FINALLY!! AN EASY A/C FIX!! (you gotta check this out!!)

[detroit313]

the last couple weeks had me roastin here with 95+ temps and shit like that!! were not ever supposed to get that hot in detroit. my A/C was shot till i bought this:

http://www.picvault.info/images/536996509_ac%20kit.jpg


murrays has them for $39.99 right now with 25% off!
this shit worked great! my A/C is blowin cold as hell now. its sooo damn easy to do.
i was getting ready to take a trip to windsor canada to have them fill me up with R-12....probobally would have ran o good $100+ for that.

has anyone else used this shit before? this is the best $30 i ever spent on my 3gee!!

[HondaBoy]

i was told not to use stuff like that by my instructor for my ac class. but if you just want a quick fix yeah thats ok. but i'd rather not put anything with sealant kinda stuff in my system. hope you have the nippon/denso compressor.

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

The issue with using these kits lies in the fact that you cannot mix R12 and R134A refrigerants, or the oils that accompany them. These kits are not safe to use on a system that has not been prepped for a conversion (ie new drier, o-rings, completely evacuated under vacuum). So your A/C may be blowing cold right now, but in the long run it may be best for you to remove all the refrigerant and oil from the system, change the drier, the o-rings, vacuum it and then fill up with the cheaper R134 (for which you now have the hose and gauge). Mixing R134A with R12 will cause damage! Hope this is useful.

[detroit313]

well shit,for a $200 car i think is just fine..............
were not talking 2006 Cadillac XLR-V here guys.......
if something "weird happens" i just cut the fukkin belf off..... no sweat!
why pay for a REAL conversion?(in a perfect world it would be great!) and to carge R-12 into the system is out of the question its so expensive!
ill keep you posted on how long this B.S. lasts....hopefully the whole summer.
it would be worth $30 to have A/C for one summer....shit,ill re-charge it again NEXT summer if thats the case.

and yeah,i do have one of those nippon/denso compressors,whats the difference between them anyways?

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

well shit,for a $200 car i think is just fine..............
were not talking 2006 Cadillac XLR-V here guys.......
if something "weird happens" i just cut the fukkin belf off..... no sweat!
why pay for a REAL conversion?(in a perfect world it would be great!) and to carge R-12 into the system is out of the question its so expensive!
ill keep you posted on how long this B.S. lasts....hopefully the whole summer.
it would be worth $30 to have A/C for one summer....shit,ill re-charge it again NEXT summer if thats the case.
and yeah,i do have one of those nippon/denso compressors,whats the difference between them anyways?

Ultimately it is up to you to decide how much money and effort you want to put into the car. I only explained the dangers of what you did (without prior knowledge of the condition of your vehicle). The Denso compressor is compatible with R134 refrigerant. The Keihin compressors are not because they use a Viton shaft seal which fails when R134 is used. Good luck with your A/C! Keep us posted :)

[kennyaccordlxi]

Ultimately it is up to you to decide how much money and effort you want to put into the car. I only explained the dangers of what you did (without prior knowledge of the condition of your vehicle). The Denso compressor is compatible with R134 refrigerant. The Keihin compressors are not because they use a Viton shaft seal which fails when R134 is used. Good luck with your A/C! Keep us posted :)


thanks for the info 89AccordLX

[lostforawhile]

the only reason i would buy one of those kits is to prep for a conversion,it has some of the stuff you need. you have to flush your system before adding oils for 134a,the two oils will gum up leaving your compressor with no lubrication and toast. does anyone know if they are putting the different shaft seals in rebuilds now? also what year accords had the denso compressor? I assume that compressor and mounting brackets should bolt up to the block. got to fix mine.

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

the only reason i would buy one of those kits is to prep for a conversion,it has some of the stuff you need. you have to flush your system before adding oils for 134a,the two oils will gum up leaving your compressor with no lubrication and toast. does anyone know if they are putting the different shaft seals in rebuilds now? also what year accords had the denso compressor? I assume that compressor and mounting brackets should bolt up to the block. got to fix mine.

I've checked catalogues at my work (PepBoys), and usually rebuilt compressors specify either R12 or both R12 and R134. I suppose it depends on where the compressor was rebuilt. Some may have compatible seals installed in the process. The Denso compressor wasn't really year-specific as far as I know. The brackets are different for the compressors, but all bolt up the same. If you are switching, you'll need to get the appropriate bracket as well. Check the FAQ/How-To for more info. I remember seeing a thread there about identifying and switching compressors. HTH :)

[detroit313]

says nothing in the EZ CHILL literature about evacuating the old stuff out! this is supposed to "mesh with the existing coolant/oil and is safe for all systems r-12 or r134" so they say................
i havent heard any negative reviews on the web about the stuff.
ive been blasting it non stop the past day and its not leaking or anything weird. its staying waaay cold inside the car too....
ill tell you what,you can really tell at low speeds when you click the A/C on....power drain!!
i havent had a belt on the compressor the whole time i had the car(well over a year) it was squeaking and making weird noises a bit at first but that all completely stopped...............reallynice now!

[snoopyloopy]

i got one of those same kits (or one just like it) but didn't want to screw up my system. so i haven't put it in yet because i haven't had it evacuated. and the one i had came with an instructional cd with a little tutorial video as well as a little book and both of them say to evacuate your system first.

[lostforawhile]

says nothing in the EZ CHILL literature about evacuating the old stuff out! this is supposed to "mesh with the existing coolant/oil and is safe for all systems r-12 or r134" so they say................
i havent heard any negative reviews on the web about the stuff.
ive been blasting it non stop the past day and its not leaking or anything weird. its staying waaay cold inside the car too....
ill tell you what,you can really tell at low speeds when you click the A/C on....power drain!!
i havent had a belt on the compressor the whole time i had the car(well over a year) it was squeaking and making weird noises a bit at first but that all completely stopped...............reallynice now! there is no such thing as an oil that is truely compatible with both the oil from r12 systems and 134 systems. the premise with these kits is that people use them in older cars and they don't expect to keep the car that long. your compressor will eventually go out,it's just a matter of time. they also sold that refrigerant that was supposed to be compatible with r12 for refilling,the problem was it had propane in it and a lot of peoples systems exploded. also with that if you ignite r12 you get Phosgene gas,which is a deadly poison. so just because they say a quick fix is correct don't believe it. if you want to convert you need to drain as much oil as possible from your compressor,flush your system,replace your reciever dryer,and replace all the o rings in the system,they will fail too because they aren't compatible with 134a ,just like the shaft seal in the Keihin compressor.

[ghettogeddy]

or just spend the 100 dollers and get r12 put back in then u dont have to convert or evacuate or any thing just turn up the ac

[Vanilla Sky]

in this area, shops want more than $100 for a charge of R12...

[detroit313]

yeah man,shops want way more that $100 to recharge r-12,thats if you can find one that does it!
and in canada (windsor ON. just over the bridge) they wanted around $200. plus the currency exchage is shit now
( its 9% now, back in the day it was around 55%)
but so far so good on the A/C with this cheap ass kit.....ill be the guinea pig i guess.
if ths shit was so damn horrible/detremental to the system why havent i heard of any reviews saying so? if its gonna fuck up your system who the hell would buy it anyways? (besides me)
it seems to be great so far....although it has only been like 3 days!!
ill keep you guys posted if my compressor blows up or i get WWI phosgene anti personnel gas poisining or something...............

[ghettogeddy]

down here it was 135 to refill mine(quote givin like 2 weeks ago) i havent done it yet but i will next mounth

[Vanilla Sky]

detroit, you just haven't googled it. bad reviews are ALL OVER the internet.

[nswst8]

Look guys, I did the shadetree retro fit to R134a back in 1997 with no flush, no new receiver/filter-drier or O-rings and after the retro fit the system didn't need any more
R134a than it did with the R12. Still all original parts and O-rings as when I bought it in 1992. And its the Keihin compressor.
And its just now that I'm redoing the system only because the clutch is beginning to fail and since its easier to change the clutch with the compressor off than it is with on guess what, I'm going to pull it off. So at this point I'll do all the O-rings and convert to the new parallel flow condenser design.
Most of the time its the fool who did it wrong to begin with who complains that it doesn't work or isn't as good. Well guess what your all going to be converting again since they are doing away with R134a in the near future.

[ghettogeddy]

so are u saying u used one of these kits and it worked or u had someoenelse do it

[lostforawhile]

OK I will say as a class three certified ac technician with an automotive addition on my licience. these kits will not work for a long period of time,first of all,if there is r12 in the system already,it can't be mixed with 134a, period,end of discussion. the system must be evacuated first, the system must always be flushed to remove all contaminents and oils from it, also if you are replacing a compressor,and the old one has failed,there is amost certainly debris in the system. would you replace a blown engine and reuse the old oil? the o rings in the system are not designed for 134 a.they will deteriorate over time. the oils from 134 and r12 do not mix they get along as well as a gansta rapper at a bluegrass concert,it just don't work!! the reciever drier must always be replaced if the system has leaked down to zero or has been opened. it contains a dessicant material that absorbs moisture,it's been exposed to all the moisture in the atmosphere for a long time,it's used up. the system must be evacuated to zero vaccume before new refrigerant is added,not only does this tell you if you have leaks,it also removes moisture from the system, which must always be done before recharging a system completly, no matter what refrigerant you use. the systems are designed for people who don't want to do the conversion right. pure and simple. they are cheap and you get what you pay for.

[ghettogeddy]

but if i went and paid the money for r12 will it be as cold as converting to r134 the right way of course


and i did a little search and this is what i came up with




The facts about a/c refrigerant

How did we ever get along with out air conditioning in our cars? It's a feature we take for granted until, suddenly, it's blowing hot air.

Many owners have discovered that to fix an inoperative air conditioner can cost a few hundred dollars or more, depending upon the make and model of vehicle. The reason is that the old standby R-12 refrigerant, trade named DuPont Freon, is being replaced by environmentally safer R-134a. A '93 or older vehicle came equipped with R-12; since then

R-134a is standard. If your vehicle is leaking refrigerant you're damaging the ozone layer.

If your older vehicle needs major repairs to the air conditioning system you can expect to replace refrigerant and the oil in the compressor in addition to the old components. You also may need to install a retrofit conversion.

Do not allow anyone to mix refrigerants. They're not inter-changeable. You cannot add R-134a to your older air conditioner without first flushing the system. Further, according to the Car Care Council, some substitutes are volatile mixtures of propane, butane and flammable hydrocarbons.

An annual inspection of the vehicle, including the air conditioning system, may help forestall costly repair.

[nswst8]

Hello, hello McFly.

With all due respect to your class a certificate.

Of course you have to pull a vacuum. That is where most fools begin to think a retro fit is easy. I have a 4cfm Robin air pump.
But hello, I did not, I repeat "I DID NOT REPLACE THE O-RINGS, I DID NOT REPLACE THE RECEIVER/FILTER-DRIER, and I DID NOT FLUSH THE SYSTEM."
I put the adapters on and pulled a vacuum for an hour and added R134a (80%) and a couple ounces of pag or ester can't remember which. And I am still blowing cold air today. Now yes our current set ups are not geared for R134a which is why I only get 40 degrees on a 85 degree day and 50 degrees on a 90+ degree day but for the price difference I can live with the results of R134a.
Now I will say yes to the flush, I cannot explain why my system did not gum up when I added the new oil which is usually what happens when you mix the oils. Maybe the R12 mineral oil was low to begin with.
If you pull a deep vacuum and your system was not completely open for an extended period of time saturating the drier, then it will work.
I didn't use the aluminum fittings I went to pep boys and bought the brass ones.

[lostforawhile]

Hello, hello McFly.
With all due respect to your class a certificate.
Of course you have to pull a vacuum. That is where most fools begin to think a retro fit is easy. I have a 4cfm Robin air pump.
But hello, I did not, I repeat "I DID NOT REPLACE THE O-RINGS, I DID NOT REPLACE THE RECEIVER/FILTER-DRIER, and I DID NOT FLUSH THE SYSTEM."
I put the adapters on and pulled a vacuum for an hour and added R134a (80%) and a couple ounces of pag or ester can't remember which. And I am still blowing cold air today. Now yes our current set ups are not geared for R134a which is why I only get 40 degrees on a 85 degree day and 50 degrees on a 90+ degree day but for the price difference I can live with the results of R134a.
Now I will say yes to the flush, I cannot explain why my system did not gum up when I added the new oil which is usually what happens when you mix the oils. Maybe the R12 mineral oil was low to begin with.
If you pull a deep vacuum and your system was not completely open for an extended period of time saturating the drier, then it will work.
I didn't use the aluminum fittings I went to pep boys and bought the brass ones.you appeared to do it right pretty much,a lot of people buy these kits and try putting the r134a right in with the freon,or try adding refrigerant without pulling the system down. what the post before was talking about was the "refrigerant" that is supposed to be compatible with both,it's really usually propane or something like it. those were the ones that were making peoples systems explode.

[nswst8]

Yeah, most of these nuts don't appear to be able to read. This topic has been discussed here more than a few times before.

I sure wish you were here when I was going through my A/C headaches.

But to the rest of the guys out there that want to try this easy fix kit, understand that you get what you pay for and as I was prepared to fully replace the entire system if the retro fit kit gummed up my system you must be aware of that possibilty yourself.

Again, I am not entirely sure why the R134a oil did not gum up like peanut butter when it came in contact with the R12 mineral oil. So don't throw the dice and hope for the best as I did. You might not get the same results as I did.

At least flush the system, and pull a vacuum and partsamerica.com have receiver/filter-driers for 19.99 and you can rent a pump from autozone to increase your chances of success.

Most of the time A/C can be intimedating to most, just take your time.

[2oodoor]

OK I will say as a class three certified ac technician with an automotive addition on my licience. these kits will not work for a long period of time,first of all,if there is r12 in the system already,it can't be mixed with 134a, period,end of discussion. the system must be evacuated first, the system must always be flushed to remove all contaminents and oils from it, also if you are replacing a compressor,and the old one has failed,there is amost certainly debris in the system. would you replace a blown engine and reuse the old oil? the o rings in the system are not designed for 134 a.they will deteriorate over time. the oils from 134 and r12 do not mix they get along as well as a gansta rapper at a bluegrass concert,it just don't work!! the reciever drier must always be replaced if the system has leaked down to zero or has been opened. it contains a dessicant material that absorbs moisture,it's been exposed to all the moisture in the atmosphere for a long time,it's used up. the system must be evacuated to zero vaccume before new refrigerant is added,not only does this tell you if you have leaks,it also removes moisture from the system, which must always be done before recharging a system completly, no matter what refrigerant you use. the systems are designed for people who don't want to do the conversion right. pure and simple. they are cheap and you get what you pay for.
THERE IS A MAN IN MOULTRIE GA, who knows his shit about HVAC. Nobody knows AC work better than a South Georgia HVAC Tech folks. I guarrrrann teee.
Roo

[lostforawhile]

THERE IS A MAN IN MOULTRIE GA, who knows his shit about HVAC. Nobody knows AC work better than a South Georgia HVAC Tech folks. I guarrrrann teee.
RooI just want to save people some time and money on kits that may or may not work,also some of those cans of refrigerant that were supposed to be compatible with r12 and 134a are still floating around,they were supposed to be recalled. they usually contain propane and can cause a major explosion in your car,people have been killed by exploding ac systems from these. it's no joke.

[nswst8]

Maybe a sticky concerning the proper servicing procedures of our systems is in order.

I didn't know of the propane dilemma with that knowledge, I would tend to agree with you on these kits then.

I also agree to the straight R134a and no snake oil mixtures. But with that, what is the ratio of R134 to oil and what pag is better for our systems I understand that there are a couple of different ones.

And maybe you can explain the proper adding of R134a according to ambient and evap temps on a 75 degree day verses a 80 degree day with moderate to high humidity.

Do we add vapor only, shake or turn the can upside down for direct liquid.

Taking pressure measurements.

And so on,

[Cant Stop]

i believe nswst summed it up by stating he did the kit in 1997 without having it evacuated so it lasted 9 years i would say that is good.
r12 is a minimum of 90 dollars a pound if not more.
if you want to do the kit "right" then do the retrofit take it to a shop and have it flushed and cleaned then use your can of refrigerant otherwis pop it in and dont worry about blowing it up since it was dead already.
plus most of us who buy these kits would pay a mechanic if we could .
plus if your system is dead and needs a recharge you wont be mixing coolants as the r12 will have leaked out all the way by then , and if you did not make the kit you cant say how compatible the oil is with r12 oil.

[lostforawhile]

when they first started phasing out r12,there were a number of companies that were making supposedly compatible replacment refrigerant,that worked for r12 or 134a,the problems with these is they were propane or butane based,they would actually work for a decent refrigerant,but the problem is of course,they are highly explosive. what was happening is in most cases where the system was out of refrigerant, it was leaking. so you fill your ac system with propane,drive down the road a ways, and that propane was leaking out under the hood and collecting,or under the dash. one little spark and BOOM!! of course when it blew up it flashed back through the ac system blowing the lines,condensor,and evaporator apart. also if there was any r12 in the system it ignited of course turning into phosgene gas,so your car is burning,you are trying to get out,and you are being gassed. phosgene gas is a very effective insecticide it also used to be used in chemical warefare . all that stuff was supposed to be pulled off the shelf,but theres a lot of it still out there.

[lostforawhile]

Maybe a sticky concerning the proper servicing procedures of our systems is in order.
I didn't know of the propane dilemma with that knowledge, I would tend to agree with you on these kits then.
I also agree to the straight R134a and no snake oil mixtures. But with that, what is the ratio of R134 to oil and what pag is better for our systems I understand that there are a couple of different ones.
And maybe you can explain the proper adding of R134a according to ambient and evap temps on a 75 degree day verses a 80 degree day with moderate to high humidity.
Do we add vapor only, shake or turn the can upside down for direct liquid.
Taking pressure measurements.
And so on,
i'll have to do the calculations later,way too tired right now,anybody in the meantime? as far as recharging,it needs to be done with the engine running,you always want to use a vapor,you never want to turn the can upside down for liquid,liquid refrigerant can lock up your compressor and ruin it. never shake it eithier,you might get some liquid going down the line. the compressor is designed to accept a certain amount of liquid at a time,if you overload it it can lock up. if you want to make the refrigerant flow faster put the can in a pot of lukewarm water.