap home AC window unit have this feature. Old technology, and
cheap.
I can't believe that VW wouldn't put this safety switch in the Vanagon,
when in previous years and in the same year the same year, they put it on
other vehicles. Wasssup?
G. Matthew Bulley, Principal Consultant
Bulley-Hewlett Corporate Communications
Mount Olive, NC USA
877.658.1278 Tollfree
www.bulley-hewlett.com
My Agenda: Vanquish Suburban Sprawl.
My Methods: Revitalize mature urban towns. Champion mass transit and fast
Internet service. Demand replacement of archaic, "separationist" zoning
laws with neo-traditional mixed-use zoning.
The Result: Exceptional living/working alternatives; restrained sprawl; our
children inherit walkable, beautiful, interlinked towns. Find out more at
http://www.cnu.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Bergum [SMTP:organslave@earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 2:35 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Advice on Evaporator Icing
Hi Ken:
Icing indicates a restriction somewhere. Check out the behavior of
temps at
each end to get a clue where it is, and get the electrical fixed so the
compressor cycles properly - the VW design is pretty good.
Randy Bergum
1990 Carat - with R-12: Bwaa hah hah hah
KENWILFY@aol.com wrote:
> I have a guy in Spain who is having a problem with his '91 Westy (US v
ersion)
> with A/C. He took it to a local shop to have the system charged. They
found
> that the rad fan wasn't coming on so they hot wired it on low and they
also
> hot wired the compressor to come on (it wasn't coming on either). So
> basically this shop is hack and splice. But they got the A/C to work,
> however after an hour or so of running the evaporator starts to ice up
and
> then the cold air stops.
>
> I am wondering if the evaporator icing is related to the non-functional
> high/low pressure switch, thermostat system for the A/C (since it had to
be
> hot wired to get it to work) or if it is really an internal system
problem
> (like moisture in the system or low charge or something). The only
reason I
> hesistate to think it is an electrical only problem is that the earlier
> Vanagons (84-85) had an A/C system that didn't have any high/low pressure
> switches or thermostat and they don't seem to ice up. Basically
everything
> in these earlier systems is just hotwired to come on when you turn the
A/C on
> and it stays on until you shut the A/C off (you can run it without
> refrigerant, it doesn't care).
>
> Any ideas, experience, or comments would be appreciated. I am basically
just
> trying to help this guy as he isn't a customer (yet) and I am really
working
> in the dark, not actually being able to try and troubleshoot the system
hands
> on.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help,
> Ken Wilford
> http://www.vanagain.com
> John 3:16
>
> New Phone (856)-327-4936
> Shop: (856)-765-1583
> Fax: (856)-327-2242
