[az968]

Ah, someone as old as me on the forum :-)

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[ds968]

The only way the 968 will reach 200 mph is if it's simultaneously being pulled by a Veyron and pushed by an Agera R.

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[94SilverCab]

The only way the 968 will reach 200 mph is if it's simultaneously being pulled by a Veyron and pushed by an Agera R.

 

Or drive it over a cliff

 

Jay

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[tejon007]

I hear that if you put a wing on it, it'll go 200 MPH - - or at least look like it is...

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[ds968]

Wasn't that a lyric in Beyoncé " single ladies " song - put a wing on it ? ( as performed by Elmer Fudd at karaoke ).

Sorry, took this way OT, so back to AC - will check and test all those things recommended , but in terms of putting in a can or two of R134, wouldn't it be better to wait until it's hot outside to test just how effective it is cooling, as opposed to now when it may not need to work that hard at producing really cold air ? Asking because I recall reading that outside temps have a significant effect on the AC's efficiency , even though I don't understand that concept since this is a self contained unit , with very narrow piping leading to the cabin so not sure how much outside heat would impact that, any more so than the engine heat itself which I'd expect is the key factor ..? Or am I overlooking various dynamics impacted by ambient temps ?

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[Kim]

 

Or drive it over a cliff

 

Jay

Terminal velocity is probably about 122 mph

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[tejon007]

Personally, I wouldn't wait (although many of my projects are waiting for me to find the time to work on them   , so that's advice I should follow)...if you have time now.

 

There's definitely no reason to wait until it's hot outside to figure out how effective the A/C system is...but, yes, efficiency is affected by temperature and humidity.  It's also affected by type of refrigerant (R-12, R-134a or some other type).  

 

I still suggest that before you put any refrigerant in, at least hook up some gauges to see where you're at and to monitor the pressures (again affected by temp/humidity) as you add refrigerant or first add dye if you suspect a leak...

...and you can stick a thermometer in the vent to compare with the outside temperature which will give you an idea how much the A/C system is cooling...

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[Bulti]

...or you can pay 100-something bucks and have the system serviced like it should: checked for leaks by creating a vacuüm, new oil and filled up with R134a.


Amazing that it worked as long as it did. You loose a certain amount of gas each year, and loose the capacity to lubricate the compressor and seals. The refrigerant works its way through the seals and fittings, no matter what.


You should have the system serviced every 2-3 years.

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[tejon007]

Bulti,

 

Really good point about the oil...it's probably (or at least could be) low on oil & how much is a new compressor? 

 

(not to mention the mess when your compressor pukes its guts & black goo all through your A/C system - - been there, fixed that)

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[ds968]

.

You should have the system serviced every 2-3 years.

Wow. Heck, I barely even change the engine oil that frequently .. Ok, calm down people , I'm kidding !

But seriously , regularly servicing the AC system ( unless and until it stops blowing cold air ) is news to me .. and my mechanic never brought that up even though he continuously bugged me about servicing / replacing the coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc, every 3 years or so ..so I had no idea it needed any attention .

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[Rap]

Never too late to teach an old dog new tricks!

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[tejon007]

But seriously , regularly servicing the AC system ( unless and until it stops blowing cold air )

 

Hey, if it ain't broke...don't fix it.  (a sealed A/C system keeps the refrigerant and oil in, so shouldn't be a problem - - but, 23+ years?  that's amazing it didn't need servicing or "break" before now)

 

However, when it breaks...fix it. 

 

(unless you're like me...who ran around for 5 years with a broken A/C on a non-968 until I got the motivation and made the time to fix it  )

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[ds968]

" If it ain't broke , don't fix it " has always been my M.O. ....until the timing belt broke . That was not too much fun.

But other than that one single item, I still am not a strong believer in preventive maintenance; in MOST cases the cost to fix it when it's broken is generally less than the aggregate total of the costs incurred over time to replace and service those things you're " supposed to " service at various intervals . Just my opinion and personal experience , as they say , YMMV , so do what you think best .

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[lbpesq]

Bulti,

 

Really good point about the oil...it's probably (or at least could be) low on oil & how much is a new compressor? 

 

(not to mention the mess when your compressor pukes its guts & black goo all through your A/C system - - been there, fixed that)

I just had the AC compressor replaced in my '93 Cab. Porsche wants around $1800! Otherwise there are several out there in the $300-$500 range. I didn't go with the Porsche unit.

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[tejon007]

I think the original compressors are made by Nippon-Denso (Japanese)...so, the "non-Porsche" compressor you got is probably the exact same compressor that Porsche sells.  And you can get either a new one or a rebuilt one in the price range you quoted (but not from Porsche).

 

The older Porsches had A/C hoses that were intentionally designed to be somewhat porous (tiny holes put in them), so they would leak refrigerant - - I guess they believed it was easier (and definitely cheaper at the time) to replace the R12 versus the hoses...so, you needed to maintain the A/C system every few years to replace the lost refrigerant/oil.

 

Now, the systems don't intentionally leak (refrigerant & oil) - - so, IMO, lubrication of the compressor should be good as long as the system retains its charge and oil...but, eventually compressors and seals do wear out/fail.

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[Bulti]

The service manual of our 2013 car clearly states to have the A/C system checked as described above, every 2 years. The new oil is bright yellow, after only 2 years it was already brownish in colour. So to me, that means that somehow contaminants find their way into the system. And therefore it should be maintained regularly if you want to avoid bad seals and broken compressors.


A/C-service usually isn't a part of the regular service, so the customer will have to ask for that service himself. Which is a strange practice if you ask me.


If I recall correctly, our A/C was already down 15% in gas when I had it checked.

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[tejon007]

Sure, follow the 2013 manual.  I get it, by all means...performing regular maintenance is a very good thing!

 

On a related note, I saw a couple advertisements in the last week where some govt. agency (California) was telling everyone to NOT change their oil so often.  The ad said to check your manual and don't change it so often to reduce wasted oil, better for the environment, blah, blah, blah...if everyone changed it at the recommended intervals, we'd reduce pollution, etc.  Look at all the pollution not generated if you don't service your A/C system for 23+ years??   Maybe we're trying to save the environment by delaying our A/C service?  (don't think it's because we're lazy, right)

 

I don't want to open up the discussion about types of oil, but I do change my oil regularly & then recycle it...I much prefer having clean oil in my crankcase that hasn't broken down its ability to lubricate.  If I'm going to drive a car with an internal combustion engine, it's obvious it emits some "pollution" (but, so do electric cars - - how long can one drive a 968 before it has generated the amount of pollution it took to produce an electric car...Or what to do with the battery once it dies?) & I'm OK with that.  

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[Rap]

Woke up to our second snowfall today. This time all the salt, gravel and ash was put down. Guess I won't have to use my A/C for a while!! No polluting for me. Except when I turn the track car on.

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[ds968]

Supposedly there is a colder refrigerant alternative since recent European environmental standards have called for a new Freon formulation known as R152A. The good news with this new formulation is that it can be retrofitted into an R134A system without any modifications whatsoever and it s reported to blow slgnificantlycolder air than its R134A predecessor.

Reports are that R152 has reduced interior temps by 15% by comparison . It's a simple process ( or so its alleged .) pull a vacuum on old refrigerant/system, fill with PAG45 4oz, fill with 1,100 cc of R152A, enjoy the cold


And this is the main published theory and experimental analysis :


https://www.academia.edu/16073037/Experi...ion_System


But the real question is : has anyone in Europe tried it yet on our cars ? Is there a school of thought RE possible negative / damaging effect on the AC components by introducing a different refrigerant in the system , either short term or long term ?

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[tejon007]

I've been using alternatives to 134a for years. Since I carefully guard my remaining stock of R12 and you really need to swap out a larger capacity condenser/evaporator to allow 134a to have a shot at keeping your car cool...and when you live in the desert like Reno or Arizona like I do/have, you really like a working A/C system.


I have been using HC refrigerants because they're available and they work. They're as safe as 134a (imagine how a high pressure oil vapor stream of 134a and compressor oil is extremely flammable ) and are a more efficient refrigerant.


(HC refrigerants, like butane, isobutene and mixture of propane, butane and isobutene)

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