Hi,

I am a newbie to the forum.

My van front A/C decided not to get cold this summer. I use the van on average once a fortnight, so I didn't realise that it was not getting cold until the beginning of June.

The rear A/C is nice and icy cold. The front wavers from ambient temp to a little bit cold. To expand on that statement; I start the car and for the rest of that day it's ambient temp. Another day I start the Van and it is a little bit cold for all use that day.

I was suspicious of the closing of the hot water control valve and sure enough I could blow air through it open or closed so I ordered a replacement. Blow me down the raditaor had sprung a leak so I replaced that also.

I got the Van back together today and the A/C front is ambient temp still. Putting my hand on the expansion valve it seems chilly. the pipes going into the front A/C air box are chilly.

I woundered if there is something wrong with the expansion valve but I am not sure that makes sense.

All comments greatfully received.

Thanks

7/8/06

Today the AC is working?! The only thing I did was run the onboard diagnostic by holding the trip button and turning on the ignition.

 

I don't know -- the only difference between front and rear are the expansion valves and evaporators, so it may be the expansion valve. If you had a leak neither front or back would get cold.

Get some gauges on it and check pressures. That could help pin-point the diagnosis.

Stay cool,
Lee

 

Hi Lee,

I have some guages I bought recently, I got the assembled, then I dawned on me that connecting them would introduce air and moisture into the system and I'd need to get a vacumme pump to evacuate the air in the lines of the guage first.

Reading an a/c forum it seems that the cheap A/C pumps can't pull enough atmospheres.

This is the point that I stopped and asked for help here.

Oh, b.t.w. the onboard diagnostic I did and then the a/c worked was just a fluke.


Thanks

 

There should be some "bleed" valves at the top of the gauges, such that, when you hook up a refrigerant can in the middle, you open the can, then open a screw valve at the gauge body to allow the refrerant to push the air out, close the valve and then you have pure refrigerant ready to go.

The high and low side should have enough positive pressure that no air will get in from there.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it, I have had to charge mine a couple of times without a vacuum pulled, and so far this season it's been doing well (plenty of 95+ Farenheit days in Memphis).

Cheers,
Lee

 

I've got the A/C working now.

I hooked up the guages and discovered that the refrigerant was very low.

I've added UV detector and enough 134a to get the pressures back to spec.

It's working great now and I'll check from time-to-time for leaks with the Ultra violet pen.

The rear A/C being cold really threw me in this diagnostic untill I hooked up the guages.

I also discovered that I couldn't add 134a without pushing down on the low side valve while shaking the 134a can.

 

idh63,

I hear you about the 134a can. The directions on the can state to shake it up really good first before using it. When the can is filling (charging) the system, it needs to be turned upside down.

I just did our B1500 last weekend. I tried the B2500 with the rear system, but I have a low pressure side leak under the frame at a fitting joint. I hope it's only the $2 o-ring to replace. Time will tell when I get around to fixing that.

Stev

 

Regarding the hose connections under the van ---
You may already know this, but I could see what looked like an oil/refrigerant leak on the liquid/high pressure side line at the joint where it goes from underneath the van into the floor for the rear evaporator.

The line is aluminum, but the nut is like steel, or something. I think this made some galvanic corrosion so that the nut was "frozen" to the line. (Maybe a couple of days of applying PB Blaster would have been a good idea).

Anyway I did not recognize the situation and when I turned the nut, even though I was applying equal pressure on the two nuts so as to not stress the tubing, it crimped/cut the line. A $140.00 (dealer price of the new line) expense. (Education is not cheap and that was a good lesson ).

Cheers,
Lee