Got My A/C Fixed
07-09-2005, 04:03 PM
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Got My A/C Fixed I replaced the compressor, accumulator, and orifice tube. Got it flushed and recharged at a local shop for $140. It's not as cold as I would like, but maybe I'm spoiled by how good my truck's a/c is. It IS a black car and heats up like crazy. As bad as my greenhouse.
None of it was very hard. Simply a careful remove and replace exercise. The most difficult portion was getting the fitting back on the rear of the compressor, but eventually I got the right combination.
The orifice tube was pretty clean when I looked at it. There were only a very few aluminum chips in it. It was a bit grimey. I could have cleaned and replaced it but I already had purchased a new one for about $6.
I didn't get very much oil out of the compressor. It wasn't pumping so I could only move it around and dribble oil out. The old oil was very pretty and shiny, what with all the many thousands of little tiny aluminum chips catching the sunlight like that...
I put 2 oz. of oil in the new compressor, and an oz. in the accumulator, as I'd read on one of the many websites I'd checked. The information I got with the compressor said to use 2 oz. in each replaced portion of the system, but also said to use 3.5 oz per lb. of R134a. That would mean using only 5.25 oz. of oil in the whole system. If I put in 2, plus 1, plus 2 for the evaporator, plus 2 for the condensor, that's 7 oz... 1.75 oz (33%) too much? Will my car burst into flames now?
The book reads 1.5 lbs of coolant for the Camaro, as I understand it. The shop put in 2 lbs. I have no idea what the total oil loading for the system is currently. I can only guess that the coolant and oil is reasonably within specs. Now, I'll see how it ages.
Reader's Digest Version - It's an easy DIY project.
None of it was very hard. Simply a careful remove and replace exercise. The most difficult portion was getting the fitting back on the rear of the compressor, but eventually I got the right combination.
The orifice tube was pretty clean when I looked at it. There were only a very few aluminum chips in it. It was a bit grimey. I could have cleaned and replaced it but I already had purchased a new one for about $6.
I didn't get very much oil out of the compressor. It wasn't pumping so I could only move it around and dribble oil out. The old oil was very pretty and shiny, what with all the many thousands of little tiny aluminum chips catching the sunlight like that...
I put 2 oz. of oil in the new compressor, and an oz. in the accumulator, as I'd read on one of the many websites I'd checked. The information I got with the compressor said to use 2 oz. in each replaced portion of the system, but also said to use 3.5 oz per lb. of R134a. That would mean using only 5.25 oz. of oil in the whole system. If I put in 2, plus 1, plus 2 for the evaporator, plus 2 for the condensor, that's 7 oz... 1.75 oz (33%) too much? Will my car burst into flames now?
The book reads 1.5 lbs of coolant for the Camaro, as I understand it. The shop put in 2 lbs. I have no idea what the total oil loading for the system is currently. I can only guess that the coolant and oil is reasonably within specs. Now, I'll see how it ages.
Reader's Digest Version - It's an easy DIY project.
