HELP ME !!!!!I'm sick AND tired of my car's A/C :(

[Abraham2nd]

Hey guys, i maybe spend over 4k to fix my a/c lol
when I bought my car in May 2013. the guy said my ac need juss ah gas up..carried it by a guy same day in maloney and he fixed an inset leak and used a can of 134a or something like that...it was worked for 1 MONTH only!!for $400.00 .. but only in night when sun was hot the a/c wasnt cold but cool lol..
then i went and fixed it again..by a next guy..he said my evaporator was leaking and he had a next one..he changed it..then he said my expansion valve was bad..he changed it...and he said my drier was bad..he changed it..and he gas it with a tank ..that costed $1500.00 lol it worked for 4 FOUR!!! months ONLY and same things on night it blow cold and on hot days it blow cool not "cold"(but a LITTLE cooler than before)...
carried it back again he said it was out of gas... and he changed a seal..that he said was leaking. and gas back for another $400 or $500 cant remember. lol...NOW on that same day i went home and when i was leaving to go bk out..ac not coming on...the hot line was coool and the line that was supposed to get cold was hot...i carried it back he said he got no time come back..i said fu in my mind.. lol
i made a NEW day and went by a NEW guy again.. he gassed up and he changed drier again and he replaced a seal ... a next $800:...and it was the same......cold at nights and cool at hot days...a month after it Not working again.!!! i went by him he said he got no time i said fu again in my mind ...made a new day agaiin and went by a guy called Mr. Frosty. and he said my condensor was having a very slow leak thats why they couldnt detect it... and he changed it and its working good for some months now..costed $700. but my problem kinda still here..COLD at nights but noot soo cold at hot days???
but its cooler than when thoese jerks tried fixing it though...i remember when i was going to school. and go in a taxi. car glass down sun hot.. he on d stand eh.. car heated..as he pull off,, he run up glass turn on ac and BOOM whole car COLD! and tats on numba 1-2 !!! mines doh ever be so...i got b13 i want my ac to be like that... any ideaS???
PLEASE!!! I just want my ac to work cold on hot days ;( ;(
OH !!:: AND AC DRINKS MY GAS!! ANY ADVICE? AND IT KILLS THE SPEED BAD! (manual 5fwd)

[zondafan]

Wey you spent alot..I kinda have the same issue. .bt I too lazy to change out my whole system. ..the thing I would do..is check the condenser and the ac fan...to me it sounds like the pressure is building up a little too high on your system causing leaks in different spots...I know thats the problem with mine...also that will cause the ac to not be as cold in the day....

Thats just what I think...from exp..im not an ac expert. .but its worth a try

[Abraham2nd]

well since i went by mr frosty all dat changed ...my ac is working now..is just that when sun hot it not cold but cool.. to the point where u not sweating in car but u feel like omg :O gimme breeze!!!!!
edit:i got good condensor and fan works good too

[Abraham2nd]

i got titanium tints :O
btw my mechanic said i got b14 compressors D:
oh and whats alters ?

[Abraham2nd]

anyone ever tried this??
i was thinking of running a hose to the pipe that the ac water comes from and run it so that it falls on the condensor so it cools it? LOL!

[zondafan]

The test is..on a hot day..turn on ac..and throw some water on the condenser. ..if it cools thats the problem. ..if not. ..well...might be the compressor like some ppl say

[Abraham2nd]

actually i did try that...if i pour water over my condensor i see a slight cool gain but i mean my radiator fans work high speed as ac comes on
btw..
the ac drinks my car gas i got to put gas too often as it is lol
and it kills my car speed drastically( b13 gears)

[JesuEric]

yo man is your fans working how it supposed to? cus it could be working but not at optimal speed, also too the smaller A/C line check for kinks any kinks get it straightened ORR take out the line and blow through it see if it has a restriction, the big line put some of that rubber that they use to keep heat out on A/C lines i cant member the actual name, those are the only things i see you havent checked through loll

[vishnu2112]

Cud be ur evaporator or wateva the box behind d glove box is called. That sheit gets clogged and wont clean off easily. Most ac guys have a chemical witch they use. An if it aint cloged it cud be leaking slightly. Even a small leak can cause probs. But d best advice i cud offer is do a complete over haul. It wud save u in d long run.

[JesuEric]

^ thats tru as well forgot tht part

[gofe777]

It have a guy does do excellent ac work in " Edinburgh Village Chaguanas" . he's right next to the "Chandernagore Presbyterian primary school" . I had a ton of ac problems re-occurring and went by this fella an he sort it out real good!.. Hot sun in traffick with shitty tint an I in a fridge bro.. ..

[skylinechild]

well since i went by mr frosty all dat changed ...my ac is working now..is just that when sun hot it not cold but cool.. to the point where u not sweating in car but u feel like omg :O gimme breeze!!!!!
edit:i got good condensor and fan works good too

so why it cant be your blower motor and its resistor????

below is the BASIC knowledge i've researched on how the system works.
yes the Ac in my car needs fixin too.

parts of an HVAC system. HVAC- Heating Ventilation Air Condition.
(yes i know we dont use the heating part here in trini)

1.compressor- simply put- compresses the gas. gas is compressed it gets (super) hot and moves onto....

2.Condenser - (big grille thing that looks like a radiator in front of the radiator.)
this lowers the temp of the gas- think radiator fans and A/c fans here -
when cooled the refrigerant condenses to liquid form by releasing the heat to the outside the liquid then moves onto the....

3 Dryer(drier) - The drier/receiver serve three very important functions:

They act as storage containers for extra refrigerant during periods of low cooling demand. This is the “receiver” function of the receiver/drier.

They contain a filter that can trap contaminants inside the A/C system.

The Drier/Receiver contains a material called a desiccant. It is used to absorb moisture (water) that may have gotten inside the A/C system during manufacture, assembly or service. This is the “drier” function of the drier/receiver.

once "dried" the liquid moves onto....

4 expansion valve-
The expansion device is required to generate the pressure difference for liquid refrigerant to boil off into gas. The expansion device creates a pressure drop by restricting the flow of refrigerant around the system.

5. evaporator - inside the dash board - smaller version of the condenser- but inside the car)

the evaporator is a heat exchange device in the refrigeration cycle. The liquid refrigerant, coming out of expansion value and entering into the evaporator, is at lower temperature and lower pressure.

On passing through the evaporator coils refrigerant absorbs the heat from the air that is blown through the coils and gets converted to low temperature, low pressure vapor. The liquid refrigerant is made to flow from the bottom to the top of the evaporator coils to ensure that liquid refrigerant boils before it leaves the evaporator coils.

The tasks performed by the evaporator can be summarized as follows:

Absorption of heat (from inside of the vehicle) which in turn causes the refrigerant to return to gas once more( from liquid)


The air blown by the blower in turn gets cooler, on transferring the heat, and is passed into the cabin through the vents.


ancillary but very important parts.

1. seals - each item carries a seal in order to ensure airtight connection to one another - bad seals?? gas escapes and the system wont work.

2. pressure switch(es)- in the event of either switch operating the compressor will be stopped to prevent possible damage to the machine.

The low pressure will monitor the system for low pressure faults, such as refrigerant leakage or perhaps a blockage. If the pressure gets too low then the compressor may overheat due to lack of suction gas cooling.

The high pressure does a similar job. The pressure could rise to a too high level due to the condenser being dirty, or the condenser fan failing or even problems with the refrigerant mix if someone has been careless when working on the system. Also if the pressure stays too high the oil may be overheated when it will begin the break down and contaminate the refrigerant. This can lead to motor burn outs.

3 blower motor - this is what forces the cabin air to move across the evaporator. bad blower motor means no air moving across the evaporator which means no cold air coming out of vents - keep in mind you WILL hear the compressor click on and off when you switch on the A/C
what causes the motor not to work..it could be the motor itself or....

4. blower motor resistor - this is what gives you different speeds -on the Ac dials 1-2-3-4 by varying the input voltage to the motor---lower voltage = lower fan speed.

5. insualtion - older systems like the R12 may need insulation on certain lines in order to work effectively.


different "techs" have different ways on how to look for leaks.. some run a UV dye thru the system and use a special flashlight and glasses....some ask dumb ass questions like if the car smells funny.
some pressure test with nitrogen...some pressure test with oxygen. some even use R134 ( what a waste)

how i would go about doing it is
1. test compressor- bypass pressure switch to see if it comes on. if it does then move on.squeaky noise ?? bad bearing - replace bearing / compressor not compressing the gas - replace seals / compressor.


2. pressure test condenser...remove from vehicle and clean thoroughly - purple blaster and lye.
connect some fittings to pressurize it with compressed gas / air to the necessary PSI rating
insert in water...any bubbles.??? if not its good. if bubbles - needs to be replaced.
take this opportunity to straighten any bent fins using a fin comb -
( good luck finding a competent tech in trinidad who knows what a fin comb is)

3. install new dryer.

4. install new expansion valve if/as necessary

5. clean & pressure test evaporator same method used for condenser.

6.do the same with the lines- remove from car -thread some pressure fittings onto them with seals and pressurize them to the necessary PSI rating and completely insert in a body of water - bubbles?? if not reassemble everything with ...

7. new seals- cant forget seals otherwise it wont hold pressure - make sure to use the correct size seals and they are installed correctly - correct orientation.

blow out any water with shop air (compressed air)

vacuum system and let it hold the vacuum for at LEAST 30-45 mins. to enusre all seals are installed correctly and good. THEN if good, add oil and gas up...switch on the A/C..

[hindian]

Op did you check you radiator fans? If they are on their way out that cud be part of you cooling problem. The way i check it is to put a dollar note on the condenser while the a/c is on and the fans running if the note falls off well yuh need new fans (yes i know it sounds stupid but it has worked for me many times over the years) oh and install a seperate cooling fan directly on your condenser it helps. You might have to do some hunting in the bamboo for an a/c fan as that is a push type through the condenser. I dont really believe in those fans where you reverse the blades to change the direction of the airflow, they dont provide much cfm in my humblest opinion anyways.

The other thing is, when you put your a/c on, does the car idle speed go up? That could also be another cause of you problems as well. An electrician should be able to fix it if its not operational.


Ive read that crossflow condensors are what are recommended for r134a systems and the claim to increase the cooling performance by almost 25%. I think the b13 came with the serpentine type condenser at least thats what my 13 has but looking to change that out as soon as funds permit...

[skylinechild]

forgot to mention that if your old system uses R12 and you upgrade to R134a everything has to swap out.

R134a uses a higher pressure than R12 so compressor has to change
R12 uses a serpentine type condenser and R134a uses a multi flow (cross flow) condenser they are NOT interchangeable.

dryer bottle - different gas = new bottle - do not reuse
expansion valve - same as dryer bottle -change out.
(R12 evaporates and condenses and different temps than the R134a)

evaporator -you will have to change this out as well.

interconnecting lines - old one may not be able to withstand the pressure the compressor has to compress the gas.

pressure switch - same reason as above - different gases evaporate / condense at different pressures.

any ac tech to tell you you can reuse anything is hitting you a 6 for a 9 and taking your money.

[redrum]

I am currently experiencing the same problems, spending tons of money to get my Ac running, I am on my third foreign used compressor since it keeps locking up and burning out. Too much smart men out there, know that u desperate to get your Ac fixed.

[Abraham2nd]

Sorry for late reply guys... well my ac fans works good and well i always used 134a gas..since i bought car dunno if they used 12 before :I ..
but i think illl replace my fans.
BTW Guys, my car (b13) dont come with fan for condensor alone. does it have any that will fit? without modding my car (drilling etc)

EDIT: oh oh oh...and the idle speed do go up yeah lol ..
bear in mind that my ac works just not COLD in hot weathers just cool

[skylinechild]

Sorry for late reply guys... well my ac fans works good and well i always used 134a gas..since i bought car dunno if they used 12 before :I ..
but i think illl replace my fans.
BTW Guys, my car (b13) dont come with fan for condensor alone. does it have any that will fit? without modding my car (drilling etc)

EDIT: oh oh oh...and the idle speed do go up yeah lol ..
bear in mind that my ac works just not COLD in hot weathers just cool

your car already came with its own condenser fan - it's right next to the radiator fan.!!!

find out if they retrofit the original R12 system to use R134a. as I said before everything has to change out.

as I indicated before pay attention the blower motor and its resistor.
the blower motor blows air across the evaporator which causes the cold air to come out your vents !!!

you can check king kool in barataria.

got my U14 filters from them.

[Abraham2nd]

what u mean pay attention to blower moto and its resistor? i dont understand that part. it blows with power... and i changed my ac card..isnt that the resistor?

btw i got no ac fan :O just condensor in fron then radiator behind with 2 radiator fans to blow on engine :O :O

[JesuEric]

bro...one fan is the A/C fan and one is the engine...the speed it spins wen A/C is off is slower as opposed to wen its on or one of the 2 (open to correction) the one on the same side with the condensor is the A/C fan.

[Abraham2nd]

bro...one fan is the A/C fan and one is the engine...the speed it spins wen A/C is off is slower as opposed to wen its on or one of the 2 (open to correction) the one on the same side with the condensor is the A/C fan.

Nuh-uh...if u drive the car without ac on and the fan kicks in..its the same speed to as when the ac is on..which is really fast :O

[nervewrecker]

Skyline child for ac tech yes

[skylinechild]

what u mean pay attention to blower moto and its resistor? i dont understand that part. it blows with power... and i changed my ac card..isnt that the resistor?
btw i got no ac fan :O just condensor in fron then radiator behind with 2 radiator fans to blow on engine :O :O

yes the Ac "card" is the resistor - it supplies different voltages to the blower motor- which in turn spins fast -or slow depending on the setting on the ac panel. (1,2,3,4)

how they usually check the motor is they connect full battery voltage- 12 volts - and a ground to the battery - and check the airflow. they bypass the resistor card. the motor should respond with full speed and be very audible and the air coming out the vents should be forceful.

how they (supposed to) check the resistor card two easy methods.
-you will need to turn the ignition on- obviously.
1st method.
turn from off to speed 1 - fan should respond. then from 1 to 2...again fan should respond but more air coming out - 2 to 3 same as before... but more air 3 to 4 (final speed)...fan should be very loud and air should be forceful.


2nd method - remove Ac resistor card from the blower motor assembly.but do not disconnect the power jack from it.
using a multimeter - check for different voltages across the cards output pins
so from off to speed #1 measure voltage then move onto speed 2...measure voltage again...etc etc.
final speed should give you full 12 volts.

now keep in mind i dont exactly know how the B13 is supposed to be wired up.- manual is different from automatic transmissions and different across engines and such.

condenser in front then radiator then 2 radiator fans.
the fan on the left- (driver side) is supposed to be for the radiator.
the other fan is supposed to come on with the A/C
some cars may be different i dont know - consult a qualified mechanic / technician.

Skylinechild for ac tech yes

hell no.... i just know the basics ...and elaborated on it a bit via google - which gives an easy explanation....

if i do move into the ac business i'll let u kno

[Abraham2nd]

WELL the b13 both fans come on at same time...one for engine and one for tranny/box so....theres no fan for the condensor alone..the fan just comes on with ac to help cool engine where it will be under much force/load

[hindian]

Thats why i suggested to put on directly on the condenser with a relay taking power from the existing fan wiring on the radiator so when you put your a/c on, all 3 fans will power up and switch on and of as the system cycles....at least thats what i did and my a/c improved drastically especially in traffic.

[racedriverpro]

Jus to add to what skylinechild said. When testing the ac card pay close attention to any fluctuations in blower speed when the control is fixed at any of the speeds. This fluctuation in blower speed will cause the cold air to be inefficiently circulated from evaporator through cabin.

[Abraham2nd]

ill add a next fan if it could fit..any one know if a b13 can get an additional 3rd fan?

[SmokeyGTi]

Abraham, the second fan is not for the tranny or gearbox. That is the a/c fan
The best way to know if its working is on a morning when the engine is cold (eg before first start) start the car with the a/c off. No fans should be running. While the engine is still cold switch on the a/c. Both fans should come on.

No need for a 3rd fan.

Do you set the a/c to recycle? Or pull fresh air from the outside?
Recycling air is recommended as it recycles the already cool air from the cabin and cools it even further. Pulling fresh air from the outside gives the system more work to cool the heated air. On a cool day it will be easier and on a hot day you in trouble.

[Abraham2nd]

it recycles.. but i think i know what i gotta do...
im gonna get foam spray n foam the engine bay holes where wirees are..and get those foam coat to go around the ac pipes

[skylinechild]

it recycles.. but i think i know what i gotta do...
im gonna get foam spray n foam the engine bay holes where wirees are..and get those foam coat to go around the ac pipes

I'd recommend against doing the can of foam thing.
this actually is meant to seal drywall and it expands / contracts -
there are two types - one for interior and the other exterior.

if I read you correctly you want to seal up the firewall where the engine wires and such pass thru.??
if so I'd recommend not. reason is if you need to get back to those wires...to do troubleshooting / engine swap....you gonna be in a tight spot.

some holes where nothing passes thru you can use it - if u need to use those holes you can drill out the foam

other holes where the electrical wires pass thru , use silicone sealer instead...

do not use( the foam) on the lines that go from the engine room to inside the car.
if you do this and you want to service the lines guess what - it cant be removed - you'd end up damaging the lines and buying / making new lines.

2nd option is better - when installing a house air conditioner they wrap the copper tubing in the foam jacket and use tie straps to secure it to the copper tubing.

older air condition systems - ones that uses R12 has this on the lines.
our b12 had it.

caution be sure you insulate the correct lines - high pressure / low pressure .
not ALL the lines need to get the foam jacket insulation on it.

consult a qualified Ac technician

forgot to mention smokey GTi said it - ensure your ac is set to recirculate.
but also the HVAC unit itself may not be sealing off properly - ie the blender doors....

the blender doors are little flaps that open / close when you select fresh air vs recirculating air.

to check the blender doors the entire dash will need to be removed from the car.
as well as the cowl outside by the windshield wipers....

[Abraham2nd]

it recycles.. but i think i know what i gotta do...
im gonna get foam spray n foam the engine bay holes where wirees are..and get those foam coat to go around the ac pipes

I'd recommend against doing the can of foam thing.
this actually is meant to seal drywall and it expands / contracts -
there are two types - one for interior and the other exterior.

if I read you correctly you want to seal up the firewall where the engine wires and such pass thru.??
if so I'd recommend not. reason is if you need to get back to those wires...to do troubleshooting / engine swap....you gonna be in a tight spot.

some holes where nothing passes thru you can use it - if u need to use those holes you can drill out the foam

other holes where the electrical wires pass thru , use silicone sealer instead...

do not use( the foam) on the lines that go from the engine room to inside the car.
if you do this and you want to service the lines guess what - it cant be removed - you'd end up damaging the lines and buying / making new lines.

2nd option is better - when installing a house air conditioner they wrap the copper tubing in the foam jacket and use tie straps to secure it to the copper tubing.

older air condition systems - ones that uses R12 has this on the lines.
our b12 had it.

caution be sure you insulate the correct lines - high pressure / low pressure .
not ALL the lines need to get the foam jacket insulation on it.

consult a qualified Ac technician

forgot to mention smokey GTi said it - ensure your ac is set to recirculate.
but also the HVAC unit itself may not be sealing off properly - ie the blender doors....

the blender doors are little flaps that open / close when you select fresh air vs recirculating air.

to check the blender doors the entire dash will need to be removed from the car.
as well as the cowl outside by the windshield wipers....

hey that may be my problem...i forgot to say this...he put me in car and said see if i smelll any sweet ting...he went by wiper and dem n spray perfumes and i get the sent...he say it pulling in outside air... :O