Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

AC diagnosis/repair

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    AC diagnosis/repair

    I have a 91 318i. It came to me without an ac belt, which didn't especially bother me since we have a nice mild summer up here in Oregon. But now, it turns out that I'm moving to Albuquerque in June. Different story! One of my priorities is getting the AC working decently so that I can drive my E30 daily without wanting to die.

    So, obviously the first thing I have to do is put on a new ac belt. Beyond that, how do I test/diagnose problems? If it blows cold straight away, that's obviously problem solved. But unlikely given my car's maintenance history. Is this something that needs to be gone over by a mechanic to know if there are problems? Should I just try recharging it with some Freeze12 or duracool and see what happens? R134 retrofit? DIY or spring for a shop to do it? Any cheap parts I can/should replace?

    Basically I don't want to throw good money after bad, I just want to get the system up and running. What is a good algorithmic way to assess the AC and fix only what needs to be fixed as cheaply as possible?

    Thanks
    Tags: None
    #2
    PM'd you with my number. I'm just an hour South of you and would be happy to help you get your A/C working.

    Comment

      #3
      On a car this old with an A/C system that has run in quite a while I'd first check to see if the system still has a charge. If if does it is possible that a belt and topping up the charge is all that's needed. But the odds of that are roughly the same as winning the lottery. The most common reason to pull the AC belt is because the compressor or clutch is bad.

      More than likely you'll need a compressor, new o-rings, new dryer, and expansion valve. With those installed pull a vacuum on the system overnight to get out any moisture. Then shut off the vacuum pump and wait several hours to see if the pressure rises, which could mean a bad evaporator or condenser. If that check is okay charge the system and it should work.

      You could convert the system to R134a or use an R12 replacement. I think R12 substitutes
      work better than an R134a conversion.
      The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
      Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

      Comment

        #4
        Is a junkyard compressor it one off the classifieds here okay? I know they're really expensive new.

        Sent from my DROIDRAZR using Tapatalk 2

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by bstarr3 View Post
          Is a junkyard compressor it one off the classifieds here okay? I know they're really expensive new.
          Who knows? It might fail soon after installation or be bad at installation. Then again it might work just fine.
          The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
          Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

          Comment

            #6
            I recharged my '92 with the R-12 system with freeze12 and it worked great. Like others said, you have to make sure all of the other components works and the system can hold a charge.


            Current: '92 325i Vert

            Past: '84 Euro 320i -Had to leave in Italy

            Comment

              #7
              test compressor (tons of diy online) then id try putting on a belt
              if it blows warm have a shop check for leaks and fix accordingly
              stay with r12 and recharge and hope for the best

              Comment

              Previous template Next
              Working...
              X