Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 14:43:35 -0400 (EDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: loudesign@mindspring.com (Louise Christensen)
Subject: A / C M e l t d o w n in C a p e H a t t e r a s !
Greetings Volks, from the Balmy South, where wild orchids bloom and gypsy winds
take my Vanagon where they may....
Balmy, --yes balmy is the word since I had the a/c meltdown. Not that it
worked great anyways, but perhaps you might collectively have some
sagacious advice.
Here are the symptoms:
While on the "Busses-on-the-Blue-Ridge-to-Cape Hatteras-Trek," I had all
camping gear and myriad sailing gear stashed in the nooks and crannies of
the bus; bike on the back; had the front seat facing rear, with gear
stashed in the passenger door area.
While driving down the Cape Hatteras one-and-only highway, I smelled a
burning odor, which progressively got stronger. "Mmmm, I wonder if that's
me, I asked myself...Nah... not *this* bus!...." The smell was now so
strong that my eyes were burning, my nose was burning, and I couldn't
breathe.
OK. Time to accept that it IS me. Pulled over and ripped everything out of
the bus as fast as I could. Boards, sails, tables, wetsuits, camping gear,
sleeping bags, my favorite fringed silk pillows, booms, masts, the oriental
rug, mountain bike, cooler, the jumpseat, the guitar, the mandolin, etc.
Ripped off the engine compartment cover. No flames. No black smoke. No
white smoke. Mmmm.
In five minutes the parking lot looked like I was having an instant yard sale.
Still very, very strong smell--but determined that it was eminating from
the upper a/c area.
Apparently some of the gear up front inadvertently turned on the A/C
switch, and burned out the motor back there (smothered by gear) and who
knows what else.
Used the emergency cellular phone that a friend had given me "just in case"
to call fellow VeeDubbers at the campground for assistance.
My VW Rescue squad, consisting of Sonny Flamer, Bob Busick, and Dave
arrived in 10 minutes in Sonny's Vanagon.
I dug out the Bentley for the wiring diAgrams, and Sonny pulled out the
fuse for the AC unit, which (unfortunately, as it was rainy and cold) also
was the fuse for my Eberspacher auxiliary heater and side mirror adjustment
switch. Bob and Sonny removed the face plate covering the a/c unit, but we
could not see the meltdown area. Dave supervised and made wisecracks about
carrying too much gear...
So can you tell me:
What would you suggest pulling first? I would like to pull the whole a/c
unit out, but am unsure of the freon/etc. problems I might
encounter?....How difficult is it to pull out? Can I determine the extent
of the damage without pulling the unit out? What am I in for here?
Or-- would you suggest biting the bullet and bringing it in for the high
dollar shop service?
And any other suggestions/advice you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance..
Sincerely,
Louise
(P.S. My belated "Busses-on-the-Blue-Ridge-to-Cape Hatteras-Trek" Trip
report is forthcoming (due to my returning from Martha's Vineyard), as I
met up with two pirates who mutinied and abandoned a sailing vessel,
...Yes, Strange, but a true story....Not to mention that the wind was
gusting to *41* knots out there.....Whooooooooooooooooweeeeeeeeee!.)
