I have not touched my Air Conditioning system since day one (7 years now). Should I do any maintenence on it to keep it in top condition? A friend of mine just had $1500 worth of damage in his BMW A/C System - something about metal throughout the system from the compressor failing - just wondered if there was anything I could do to prolong the inevitable failure?

BTW - Best Air Conditioner I have ever had on a vehicle!

 

I'd say you've led a charmed life if you've had no prob in 7 yrs and it is cooling as good as ever. I'm no a/c expurt but I'd say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you start hearing compressor pain, cooling goes down hill, or you see evidence of leaks, etc., then get it checked out.

Cheers

 

Only thing I have done is a few years ago (when my '99 was about 3 or 4 yrs old) I added a can of "Ice 32". At least that's the brand name of the particular product I chose. I had it installed so they could hook up gauges first to check system pressure just to make sure the addition of the product wouldn't overcharge. I think I paid something like $30-$40 installed.

There are a number of similar products on the market now using various names, and they all seem to be based on the idea of causing the compressor to operate much more efficiently by significantly reducing internal friction in the compressor itself, thereby creating cooler temperatures for a given amount of work. I did see a reduction in cooling temps (measured by me at the outlet register in the center of the dash) of between 5 and 10 degrees. These products contain a small amount of Freon 134a (as a carrier) but it's the special lubricant that's the key. Maybe a new synthetic development? Dunno. Haven't done any real research.

All I know is that after 137,000+ miles and 8 yrs of service (I'm the original owner) here in the hot humid environment of Southeast Texas, my A/C is still working fine and I haven't had to touch anything in the way of repairs. Who's to say for sure that it is addition of this product that has created to the kind of longevity I'm enjoying or not, but I do know one thing: It definitely didn't hurt.

HTH,
Robert

 

Might want to go to an AC shop and just have them take out all the old r134, pull a vacuum and refill. Maybe add some oil. In time your AC system pulls in moisture through the seals. If you really want to be paranoid you can have the accumulator replaced as well. That keeps moisture out of the system, sort of like a filter. AC's fail because of leaks, moisture in the system and oil problems. The AC shop can also check for leaks when they pull the vacuum.

 

This is all good advice but I would add one thing. CLEAN YOUR CONDENSOR! It's the little radiator looking thingy in front of your radiator. An AC supply place will have condensor cleaner or you can use aluminum cleaner from your FLAPS. Just spray it on, wait 15 minutes, hose it off and repeat until clean. Any dirt on the thing will dramatically increase high side pressure which is what your compressor pumps against. I do mine (cars and house) every spring. It makes a big difference.

 

I agree with Plasticfan & waterzap! If you do go to a shop, remember, it working so, it shouldn't require al lot of service. AC systems to most people are BLACK BOXES that mysteriously provide cold air when you press the cold button. If the shop says you need$2000 worth of repairs, most people freak out and drop a credit card on the counter!

You system most likely will need less than a pound of R-134 and an oil charge should be added. The accumulator has a desiccant bag in side it that will remove any induced moisture and or system dirt. As long as the system has never been opened, the original accumulator should be able to do its job.

AC compressor failures happen mostly due to the system being OVER CHARGED and or being operated low on oil. My 98 Coupe is still working excellent at over 80K on the clock and never has even needed a charge.

If your being told that you need to spend over $80-$150 to service a properly operating system, I would start to ask questions and look for another place to do the service.

Cleaning the condenser and radiator is an EXCELLENT place to start and will have a significant effect on cooling efficiency of the cooling system and AC system.

BC

 

I have found that using your A/C periodically , even though it isn't needed circulates the oil thru the system and that will increase the systems life. Even in winter, when I get the chance to drive ,I'll run the A/C for 10- 15 minutes.

 

That's another bit of good advice.

 

How does that work? Do I need to take the condensor out, or can I just spray water from underneath? No way to spray from behind except if I take out out a lot of stuff on top. Does this stuff just dissolve everything except the radiator? Anywhere online to buy it?

 

You can spray from underneath. I usually put it in a garden sprayer, you can get that nozzle about anywhere. A C5 is one of the hardest to get too, but not impossible. The stuff is a real mild acid that won't hurt anything but the dirt. On some commercial AC coils that are cleaned once a week it will eventually start to eat the aluminum fins but that won't happen doing it once a year. You can buy it online

http://www.shopping.com/xDN-air_cond...r_coil_cleaner

but a gallon would last ten years and the shipping would bite you. The aluminum cleaner at your FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store) that is used for truck wheels and trailer floors works just fine and would be a lot cheaper. HTH

 

Remove your air filter set-up and upper radiator support (two bolts on each side on top of the frame rails) and then you can get a little better access to the radiator and condenser both. If you have or can find a nozzle extension (15-20" long maybe?) that sprays at a 90 degree angle that will help in reaching down and spraying things from the backside; helpful but not essential. Removal of these pieces will also allow access for cleaning out leaves/plastic bags/debris/slow squirrels, etc.

HTH

 

It is amazing how much stuff collects at the top of the condensor & radiator. The coolant temperature was lower when stuck in traffic.

 

Clean the conderser with water after blowing all the trash out with air. I would not break the seal on the unit to check the freon. I would use a thermometer in the dash. Use AC on max fan recir doors and windows open outside. All ducts on the dash open. If you get 38 to 40 degrees lower than outside air temperature leave it alone. You won't have any moisture in the system because the pressure in the system is greater than atmospheric. If there is a leak it will be low on freon but water can't go against the pressure of the sealed system.

I would never pull out the freon just to refill. Asking for trouble.

If you own gauges and the temps are in the 38 to 40 degrees lower I would not even check pressures. IF however you are 30 degrees lower than outside air temp you might be a little low on freon. I would install gauges and verify you have about 34 to 36 PSI on the suction and between 220 to 250 on the discharge side of the compressor. IF the low side is less than 34 to 36 and in the 28 to 30 range I would check the high side pressure. If it is 220 to 200 I would add freon.

But otherwise if the temps are ok and the condenser is clean leave it alone. BTW,, my 99 is now 8 years old and has a clean condenser and meets the criteria and I have no plan to test it with gauges or pull freon out. Pulling out freon out to recharge is a way for someone to make $$. You don't do it with your refrigerator,, home a/c why do it to your corvette.

I do recommend running the a/c at least 10 minutes / week each month during winter.

Have a nice day..

 

Im planning to service my A/C this weekend because it seems to have trouble in high humidity situations. Ive already invested in a new accumulator but it sounds like it might not be necessary. I noticed another thread were the owner said he hears a hissing sound when he shuts off his car and i think i might have a similar issue

 

A hissing sound is just the freon flowing through the orifice tube after shutdown. This will happen until the high and low side pressures equalize. Usually a normal sound.

If you have a problem in high humidity, what is the problem?

 

The defroster is a re-heat system. That means the air is first cooled via a/c to dry it out, then heated via the heater core. IYDAK.

The rest is all good advice. When I did my cam I blew out the condensor and had a HUDGE pile of dirt/sand/rocks left over. I was astounded how much the condensor had collected after 40k miles.

 

YUP I knew that, but given if you live in North Dakota or Louisiana your a/c settings may vary. Running the a/c means to insure the compressor is circulating the freon keeping all seals and o-ring lubed properly. However depending on where you live you might have to use Defog or Max AC but very good point. Many might not know that the defogger runs the a/c to dehumidify and meets the requirment of 10 minutes / week.

I also had the same experience cleaning the condenser. It was amazing how much trash, leaves etc that get wedged into the top of the condenser and radiator.

 

Would a dirty condensor cause the a/c to blow cold on the passenger side, and warm on the driver's side? I have manual a/c controls btw. Thanks!

 

No, it wouldn't. You may have another problem. Have you had any battery leakage issues or have you had the dash pulled apart, say for example a HUD install?

Sometimes (not always) an A/C temp or vent register problem may be from a vacuum motor, vacuum reservoir, an air duct not lined up properly with the register and/or vacuum line issue. BTW, be glad (very glad) you have a manual (C60) system. It's much simpler and cheaper to repair; at least as far as the control head is concerned.

HTH

 

I recently did a HUD install, but no battery leakage issues and no dic codes either.