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Today I noticed the air conditioning is only blowing regular air, and not cold air.

What should I check to find out what is causing this.

Thanks.

I had that same problem when I got the car. But about a month later I looked under the hood and voila! No A/C. I have a button for it, and it lights up when I push it, but that isn't your problem. You need a recharge. Depending on the year, if it's the new stuff you can buy a freon recharge kit at your local autoparts store. Look on your a/c condensor and see if it says "134r" I think is the stuff you get in the store. If it's the older freon, you gotta go to a shop and pay like 45-60 dollars.

Thanks for the quick reply.

It's a 93 rs, where exactly am I supposed to be looking.

(I am a total noob at this stuff, lol)

if you have a 93 you have R12. Which means you need to get your a/c system upgraded to R134a. you could do it yourself but you need to change the oilin the compressor, the fittings, the o-rings and you need to find a safe way to dispose of the R12. This job is best left to a professional because the R12 gas isnt environmentally friendly which is why the gas was changed to a more environmentally friendly R134a. The R12 isnt as readily availiable anymore and costs more then the R134a because of this, so in the long run the R134a is the better solution.

I p/u a couple cans of R12 off ebay last year for my 92 Celica. Cost around $30 USD I think... might be ok for ya if you're more interested in a short term solution. If the system won't hold that R12 recharge, then I'd be tempted to upgrade to the newer stuff...

Have a look at this thread:
http://www.mx-3.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.ph ... onditioner

Also, you don't need to go to the expense and trouble of changing to R134A anymore - there are new gases that are a direct replacement now. Go to ebay.com and do a search for "refrigerant" and you'll find a stack of results.

Yup it is r12 ( it says so on the hood, doh ).

The compressor clutch does nothing which leads me to believe it is low on pressure.

I'll see what meineke gives as an estimate, and then go from there.

the replacement gas for R12 wont fix anything. This car may have a leak which is why there isnt any R12 left. So a replacement gas wont help anything. Its more economical to upgrade. Even though you can still find gases everyone has R134a and you're guaranteed with a mechanic to do it that the system has no leaks

johnnyb wrote:the replacement gas for R12 wont fix anything. This car may have a leak which is why there isnt any R12 left. So a replacement gas wont help anything. Its more economical to upgrade. Even though you can still find gases everyone has R134a and you're guaranteed with a mechanic to do it that the system has no leaks

You mean a place like meineke won't fix the leak when they are replacing the gas?

How much does a place charge normally to upgrade and fill with r134a?

We don't know theres no R12 left yet - it could be the pressure switch, the clutch windings, or other numerous things.

I'd suggest checking the clutch for 12V first and then going from there depending what you find. If no 12V, check for pressure in the system. If theres some pressure - jump 12V to the clutch, rev to about 1500 rpm and watch the sight glass (obviously a set og gauges would help here but I'm assuming theres none available). If it looks full? work back through the pressure switch, any relays to the switch.

If it ends up being a leak, I'd fix it and top up with an R12 alternative rather than go to the expense of upgrading to R134A.

Keep in mind that with one top up of refrigerant you may get another 5 years of operation - theres always small leaks - hoses seep after time, and the compressor pulley seal is one that will always leak slightly, particularly if its not operated frequently to apply oil to the seals.

Grants wrote:We don't know theres no R12 left yet - it could be the pressure switch, the clutch windings, or other numerous things.

I'd suggest checking the clutch for 12V first and then going from there depending what you find. If no 12V, check for pressure in the system. If theres some pressure - jump 12V to the clutch, rev to about 1500 rpm and watch the sight glass (obviously a set og gauges would help here but I'm assuming theres none available). If it looks full? work back through the pressure switch, any relays to the switch.

If it ends up being a leak, I'd fix it and top up with an R12 alternative rather than go to the expense of upgrading to R134A.

Keep in mind that with one top up of refrigerant you may get another 5 years of operation - theres always small leaks - hoses seep after time, and the compressor pulley seal is one that will always leak slightly, particularly if its not operated frequently to apply oil to the seals.

How would I check for pressure in the system?

I also cannot find the sight glass.

Thanks for the help, I'll check tomorrow and update with what I find out.

I guess.....


I was suggesting a permanent fix however but hey if you wanna temporarily fix it go ahead. But be warned if you just throw some R12 in there and it leaks out then you're gonna have to fix it anyways. And seeing as its inexpensive to upgrade to the R134a system why not do that rather then do it half assed and put refigerant in there. But hey its your car I'm just here suggesting the best solution for your problem.


And yes meineke will fix the problem. They'll pressurize your system and fix any leaks they find. But you could always ask to make sure because every mechanic might not be the same.

johnnyb wrote:I guess.....


I was suggesting a permanent fix however but hey if you wanna temporarily fix it go ahead. But be warned if you just throw some R12 in there and it leaks out then you're gonna have to fix it anyways. And seeing as its inexpensive to upgrade to the R134a system why not do that rather then do it half assed and put refigerant in there. But hey its your car I'm just here suggesting the best solution for your problem.


And yes meineke will fix the problem. They'll pressurize your system and fix any leaks they find. But you could always ask to make sure because every mechanic might not be the same.

Yeah I definitely don't want to go half-assed.

If there is no pressure in the system, the first thing will be to get a quote from meineke.

Unless it is outrageous, I will just have them do it.

Most places I checked into a couple of years ago wanted around $150 US for a check up and recharge of a typical small car A/C system. Thats not including repair or parts costs.

Tunes67

know a guy that does $40 recharge