My Sprinter's A Lemon
Member
I want to recharge the A/C myself. Is R134a still the proper refrigerant for our vans or has it been fazed out and replaced by something else?
Thanks again for help!
Thanks again for help!
You must be referring to my recent post about my obscure Airpro rear cargo a/c/heater. I am taking your sound advice on having a pro repair that unit. With regards to this post, I am solely interested in recharging the basic front cab a/c which I thought would be a simple diy project for me. But if you are saying it isn't a simple process and also requires a professional, then thanks again for the warning and I will certainly add this to the list of items for the HVAC guy to work on.I advised you to consult an independent HVAC shop to inspect it !
I suppose it your money and your decision but it begs me to ask why are you asking for qualified genuine advise and you clearly are looking to do unqualified repairs to something that needs some skilled intervention.
Dennis
Why?I am solely interested in recharging the basic front cab a/c...
Try getting a 1lb can of R134a that as no oil in it!Fyi, it is a simple matter to get small canisters of pure 134A. Just avoid the stuff with standbys sealants and oil unless you know what your doing. Wal-Mart had a store brand canister that is seasonal at 7$ each.
There are countless other possible causes for an air conditioning system to not work besides low refrigerant charge. Putting more refrigerant into the system in the absence of actual diagnosis, could destroy some very expensive stuff, as Dennis pointed out.Why? Because my main A/C was inoperable when I purchased the vehicle and its time to address it. All the buttons work and lights illuminate so I suspect it may just need freon. I always thought one could recharge one's own a/c. I didn't know it required a pro to do it properly as suggested. But now MidW is saying it can easily be done...so I look forward to you guys discussing it here so I can make an informed decision.
That's guessing.Lemon, I don’t want to disagree with Lindenengineering’s advice but I will give some advice based on my own experiences. It’s likely that you have pin holes in your condenser and are out of refrigerant. If the level is too low then the compressor won’t turn on. If it’s not turning on try putting in a can or two of R134a without stopleak and using a gage. If the compressor kicks on then your refrigerant was low. If you get it up to pressure and nothing happens you have bigger problems. Replacing the condenser and hoses isn’t difficult but is a PITA. After you get it back together and sealed up, take it to a shop and have them purge and charge the system. Air in the system can cause trouble and you do not have the equipment to pull it out. Potentially you can get working reliable A/C for around $250 if you do the work yourself
If you crack open the system to replace parts air gets in. Call it what you will but it along with any old refrigerant and oil still needs to be removed and the system filled by a qualified shop, and if he’s using a gauge and no stop leak there’s really no harm he can do to the system that wasn’t preexisting unless he overpressurizes. I didn’t say it was definitely the case, only that it was my experience and that of just about everyone who’s had A/C issues in their T1N’s on this forum. It’s not guessing, it’s troubleshooting. Start with the most obvious and work your way back. Also, years ago I was certified to service vehicle A/C systems, so I do have some idea of which I speak.That's guessing.
Guessing is by far, the most expensive and time-consuming method to repair vehicles.
And you're guessing with some VERY expensive air conditioning components that HE will be having to pay for if they are destroyed.
And air conditioning systems are not "purged". If you don't know what you're talking about, you probably shouldn't be trying to give other people "advice". Especially when your "advice" directly contradicts the two subject matter experts here.
A bad back ended my automotive career about 15 years ago.Hard to believe you're not doing auto repair any more...
Yes I was reminded by all this the other day!
I needed a new flue damper for the shop waste oil heater.
After phoning about unsuccessfully i got this smart ass who wanted to tell me that the damper on all oil boilers are now all electrically controlled by a computer and that he would have to come and evaluate the existing installation.
So i just made one using some stuff kicking about in the shop back yard and a new 8" flue pipe insert .
Took me about 4 hours to fab it up with a oxy torch for some expert brazing of the pivot bushes I learned in me yuwt
Furnance is now working great!
Crazy
Dennis