air conditioning question
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Columbia SC
air conditioning question
Last year in my son’s 91 Vet we replaced the radiator and condenser therefore we lost the refrigerant for the air. He took it to the shop to have it charged because compressor would not engage and take any refrigerant. They said a switch or fan switch was not working. Can you tell me what switch they are talking about? They also said that it would cost $600 because this switch was very hard to get to and somewhere around the radiator?
Can anyone help me with what switch this is and where it is located so I might do this for him over the coming weekend?
Thanks for your help. Any other information and helps on charging this system would be appreciated.
Can anyone help me with what switch this is and where it is located so I might do this for him over the coming weekend?
Thanks for your help. Any other information and helps on charging this system would be appreciated.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 7
From: Houston Texas
First of all you have to evacuate the system since it has been opened.
You need a vacuum pump (and AC gauges) to suck down the vacuum then depending on how long it has been open I'd replace the accumulator/dryer. Anytime an AC system has been open to air very long the desiccant in the dryer is ruined.
The switch you are talking about might be the low pressure cut-out switch near the evaporator that keeps the compressor from coming on (and burning up) when there is low or no freon level. If the refrigerant escaped rapidly from the system you'll for sure have to add oil to the system (especially if you replace the dryer).
I'd pick up a good auto AC manual from any auto parts store and start reading up.
Here is a great auto ac forum:
http://www.autoacforum.com/categories.cfm?catid=2
They are very helpful over there.
Good luck on your project.
You need a vacuum pump (and AC gauges) to suck down the vacuum then depending on how long it has been open I'd replace the accumulator/dryer. Anytime an AC system has been open to air very long the desiccant in the dryer is ruined.
The switch you are talking about might be the low pressure cut-out switch near the evaporator that keeps the compressor from coming on (and burning up) when there is low or no freon level. If the refrigerant escaped rapidly from the system you'll for sure have to add oil to the system (especially if you replace the dryer).
I'd pick up a good auto AC manual from any auto parts store and start reading up.
Here is a great auto ac forum:
http://www.autoacforum.com/categories.cfm?catid=2
They are very helpful over there.
Good luck on your project.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
.....if the switch (low pressure (LP)...) were bad, it is only a mere thing to unscrew the LP switch and replace it with another (+/-$10). you should not loose the charge because there is a shrader valve under it holding the charge in....as far as the fan switch(s) goes, that has nothing to do with the amount of refrigerant or leaks in the system. it is part of the heat exchanger system that forces/draws air for cooling (radiator/condenser).....i am unaware as to the accessibility of the fan switches but, should be mounted on/near the fan shroud and not "hidden".....
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 163
From: Davis CA
The most important thing that you learned is to go elsewhere or do it yourself.
What the heck is wrong with people in this line of business? Here they are trying to steal from you and in the last month two different shops have tried to rip off my son and his girlfriend. One wanted $200 to repair a problem caused by a pin being 1/2 way out of a hinge (2 minutes, $0 dollars to fix). The other wanted $700 to make repairs to fix a rattle that was caused by loose caliper bolts (<10 minutes, $0 dollars).
What the heck is wrong with people in this line of business? Here they are trying to steal from you and in the last month two different shops have tried to rip off my son and his girlfriend. One wanted $200 to repair a problem caused by a pin being 1/2 way out of a hinge (2 minutes, $0 dollars to fix). The other wanted $700 to make repairs to fix a rattle that was caused by loose caliper bolts (<10 minutes, $0 dollars).
