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Re: well i`ll tell you what i would do.... Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:24:12
In Reply to: Re: well i`ll tell you what i would do...., george chiassion, Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:42:06 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Like whitesaab said, you can't legally buy R12 in the US anymore unless you're EPA certified, so just refilling it really isn't an option. Keep in mind that assuming you can find the leak yourself, you'll need to refill it with R12 which will require a shop's intervention since you can't buy it. My advice is have a shop handle the whole dang thing - it would suck to take a DIY'ed AC system to a shop for a refill just to find out you didn't fix the leak and waste a bunch of time and money on expensive R12. Letting a shop do everything ensures it's done right the first time, with minimal hassle to you.
Alternatively, do a search on the board for ES12a or enviro-safe you'll find a bunch of posts about a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant which is compatible with R12 so, in theory, you can just add some in to get the AC working again. You can add dye to help spot leaks; once they're found, fix it and add more. The key thing to remember about these types of refrigerants is that a) they are illegal in some states, b) they're a grey area in most states, and c) they will contaminate what's left of your R12 fill, and few if any shops will work on a contaminated system. And, of course, since they are hydrocarbon based there is a certain risk of fire or explosion or other terrible happenings, although what those risks actually might be are a subject of some debate. I'll let you read and draw your own conclusions.
The final option is a full retrofit to R134, which can be done by a shop or you can do it yourself. Doing so requires a bunch of parts for the car, and tools to get the job done - there is certainly some argument that it's best left to a shop. I opted to DIY, and bought a set of manifold gauges, some o-rings, a R134 valve retrofit kit, and an electric vacuum pump off ebay (~$200ish total) and retrofitted my AC with legal R134. Do a search on the board for R134 and you'll find a bunch of posts about the conversion. Honestly, I think it's the best approach simply because it's the standard. It ain't cheap to get started, but in the long run it's the more cost-effective solution IMHO.
FWIW, *usually* the leak is in the big manifold hose that comes directly off the compressor. New ones are about $100. Could also be a valve stem on the compressor or an o-ring elsewhere in the system.
posted by 75.45.108...
, Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:45:38, Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:24:12 <-- Viewing This Message, Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:14:04, Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:29:17
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