Fingers crossed...A/C is fixed.....
07-02-2011, 05:22 PM
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Fingers crossed...A/C is fixed.....
Short answer is it was freezing up. Long answer is as follows:
It's always good to go back to what has been done to the vehicle to see if a problem has been introduced.
If everyone remembers after long use of A/C on high (30 minutes or more) air flow out the vents would suffer drastically, and eventually stop all together. The problem was intermittant; length, frequency, and duration of trip played a major factor in problem exibiting itself, although I could always get it to exibit after 30 minutes of driving. Shut the A/C off for 5 minutes, and airflow would improve to almost normal, but fade and stop again after 15 minutes of operation. I was mistakenly chasing fan operation as the potential problem. Replaced the fan motor, and fan power control module with no results. While checking the A/C programmer operation, I found the problem. After getting the problem to occur, I pulled into the garage to check voltage readings on the power control module to try and diagnos A/C programmer. I noticed the low pressure line was very frosted big white build up on the hose. By the time I hooked up my volt meter airflow was good out the vents, basically all electrical was working fine. So went and did it again, and sure enough system was freezing up. As soon as the frost started melting off of the line, the airflow out the vents would return to normal. The fan was working, but was trying to blow through a block of ice. So what caused it? I was talked into putting HC12A in as a refrigerent, when I filled the sytem after the low pressure switch had a leak. Well, HC12A operates at a lower pressure, I thought this would be a good thing lower pressure on the compressor, etc. Fast forward to today, I charged the system with R-12, and Shazam......problem fixed.
So it was introduced by adding a so called direct drop in replacement for R-12. Be careful. Good news, is that today with temperatures reaching 105 degrees, the system performed very well, and kept me very comfortable, and it operated as normal for over 1 hour of driving. Anyway just wanted to pass on this info.
I'm 100% sure this problem is fixed.
It's always good to go back to what has been done to the vehicle to see if a problem has been introduced.
If everyone remembers after long use of A/C on high (30 minutes or more) air flow out the vents would suffer drastically, and eventually stop all together. The problem was intermittant; length, frequency, and duration of trip played a major factor in problem exibiting itself, although I could always get it to exibit after 30 minutes of driving. Shut the A/C off for 5 minutes, and airflow would improve to almost normal, but fade and stop again after 15 minutes of operation. I was mistakenly chasing fan operation as the potential problem. Replaced the fan motor, and fan power control module with no results. While checking the A/C programmer operation, I found the problem. After getting the problem to occur, I pulled into the garage to check voltage readings on the power control module to try and diagnos A/C programmer. I noticed the low pressure line was very frosted big white build up on the hose. By the time I hooked up my volt meter airflow was good out the vents, basically all electrical was working fine. So went and did it again, and sure enough system was freezing up. As soon as the frost started melting off of the line, the airflow out the vents would return to normal. The fan was working, but was trying to blow through a block of ice. So what caused it? I was talked into putting HC12A in as a refrigerent, when I filled the sytem after the low pressure switch had a leak. Well, HC12A operates at a lower pressure, I thought this would be a good thing lower pressure on the compressor, etc. Fast forward to today, I charged the system with R-12, and Shazam......problem fixed.
So it was introduced by adding a so called direct drop in replacement for R-12. Be careful. Good news, is that today with temperatures reaching 105 degrees, the system performed very well, and kept me very comfortable, and it operated as normal for over 1 hour of driving. Anyway just wanted to pass on this info.
I'm 100% sure this problem is fixed.
Last edited by WydGlydJim; 07-02-2011 at 05:25 PM.
07-02-2011, 09:36 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Glad you got it fixed. If it was 105 outside and I tried to drive my Z I'm afraid it would go into shock and probably melt. It's never had the air conditioning on, never driven it when hotter than 85 degrees. That's the way it is with waxers.
07-02-2011, 09:42 PM
#3
Safety Car
It's nice when a plan comes together..and its' up and running. I'm going to take my Z down to Sacramento next Wed (for the first time) when the forcast is calling for 105 degree weather. I'm hoping my A/C holds up as well as yours is now. 
07-08-2011, 05:43 PM
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...blow through a block of ice. So what caused it? I was talked into putting HC12A in as a refrigerent, when I filled the sytem after the low pressure switch had a leak. Well, HC12A operates at a lower pressure, I thought this would be a good thing lower pressure on the compressor, etc. Fast forward to today, I charged the system with R-12, and Shazam......problem fixed.
Ben
07-11-2011, 01:06 PM
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I haven't been around much lately, but sure wish I had read about your problems earlier. I had the exact same problem on mid 90's Volvo, and switching back to R-12 was the magic fix. I chased down every single thing that you did and arrived at the exact same solution. You'll never have the problem again as long as you run R-12!
Ben
Ben
>
>
>
07-11-2011, 01:12 PM
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I haven't been around much lately, but sure wish I had read about your problems earlier. I had the exact same problem on mid 90's Volvo, and switching back to R-12 was the magic fix. I chased down every single thing that you did and arrived at the exact same solution. You'll never have the problem again as long as you run R-12!
Ben
Ben
>
>
>
07-11-2011, 03:51 PM
#7
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Wish I had read this last week, maybe we could have gotten together for lunch or coffee wile you were here. How did the trip go?
07-11-2011, 10:48 PM
#8
Safety Car
The car ran perfect and even managed an honest overall 25 mph/ gal run. It is to bad that you saw the post to late. It would have been a pleasure. I had a chance to hook up with ''tccrabs'' while there. As a matter of fact there are several pictures of our cars from the meet over at the ''Regisrty". Here's the link.
http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15111
Maybe next time the 3 of us can get together.
Last edited by ittlfly; 07-12-2011 at 02:45 PM.
07-14-2011, 04:56 PM
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Burning Brakes
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Short answer is it was freezing up. Long answer is as follows:
It's always good to go back to what has been done to the vehicle to see if a problem has been introduced.
If everyone remembers after long use of A/C on high (30 minutes or more) air flow out the vents would suffer drastically, and eventually stop all together. The problem was intermittant; length, frequency, and duration of trip played a major factor in problem exibiting itself, although I could always get it to exibit after 30 minutes of driving. Shut the A/C off for 5 minutes, and airflow would improve to almost normal, but fade and stop again after 15 minutes of operation. I was mistakenly chasing fan operation as the potential problem. Replaced the fan motor, and fan power control module with no results. While checking the A/C programmer operation, I found the problem. After getting the problem to occur, I pulled into the garage to check voltage readings on the power control module to try and diagnos A/C programmer. I noticed the low pressure line was very frosted big white build up on the hose. By the time I hooked up my volt meter airflow was good out the vents, basically all electrical was working fine. So went and did it again, and sure enough system was freezing up. As soon as the frost started melting off of the line, the airflow out the vents would return to normal. The fan was working, but was trying to blow through a block of ice. So what caused it? I was talked into putting HC12A in as a refrigerent, when I filled the sytem after the low pressure switch had a leak. Well, HC12A operates at a lower pressure, I thought this would be a good thing lower pressure on the compressor, etc. Fast forward to today, I charged the system with R-12, and Shazam......problem fixed.
So it was introduced by adding a so called direct drop in replacement for R-12. Be careful. Good news, is that today with temperatures reaching 105 degrees, the system performed very well, and kept me very comfortable, and it operated as normal for over 1 hour of driving. Anyway just wanted to pass on this info.
I'm 100% sure this problem is fixed.
It's always good to go back to what has been done to the vehicle to see if a problem has been introduced.
If everyone remembers after long use of A/C on high (30 minutes or more) air flow out the vents would suffer drastically, and eventually stop all together. The problem was intermittant; length, frequency, and duration of trip played a major factor in problem exibiting itself, although I could always get it to exibit after 30 minutes of driving. Shut the A/C off for 5 minutes, and airflow would improve to almost normal, but fade and stop again after 15 minutes of operation. I was mistakenly chasing fan operation as the potential problem. Replaced the fan motor, and fan power control module with no results. While checking the A/C programmer operation, I found the problem. After getting the problem to occur, I pulled into the garage to check voltage readings on the power control module to try and diagnos A/C programmer. I noticed the low pressure line was very frosted big white build up on the hose. By the time I hooked up my volt meter airflow was good out the vents, basically all electrical was working fine. So went and did it again, and sure enough system was freezing up. As soon as the frost started melting off of the line, the airflow out the vents would return to normal. The fan was working, but was trying to blow through a block of ice. So what caused it? I was talked into putting HC12A in as a refrigerent, when I filled the sytem after the low pressure switch had a leak. Well, HC12A operates at a lower pressure, I thought this would be a good thing lower pressure on the compressor, etc. Fast forward to today, I charged the system with R-12, and Shazam......problem fixed.
So it was introduced by adding a so called direct drop in replacement for R-12. Be careful. Good news, is that today with temperatures reaching 105 degrees, the system performed very well, and kept me very comfortable, and it operated as normal for over 1 hour of driving. Anyway just wanted to pass on this info.
I'm 100% sure this problem is fixed.
07-14-2011, 10:47 PM
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07-18-2011, 02:25 AM
#11
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C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I've got a 30lb tank of R12 that's probably half full. Maybe one of you ZR-1 owners close to me might be interested.
Have got some other ZR-1 stuff that needs to find a new home,too.
Have got some other ZR-1 stuff that needs to find a new home,too.
Last edited by USAZR1; 07-18-2011 at 02:28 AM.
