[Vwdiesel] A/C Compressor? (fwd)

[Val Christian]

First, an editorial....with guages below $50, there is no reason to 
not have a set, so that one can monitor low and high side.  A friend
with a newly minted PhD (EE) came over with his tired old family 
minivan, describing something similar to what you describe, and 
a similar path of repair.  The high side was over 600#.

In his case, the expansion valve was the problem, but he never evac'd
the system.  After an evac, and even letting it sit overnight to 
boil off every bit of water, and a recharge, there was no moisture in
the system, and the minivan blew ice cubes all the way through his daughter's
PhD (biochem).

Did you evac?

How much does low side drop?

Can you describe the pressure variations with your ambient?

>From what you say, the system could be working fine.  But pass along the
pressure.  

Also, once you have the gauges, you can buy 30# cylinders.  The last one I
got (and the most expensive) was $149.  Lasts for many many cars.


OT: Had a clutch go in my '99 TDI and could not find the parts fast
enough.  So I have a backup compressor with a bad clutch.  No bones about
it, it's not new.  But some starving student who can line up the clutch
parts can take it off my hands.  I might even help them evac the system
when they swap it out.  (Near Rochester NY)


Forwarded message:
> 
> Well, warm weather is here (then gone, then  here...)  So the wife wants the A/C to work.  It halfway pooped out as we were coming home, through NV.  Turn it off a bit, then on and it'd blow cool for a while until I'd turn it off, wait then back on.
>   Eventually I paid the ransom and put a can of 134a in it.  It didn't really help.  Took it to a friend that I borrow stuff from and has done me good on diagnosing stuff that flusters me.  Pressures were too high (overcharged) and not really doing much.  He concluded the expansion valve was the culprit.
>   Yesterday I pumped out 4 an da dab cans of freon (one blew the relief out of the bottom so there went one can of salvage!)  I changed the valve and o-rings except for one wrong sized one they sent, recharged it and poop!  Low side drops about 10psi or so, when it kicks on.  Compressor stays running, low doesn't drop, high doesn't climb.
> 
>   So, what's the consensus, bad compressor?  Never had one before.  Anybody have a good one sitting on a shelf, to fit a B4 Passat?  :-)
>     Loren
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