Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 18:50:27 -0500
Reply-To: Robert Clemmer <n51219@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Clemmer <n51219@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: FW: Air Conditioning help
In-Reply-To: <20140121162459.IZVXO.110458.imail@eastrmwml206>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Every couple of years since new I've had to recharge the A/C on my 91 tin top. No one ever found leaks. That’s just the way it was. Then three years ago a local garage told me my compressor was and it would be $900 in parts, labor, etc. to replace it. I said "screw it" and just added R134a from the local flaps.
This past year I had a local dealer recharge the system with the proper equipment. Cost me about $120 but it was the best it has ever been. Two weeks ago, while down in FL I needed the A/C and had to add a can of R134a. Worked just fine. Before I go back down to FL again, I'm going back to the dealer for another proper recharge. The car now has 275K miles on it and is still all original except for a transmission rebuild.
If all you have to do it recharge it once a year to make it blow cold air don't mess with it. Don't open that can of worms.
Bob Clemmer
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 4:25 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Air Conditioning help
My 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon GL Campmobile with factory air conditioning and a 2.1 liter engine (159k miles) loses refrigerant over the course of a summer. It had it converted to R134a two springs ago. It got all new fittings, the system was flushed, and new proper lubricant for R134 was added. It cooled wonderfully well, but by summer's end it was not doing so, despite two shops claiming not to be able to determine that it was leaking. They reported that with a "leak down test" over 24 hours, it held proper pressure.
So, next spring it needed recharging again, and again, "leak down test reveals no leak." By summer's end, it was not cooling. Recharging resulted in the thing cooling marvelously, air temperature from the plenum being around 48 F. So, what do I do now? I plan to use the camper this spring, summer, fall and will need air conditioning for some trips through the plains and Southwest.
Help!
David McNeely
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