Date:         Wed, 25 Jun 1997 12:32:41 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Philip R. Hanlon" <prhanlon@dibbs.net>
Subject:      the price of cool

Vanagoners:

	Another 275 down the drain in the quest for cool. A pressure switch failed
and all the coolant leaked out. It's a pressure switch that lives behind
the left rear panel. It's in the low pressure (narrower hose) side and
tells the front blower fan to turn on when the pressure reaches too high
(275 psi; or would that be 275 degrees?  -  the a/c guy said something
about 275.) Part was 110, labor 38, vacuum 20, freon 90, tax 14. Said the
rest of the system checked out OK, so that it was written off as a part
failure
	While they were waiting for the switch (first order was wrong item!) I
decided to inspect the system. As any a/c jocks know, all the duct work
needs to come off before the rear section holding the evaporator can be
lowered. One can see how the factory recall fix for securing the duct work
to the ceiling is a must. Anyway, the evaporator had the plastic (styrofoam
like) filter remaining on three sides, secured by four circumferential
wires. It was deteriorating badly. Took all that off, cleaned thoroughly
with toothbrush and vacuum cleaner. Elected not to replace the "filter."
The a/c guy said that the vw evap is so much thicker than the average unit,
that they must have thought that it would keep stuff from sticking deep in
the fins. The intake grill is such that one could install some sort of
filter; the challenge is to make it easily changeable!
	Very minor rust on the steel supports for the evap. A/c guy says the
copper units (vw) last forever; they replace the aluminum ones regularly.
Both vent tubes patent, chlorine rinse didn't seem to dislodge any grunge.
They both had the little "flapper" valves on the ends, both working well. 
	Oh yes, took list advice and replaced the 6 year old factory speakers with
new Pioneers to match the ones I installed in the front (while I was
learning all about my power windows!) 
	Lord willing, I now have several years of trouble free air conditioning
ahead of me  :)

Philip R. Hanlon
Mobile, AL
91 Carat - Orly Blue