Date:         Mon, 10 Aug 1998 11:17:09 PDT
Reply-To:     "Cort, Joel" <Joel.Cort@USA.XEROX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Cort, Joel" <Joel.Cort@USA.XEROX.COM>
Subject:      Warning about A/C Hoses wearing out
Comments: To: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
Content-type: text/plain

Fellow listees with A/C - others can only sweat.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon tearing apart the Westy cabinets and
molding to remove the low pressure hose for the A/C. The hose comes from the
evaporator in the ceiling to the compressor in the engine compartment.  The
low pressure is the fat one - about 7/8 inch diameter.   I discovered lots
of innovative VW engineering ;-) and the famed 50 amp fuse behind the rear
cabinet.

Most of all and this is to help fellow listees with potential A/C issues,  I
discovered why the low pressure hose blew up!  The hose was resting and
rubbing in the engine compartment on the lower left side, before the hose
curves up to the cabinets.  The wear had rubbed through the thicker
insulation layer and through the hose.  Kind of like a worn out tire on a
bald spot.

Lesson Learned:
Next time you poke around in the engine, check to see if the A/C hose(s)
have enough clearance and aren't rubbing and wearing out  against the engine
compartment before they angle up into the interior.

BTW VWoA want $346.50 for this hose and my local A/C shop says he can make
it for about $50 - which should I choose?


Hope this help alleviate future torture $$ and sweat.


Joel
89 Westy Syncro - hot hot