Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 14:20:05 -0600
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: jgladu@bcm.tmc.edu (John Gladu)
Subject: '90 GL A/C
My wife's Vanagon had "hot" air-conditioning of late. Took a look at the
sight-glass on the accumulator/dryer and it was all froth. Typical. This
vehicle has had a really slow freon leak all of its life.
So in it goes to Herbie (my VW guru) to get the freon "topped off". Herbie
exchanges the service for free medical advice from my wife and promises to
"get even" with me later. He also tells Rebecca that we need to vacuum the
slarg off the fins on the 'inside' A/C coils. He says this is simple...
I wind up pulling the entire rear overhead A/C unit down because there
simply isn't any other way. And this takes removing the rear pillar covers
too. Hold up the unbolted unit with cardboard boxes. Hope that the
speaker tabs aren't torn off by reluctant-to-disconnect wires. Pull the
little grill out (with scary cracking and snapping noises while
disassociating the light-colored outer material from the black inner
material). Vacuum the slarg off.
Now it's creativity time...
I covered all of the black surfaces on the top of the unit with 12" wide
aluminized mylar (dumpster-booty from my NASA days) before bolting it back
in place. Hopefully, the mylar will help to keep the body of the A/C unit
from hitting 140F (like the roof above it) when the critter has to sit in
direct sunlight. With my luck it will just keep the unit hotter, longer,
by not allowing it to radiate any of its pent-up thermal energy.
The A/C does put out the cold stuff again...
Still have to do the rest of the ducts and the front unit with the mylar
(as well as take it in for the recall that bolts the ducts up with a
non-breakable bracket-thing).
bcnu - G (John Gladu) .Opinions are just that.
Systems Support Center -- Baylor College of Medicine
INTERNET: jgladu@bcm.tmc.edu | VOICE: (713)798-7370
US MAIL: One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
thlarnt n. An outbuilding of dubious utility
