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Old Jun 9, 2009 | 07:06 PM
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Arrow need help with ac!

well i finally put all the ac components back into the car.

when i went to fill it up with refrigerant the compressor wouldnt ever cut on, and when i jump the sensor with a wire to force the compressor on the engine would just bog down and die. is the compressor clutch just burnt up or what?

also, since the ac parts have been out of the car exposed to moisture can i just hook a vaccum kit up to it to fix the moisture problem?

and since the drier has end exposed to moistor isnt it best to just replace it?


sorry for all the questions just dont know too much about ac systems and really need this fixed.

Thanks!

oh and btw, all the ac is from a 93 lt1
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Old Jun 9, 2009 | 10:36 PM
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sounds like the compressor is bad, i would go ahead and replace the drier too and orifice tube. Putting it under a vacuum should rid of all the moisture. If you do this dont forget to add refigerant oil.
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Old Jun 10, 2009 | 08:21 AM
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thanks for the info, and wheres a good place to get the orifice tube? cant seem to find any

and where would i need to add oil after i vacuum the system?
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Old Jun 10, 2009 | 08:39 AM
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As for the orifice tube, I am pretty sure RockAuto has them and the retail parts palaces should carry them also. Or at the very least the dealership, still should'nt be that expensive(about 20 Bucks or so).

For the oil, you fill the compressor with the specified ammount unless the compressor comes prefilled with oil. You need to do this before you throw a Vac. on the system.
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Old Jun 10, 2009 | 08:44 AM
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i just did some searching and someone said that the 93 camaros have a thermal expansion valve instead of a orifice tube? is this right?

so i just fill the compressor with oil, assemble everything, then vaccum, then add refrigerant?
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Old Jun 10, 2009 | 06:14 PM
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It does have a thermal expansion valve, should be located at the ac box on the firewall where the lines go to the evap. core. The compresser takes 3 oz and if you are replacing the accumulator, it takes 3.5 oz
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Old Jun 10, 2009 | 09:52 PM
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alright, yea ill be replacing the accumulator so i'll need 3.5 oz.

do i even need to replace the expansion valve?
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Old Jun 11, 2009 | 08:56 PM
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i would just to be safe better to replace it now than later.
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Old Jun 11, 2009 | 09:27 PM
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btw you'll need 3.5 oz in the accumulator and 3 oz in the compressor if you replace it. unless a new one comes pre filled with oil
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Old Jul 6, 2009 | 12:08 PM
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alright, well im finally got my vacuum pump and getting everything i need to do this

so ill need 6.5 ounces of pag oil for the new compressor and accumulator. do i need to add any extra for the condensor and evaporator? cause would they need more oil since they've been sitting out in my shop for like a year?

and doesnt advanced auto rent out ac manifold gauge sets? i really dont wanna have to go buy a set.
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Old Jul 6, 2009 | 12:44 PM
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i'm pretty new to this website, but i would appreciate if someone can help me out with a little problem...
i own a 02 Camaro SS with 75k on the clock, just recently yesterday, i notice that my drier and the line leading to the orfice tube ices up, and the compressor isn't cutting off...plus the compressor started making noises, i know thats a cause for concern...
are my pressure switches faulty or do i just need to r&r the compressor and the remaining components...
i don't want to tear the system up and spend alot of $$$ and that not being the problem...
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Old Jul 7, 2009 | 12:18 PM
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^^ sorry, idk wat to tell ya to fix it.

but i borrowed a friends set a manifold gauges, and the quick disconnects fit on my ac but it has r12 in the middle of the gauges? are the pressure readings the same?

just wanna make sure its fine to use it
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Old Jul 7, 2009 | 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by joshprescotttttt5
but i borrowed a friends set a manifold gauges, and the quick disconnects fit on my ac but it has r12 in the middle of the gauges? are the pressure readings the same?

just wanna make sure its fine to use it
No, it's not. R-12 and R-134a are different refrigerants, and have different pressure/temperature relationships. You need gauges marked with the correct scale for 134a.

Also, just pulling a vacuum on your system isn't really sufficient. You need to pull a VERY deep vacuum (greater than 29.5") and hold it for several hours to allow all the water to boil off. Then, to break the vacuum, use a bit of 134a, then pull a vacuum again (again, at least 29.5") hold for about 30 mins. When you break vacuum again, proceed to the normal charge.

If you can't hold the vacuum, then you need to find and fix the leaks before proceeding any farther, or you're just wasting your time.
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Old Jul 7, 2009 | 04:47 PM
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yea i know that their different, i just didnt know if they were measured differently or not. but thanks for clearing that up for me.

yea im goin to pull a good vacuum and hold it for a couple hours. then see if its holding it to check for leaks.

thanks man
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Old Aug 6, 2009 | 02:36 PM
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well i never could get my ac to work.

its having the same problems that were going on b4 i fixed anything.

after vacuum and adding oil, i start to add ref. and it reaches 30psi on the gauge and the compressor still wont come on. then i even jump the sensor to force the compressor on and the engine just dies. it didnt even take a half of a can of ref. to get to 30psi on the low side . just like b4


i guess it wouldnt have anything to do with the electrical from goin from a v6 to lt1?
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Old Aug 6, 2009 | 10:55 PM
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A locked compressor won't kill the engine, but it will make a really quick mess of the belt.

Disconnect the electrical plug from the compressor, and hook a multi-meter to it set to read 12 VDC. Turn the A/C on with the car running and see what it reads.

Incidentally, you don't jump any sensors to force the A/C on. You run a couple of jumper wires from the compressor clutch to the battery.
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Old Jul 14, 2010 | 11:22 PM
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when my compressor went bad it would kill the engine if i was going less than 25mph. pretty scary the first time it happened in traffic
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