Let's talk about Auto AC systems

[Woodyboat]

I think I will probably touch off a firestorm but I don’t care. I’m going to talk about my experiences with my car’s AC system. I feel that it really needs to be said and someone has to do it. There is way too much misinformation concerning the resurrection of old air conditioning systems on some of our beloved vehicles. I feel that there are too many self-proclaimed experts fleecing Joe Public by forcing him through a very expensive pre-ordained cattle call.

I want to tell everyone about my quest to resurrect the AC on my old Volvo. I figure that, since virtually all automotive AC systems are similar, many folks driving all sorts of vehicles, can relate to what I’m going to say.
And I need to say this about Volvo AC systems. The rear-wheel drive Volvos that were built before Ford bought Volvo out in 1997, were all made closer to the Arctic circle than any other car in the world. The hottest days of summer in Norway and Sweden MIGHT hit 80 degrees F with a humidity number of around 60%. This is what THEY call oppressive. Volvos built for the Swedish home market don’t have AC. American market cars have always had the AC systems added on after they reached these shores. My family has owned several Volvos that we bought brand-new and none had any ACs that I would call “stellar.” It didn’t help that I always had Chevy truck with a Delco system that really showed me what an automotive AC system could REALLY do. The comparison was unfair and only ever made me even more disappointed with my Volvo’s AC.

In the summer of 2012, I was absolutely dreading the prospect of another hot and muggy Tennessee summer with no AC. There were few options and none of them sounded very good. R-12 had gone the way of the Dodo bird - none of the local stores had any. Someone, somewhere suggested that I try a product called “Freeze-12” but I never was able to find it in my area. I kept hearing horror stories about giant holes in the ozone. I heard other stories about people trying different options to 134a such as propane – BOOM! I kept coming up with ideas that others quickly said were illegal. I didn’t know WHAT I could do and what I couldn’t. A few pro-mechanics that offered AC service, wanted to service my system for me but the cheapest price I got from any of them was around $800. It would be around $1200 if they converted it to 134a. That basically totaled my car. About that time, the AC compressor on the car seized. Now, I have to tell you that I LOVE Volvos but Volvo did one stupid thing on the 240 models. The power steering pump is driven off the AC pulley. If the AC compressor fails, you lose your power steering. Now I was faced with either jury rigging the compressor somehow so that it became a fancy idler pulley OR getting a new compressor.

I decided that, by golly, I’m going to learn everything there is to learn about automotive AC systems because I was tired of being so vulnerable. Armed with new knowledge, I figured I could start making some of my own enlightened decisions. So, I got a new compressor. I also got a new drier and new expansion valve because I was told that these always get clogged because of crud in the system. I flushed everything. Since I was putting all this new stuff on, I figured that it was just as good a time as any to convert to 134a Freon. But then I was told that I had to use PAG oil because if I kept the old petroleum oil in there, it was not compatible. And the local stores were completely in love with their Freon as was reflected by the prices. I bought a set of gauges and a vacuum pump from Harbor Freight.
I charged the system with the 134a and basically, I was really disappointed. Yes, the system did cool somewhat. But the only real word that I could use to accurately describe the AC’s performance was “pathetic.” To make matters worse, the system leaked and I couldn’t tighten everything up enough. I was having to recharge every six to eight weeks. I kept a thermometer in the dash board vent to get an idea of how well all my effort was working. It was very disappointing. The thermometer has a green area around 45-50 degrees F that suggests this is where a strong AC should be. Nope, mine wasn’t even close. The coldest it would blow was around 60 degrees but this was only at night.

By the middle of summer in 2013, I had pretty much relegated myself to being happy with what I knew had always been a dismal system even from the beginning. Everything had leaked out over the winter and I was faced with paying ridiculous prices for 134a again when the weather turned hot. Then I heard about a product called Maxi-Frig. I had nothing to lose and so, I ordered some and when the shipment came, I recharged my car’s AC. OMG, the car almost gave my nose frostbite! It ran great all of the rest of 2013, 14 and 15. It didn’t leak out either. It seems that this stuff is some 30% more efficient than 134a and works at lower pressures. The lower pressures mean that the stuff stays in the system.

So, now it’s the first of the really hot days in the summer of 2016. Today, I hopped in the old Volvo and headed down to Sam’s club for some groceries. It was hot and so, I turned on the AC. I still have that thermometer in my dash. The AC immediately starting blowing cold and the temp showed right at 49-50 degrees. It’s never done that before, even when it was new. I LOVE IT!! And this is the first time I’ve turned the system on since last summer. WOW, it didn’t leak out during the winter. I don’t know what to say.

So, I’m telling you folks all of this because I am sick and tired of all these so-called experts that chime in on all the forums and tell us what it is that we CANNOT do. That’s crap! I want someone to tell what CAN be done and so, I’m telling you what has happened to me. Also, there is a certain part of a rat’s anatomy that I don’t give when it comes to naysayers telling me, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGAL.” Hey, you know what? Speeding is illegal and we all do that all the time. So, to hell with worrying about my AC system being charged by a layman.
Anyway, my Volvo’s system is working great and I can’t wait to get to the system in my old Big Dually. It will be great working with an AC Delco system that uses an accumulator instead of a drier. It’s going to be a far more comfy summer.

[Low Elco]

Congrats!

[ERASER5]

I'd say take a chill, but your AC is already doing that.

[Woodyboat]

Thanks guys for the positive words. I really wanted to talk about this because there IS SO much misinformation about auto AC. Also, it really chaps my hide that manufacturers and AC shops everywhere seem to constantly want to force us all into buying their particular brand of snake oil. It's all about the money and everyone is saying: "You must do this" or "You can't do that." In so many words, I felt like I was REALLY being told that it was illegal not to spend an exorbitant amount of money if I didn't want to swelter. So that's the reason I set out to figure this whole thing out.

BTW, My mother's 1995 Volvo 940 was a 134a system orginally. My 1988 Volvo 240DL was originally an R-12 system but I had converted it with poor results. We have a 1986 Volvo 245 Wagon that came with an R-12 system and went for several years with no charge because the freon leaked out before we bought the car and we couldn't find any compatible freon. Because my initial conversion effort with the 1988 car was so dismal, we just didn't bother with the wagon.

Maxi-Frig claims that their product is compatible with BOTH R-12 and R-134s systems. They call it a "drop-in." This means that you don't have to wait until all the old freon leaks out. You can simply top off either system with their stuff. So I did just that. We had ordered two cases (12 cans per case) for $110 and so, we had plenty of product left over to try and charge the 86 wagon's system. It worked great! So now, we have all three cars giving very good performance and we're happy.

We are a Volvo car family and a General Motors truck family. We have the three Volvos, the Big Dually and my parent's disability van is a 92 GMC Vandura. It has an R-12 system that I haven't charged yet since we bought it this past fall. But I'm going to do that this week. We are a money challenged group of people that try to spend our hard earned money as wisely and carefully as we can. That's the reason that, when we need a truck, we don't even consider anything from Ford or Dodge.