[black beauty 42]

Well, I thought I'd share my saga on A/C.
I purchased my '92 in July 2009 and had a shop in Oregon fix/convert the A/C to 134a.
The bill came to around $750 and didn't even include any new compressor, condenser, or hoses. Only some new fittings, o-rings, a receiver/drier and the r134a (listed as 39 units?).
Two months later, the A/C stopped blowing cold.
As I live in So Cal, I had a local shop, whom I trust, test the system. Conclusion: Leaking compressor most probably caused by over charging the system with oil.
Later, I returned to the shop in Oregon who "inspected" the system (note: I did not say "tested" the system as they didn't even bother to add any freon and properly test the system) and stated "it appears there is a leak at the condenser".

This brings me to my present situation and what to do next?
Should I attempt to add r134a using one of the kits available at most all auto parts stores? One that says it will repair leaks too?

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

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[flash]

i'm not much of a believer in "wonder-goos" - those things never do a permanent job of sealing, and always reduce the effective working surface area, as it goes everywhere, and not just the leaking spot

i would replace the leaking components, and then charge properly with either 134 or Enviro-Safe

hey - you're local - are you coming to the ortega run next weekend? (or at least the bbq afterward)

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[ebarone968]

refrigerant leaks can be very difficult to find especially if it is a very slow leak. It becomes a guessing game for some shops that repair them. You may want to be sure before you start dumping money into replacing parts like a new condenser etc. If you want to put a little time into it, try to locate the leaks yourself or have the shop that located the leak show you exactly where they found it. Recharge the system with the R 134A first. Look for oil at any fittings and joints. You can use soap bubbles. I use Big Blue especially made for refrigerant and gas leaks. It's a heavy soap. There are other methods to find the leaks such as a leak detector or infra red light but that equipment is costly. I have found more leaks with soap than any other method. Once you know where the leak is you can determine what to do next. It may just be a fitting or an o-ring that can be easily replaced.

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[black beauty 42]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions.
Not sure what I'm going to do at this point as I've already spent about $900 and it still doesn't work.
And, I have the car up for sale, so I may just let the next owner deal with it.

Also, yes I am thinking of going on the Ortega run this coming weekend. I'd like to meet some other 968 owners.

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[flash]

sort of off topic - the AC in the denali died this morning - oh goody - another thing to do this week

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[968Z]

Not sure how well a "fix in a bottle" will work in a 968, but I bought a DIY kit from Advance Auto for $33.00 for my 1990 Trooper (350,000 and runs like a champ). It had a leak in the system and R12 was out of the question. 20 minutes later I had A/C again (R134) and I still do today, almost two years later!

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[wiseman]

I had my air recharged in my 92 Cab with R-12 over a year ago and it lost pressure this spring. The compressor still kicked on and there was pressure on the high side.(valve in front of the driver strut tower). So I bought a kit from Enviro-Safe for about $40. Came with 4 cans of refrigerant, a can of stop leak, 134A fittings and a hose to install the cans with a guage on it. They say that if you have a system charged and you still have cool air 2 days later....wherever the leak is, their stuff will fix it. Put in the first can of stop leak as they directed and 2 more cans of the regular stuff. 85 degree day............blows about 49. Low side pressure was about 140. I have 2-3 cans left. Good stuff. Plenty written here on the site about it. Took about 30 minutes.

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[black beauty 42]

Thanks everyone. I'll add an update after I take action.

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