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  • Air Conditioning

    From Andy Ball@1:261/38 to All on Thu Aug 6 21:10:04 2015
    I've managed without air conditioning in my car since autumn but my wife and I have a baby on the way so I'll need to get it fixed before next summer. I've been told that it's not just lack of Freon. Besides the compressor, what other things are there to go wrong? The car is a 2005 Toyota Matrix (Corolla hatchback).

    -Andy

    --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)
  • From mark lewis@1:3634/12.73 to Andy Ball on Fri Aug 7 11:19:48 2015

    06 Aug 15 21:10, you wrote to All:

    I've managed without air conditioning in my car since autumn but my wife and I have a baby on the way so I'll need to get it fixed before next summer. I've been told that it's not just lack of Freon. Besides the compressor, what other things are there to go wrong? The car is a 2005 Toyota Matrix (Corolla hatchback).

    the lines, the condensor and the compressor are the three main parts... i've seen where the condensor has had to be replaced a few times but most of the time it is either a leak in the lines or the compressor... you can try adding coolant fluid (it isn't freon any more) with the leak dye and use a black light
    to see if there are any leaks... the compressor, if it is bad, is generally the
    most expensive part...

    )\/(ark

    ... Beta Testers are crazy, Alpha Testers are totally insane.
    ---
    * Origin: (1:3634/12.73)
  • From Mark Hofmann@1:261/1304 to Andy Ball on Fri Aug 7 16:22:32 2015


    I've managed without air conditioning in my car since autumn but my wife and I have a baby on the way so I'll need to get it fixed before next summer. I've been told that it's not just lack of Freon. Besides the compressor, what other things are there to go wrong? The car is a 2005 Toyota Matrix (Corolla hatchback).

    If it is low on Freon, there is a leak somewhere in the system. Depends on how
    big of a leak.

    I would buy a can or two of the A/C charge with leak/fix in it. Give that a shot and see if you are good.

    There are many parts of the A/C that can leak or be issues. I had a leak in the accumulator, which isn't more than $100 or so for the part - but getting to
    it was a good deal of labor.

    - Mark

    --- WWIVToss v.1.51
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (1:261/1304.0)
  • From Mark Hofmann@1:261/1304 to Mark Lewis on Sun Aug 9 08:37:17 2015


    the lines, the condensor and the compressor are the three main parts... i've seen where the condensor has had to be replaced a few times but most of the time it is either a leak in the lines or the compressor... you can try adding coolant fluid (it isn't freon any more) with the leak dye and use a black light to see if there are any leaks... the compressor, if it
    is bad, is generally the most expensive part...

    Back when I had an A/C leak in the Monte Carlo, every season I would add more R-134A to the system. Like all leaks, they never get better - only get worse. I found myself adding R-134A every few months.

    I tried all the black light tests to try and find the leak, but was unable to locate it. I ended up taking it to the shop, since I wouldn't have been able to properly evacuate and recharge the system once it was opened up, anyway.

    It took them a bit, but they found the leak in the condensor. It was really tough to see since you can't really get a good look at that area in my car since it backs to the radiator and it was leaking on the radiator side.

    Once that was replaced, all has been well since. It stays super cold.

    No A/C repairs are really cheap (other than to keep adding R-134A), but the worst one that can happen is if the compressor fails in a way that throws junk in the lines. Then you have real issues. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.

    - Mark

    --- WWIVToss v.1.51
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (1:261/1304.0)