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Troubleshooting A/C unit is the same for any brand. Explain the problem, identify the potential cause, test the components to verify any faults. Showing a picture of 2 ***** and a vent is not going to get you anywhere.
Mike
The fan works...coompressor is locked up and needs to be replaced and the heater doesn't work. I was hoping to find the manufacture to contact their help line. I am a newb and don't know where to start. I was also hoping to find installation instructions to confirm everything is installed correctly.
what red said.most aftermarket a/c units used a york compressor.i had a mark iv i wanted to use on my 66 chevelle that had a york but i wanted to use the factory a/c brackets so adapted an a6 to it.back in the 80's you could get all kinds of different pieces to make it work,good luck these days though.
A/C work require specialty tools and service techniques. You will require a reclaim unit and cylinder, Refrigeration gauges, refrigerant, vacuum pump, vacuum gauge, weight scale, temperature gauge and the knowledge to use them. Can be done by a shade tree mechanic, however if your a NOOB as stated best left to a professional. You will screw up some expensive parts very quickly if you don't know what your doing.
A/C work require specialty tools and service techniques. You will require a reclaim unit and cylinder, Refrigeration gauges, refrigerant, vacuum pump, vacuum gauge, weight scale, temperature gauge and the knowledge to use them. Can be done by a shade tree mechanic, however if your a NOOB as stated best left to a professional. You will screw up some expensive parts very quickly if you don't know what your doing.
Mike
I'll take the dissenting opinion here.
An automotive A/C system, especially one that old, is not complex. The real question is what type is it - clutch cycling, suction throttling, POA valve, etc. The clutch cycling systems are the simplest. I'm no HVAC specialist, but with only a vacuum pump and Harbor Freight gauges I've fixed or converted a number of cars. If yours does have an STV or POA setup, have those parts rebuilt by a specialist, and recalibrated for R134 as needed. Compatible o-ring assortments make reassembly easy Used vacuum pumps are all over ebay and craigslist.
The fan works...coompressor is locked up and needs to be replaced and the heater doesn't work. I was hoping to find the manufacture to contact their help line. I am a newb and don't know where to start. I was also hoping to find installation instructions to confirm everything is installed correctly.
Is the compressor locked up, or just not engaging? Or is the receiver/dryer plugged? I had a dryer plugged on my 95 Dodge and was too lazy to replace it so suffered through an entire summer without A/C. One day my son turned it on and it began working again.
I'm with Joe on this debate though. I worked at an A/C repair and installation shop for a couple years and it is not difficult to make the proper repairs if you take your time and ask lots of questions. Post up some photos of your system components like compressor and evaporator if you can get to it so we can help at least identify them. If your compressor is a York and is truly bad, there are lots of newer, more economical options available today.
Photos and complete, thorough explanations of what is and is not working will help a lot.
Certainly agree 100% Joe. Seems like the OP skill level might be on the lower end. Might not be the best DIY project for a new guy. if the compressor needs replacing those babies are pricey and he wouldn't want to damage it. We can even walk him through it if he wants tackle that project.
Mike
PS: Happy New Year, all the best to you and your family for 2018
You have some kind of aftermarket AC. It has a Sanden compressor which is a good thing. Judging from the condition of the hose connections on the compressor, I would say it has been there for a while. I don't know what is under the dash. See if you can get a picture of that. This is pretty interesting. I don't believe I have ever seen anything like this before.
Look, everyone here wants to help, but we can't read minds and we can't see the car through the interwebs. So far getting info from you had been difficult. You have a generic under dash unit and a Sanden compressor that has been used in pretty much every aftermarket kit made in the last 30 years. If you want useful information from this forum, you need to provide as much info on the system in the car as possible. Post photos of everything - the compressor, the bracket holding the compressor to the block, the under dash unit (meaning photos from under the dash), etc, etc. There are few vendors who sell Olds-unique brackets for that Sanden compressor, so that may help. We need much more info from you, however.
Also, when you say the compressor "doesn't turn" do you mean the actual compressor is seized (and if so, how are you determining that), or do you mean that the pulley doesn't turn on the shaft when the clutch is not engaged, or do you mean that the clutch won't engage when you turn the system on?
As for the heat, the photo you just posted of the firewall is the first time we've been able to determine that your underdash system is an integrated heat and A/C system and not just an add-on A/C with the factory heater. How the heat works will be determined by how this system switches the water flow in the heater core - again, something we cannot determine without photos of the unit up under the dash.
Sorry to be blunt about this, but we can't help (beyond generic statements) unless you provide more info. As others guessed originally, I also assumed this was an older A/C-only system with a York compressor. Obviously from the photos you just provided, it is not. That changes the responses you will get.
Thanks I'll get more pictures and post them tomorrow. The pulley on the compressor doesn't turn when the system is turned off which I assume means the clutch is disengaged.
The compressor uses an electromagnetic clutch to engage the pulley. With the system off and no belt on the compressor, you should be able to turn the outer ring of the pulley (where the V-belt rides) by hand. If not, the clutch is dragging. This may just be caused by a rust buildup from not being used, or it may be a bad bearing in the clutch assembly. The next question is, will the pulley ring turn if you put a belt on it (without powering the clutch)?
Those are helpful, thanks. You've got a vacuum controlled system, as evidenced by the vacuum actuators. These control airflow to the vents and possibly temperature as well. If there isn't an engine vacuum source and storage ball, this could be part of your heat problem. Try moving those actuators by hand to verify they are not rusted in one position. If you have access to a hand vacuum pump (like a MitiVac), you can connect to each actuator in turn and see if they work. I'm guessing one of those ***** is a rotary vacuum switch.
In the pictures on the original post the middle **** controls the blower and currently works. The right **** selects between ac and heat. Does that make the left **** temp control?
Your compressor bracket looks like a universal one sold by Vintage Air (and possibly other vendors) for applications that don't have engine-specific brackets available. It's only within the last few years that vendors have offered specific brackets for Olds motors, and given the apparent age of your system, I'm guessing it predates those, thus the universal bracket.
The black control panel appears to have the fan speed switch (LH ****) and the mode switch (RH ****). Does the mode switch have vacuum ports on the back of it? The aluminum panel likely holds the temperature control, which should operate a heater control valve plumbed into one of the heater hoses. It may be electric or vacuum or cable.
Looks like the switches are electrical that control a vacuum value? The actuators move freely.
Excellent. Most of the earlier aftermarket systems like this were configured the same. Vintage Air has PDFs of all their older instructions and electrical/vacuum diagrams on their website.
Where are you located? That compressor mount looks like one from a company that we used in Phoenix by the name of A.M.A. We called them Almost Air! I have an exact copy of that brace in my left-overs box. I'm pretty sure A.M.A. wasn't building their own mounts and brackets so their systems probably came from other suppliers and they assembled kits from the parts. The crimp on the hose ferrules indicate that it was installed by a decent shop. Some of the hoses in the kit will have been crimped from the supplier but some are cut-to-fit and need to be crimped by the installer.
Your system is very simple in design but not in function. For the basic system you have a compressor, evaporator, condenser, and receiver/dryer. You have an expansion valve regulating the refrigerant flow and a low pressure shut-off switch to shut the compressor off if you lose pressure in the system.
First and simplest problem is the vacuum hose that is no longer connected to the vacuum reservoir under the hood. Restoring your heater may be as simple as reconnecting that vacuum line.
Sanden compressors are typically robust and reliable so you need to make sure you know how to verify if it is "locked up". The info that Joe provided is correct that the outer pulley will rotate independently of the compressor shaft so if the pulley rotates smoothly, you need to then find out if the compressor turns. If your system is low on refrigerant the clutch will not engage so you would need to bypass that low pressure switch to test it properly. You should be able to rotate the compressor by hand if you can get the clutch to engage so the easiest way to test it is to apply 12 volts to the clutch lead. When you hear the clutch engage, turn it by hand. It will not be like turning an alternator, you will need to put your purse down and use both hands If it turns smoothly and quietly, your compressor is probably good and you may just be low on refrigerant. If it cannot be turned or makes grinding noises it may actually be bad.
Judging by the dry condition of most of your connections I would say that they are not leaking but there is a slight oily look around the expansion valve so you may have a slight leak there. Your connectors are all o-ring seal type so if you find a leak you cannot just tighten the connector, you have to clean and lubricate the sealing surfaces before replacing the o-ring. If you have pressure in the system you can check for leaks with a spray bottle and a soapy solution. Restore the system to working order and add a small amount of refrigerant to check for leaks. If you get bubbles, you have leaks. This is ONLY to check for leaks!
R-134a systems cannot be charged like the older R-12 systems. They need to be charged by weight. Your receiver/dryer may have a sight glass in it but hopefully there is a tag somewhere under your hood indicating how much refrigerant you need. If you confirm all other things are good, your system will need to be evacuated and then refilled with refrigerant by a shop with a scale. Trying to use one of those re-fill canisters from a parts store with a pressure gauge on the hose is like trying to make a phone call with a Ouija Board, it won't turn out right. If you over OR under charge the system it will not cool properly.
Last edited by cjsdad; January 1st, 2018 at 09:47 PM.
i am located in north georgia.....I got the vacuum line connected but wasnt able to get the car started to test the actuators since the battery was dead. i was able to engage the clutch with a power probe on the compressor and was able to turn the pulley. i think that is a good sign. going to start it up this weekend and confirm the vacuum actuators work and see if the AC engages the compressor but will need to get a belt for the AC since it didnt have one when i picked it up.
December 31st, 2017, 07:11 AM
