My A/C is defintely not working.

[Neon Beach]

Shouldn't I at least herar the compressor kicking in and out? Cause I don't!!

[chevymotocross]

Originally Posted by Neon Beach

Shouldn't I at least herar the compressor kicking in and out? Cause I don't!!

Yes it should be. If it ain't kicking on, it is most likely low or completely empty of refrigerant. Has this been converted over to r134a? If not, you will have to buy a retrofit kit and throw some 134a in the system, since r12 is no longer produced. Most parts stores sell the gauge with the bottle to let you know when the system is full of charge.

If you have a huge leak (via a cracked condenser or something), it will be very obvious when trying to charge the system. If not, there may be a small leak somewhere else in the system and a green dye will have to be added along with the refrigerant to spot the leak(s).

[gchemist]

First you need to find out why it's not working. Stick a paper clip on the low pressure switch. If the compressor turns on, the system is low on freon.

The systems could be find. Air flow is essential for a good working A/C. If the components are in shape, air flow is needed across the condensor. It's 100+ here every day. My A/C would not cool below 80 degrees. I by passed all the switches and run the LS1 fans at full speed. The system cools to 60 degrees and lower on the highway. I'm going to rig up some wiring so the engine temp probe works again. However I don't need it right now. The LS1 fans are doing a great job cooling the engine even in dead stop traffic with the A/C on. I may switch to a dual speed Mark VIII fan. I can use the low speed for the A/C. The hish speed for engine temperature control.

Here is a good article if you have tear into it.
http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/sh...hp?tid/168431/

[msgross]

My mechanic said that there is an R-12 additive that you can add in lieu of upgrading (or downgrading as i've heard) to R-134. He has my RV right now and did the low pressure jumper trick to verify that the system is low on freon. Ebay still has R-12 as well...

[454HO]

Originally Posted by msgross

My mechanic said that there is an R-12 additive that you can add in lieu of upgrading (or downgrading as i've heard) to R-134. He has my RV right now and did the low pressure jumper trick to verify that the system is low on freon. Ebay still has R-12 as well...

There is no 'R-12 additive'. There is either the real thing R12 refrigerant, or there are 'alternate' refrigerant blends such as Freeze 12. The ENTIRE auto industry uses R134a refrigerant. Why? Because it is EPA recommended and that is what nearly every repair shop in the country is set up for. Freeze 12 may be EPA acceptable, but the number of shops that can handle repairs on a system using Freeze 12 are very limited. Another caution about alternate refrigerants (that is anything besides pure R12 or R134a), some of them contain flammable gasses such as butane or propane.

If you change the refrigerant from one type to another, it is called a retrofit. The EPA has very strict guidlines on what the acceptable retrofits are and how they are supposed to be done. Part of a retrofit is converting all the service ports on the a/c system to match the refrigerant in use. Any shop that does this for you is REQUIRED to install the correct service ports. If you retrofit a system yourself, you are also supposed to install the correct service ports. If you do not, and the vehicle is taken into a repair shop, then you need to tell them what refrigerant is in the system or else all their equipment will be contaminated. Some shops will refuse to work on a vehicle with alternate refrigerants.

Yes, you can buy R12 on eBay. But you are supposed to be EPA 609 certified to do so. The seller is required to ask you for the cerification number (actually a copy of the certificate) and document the sale. Although there are no requirements for them to report the sale to the EPA, they are required to keep detailed records. And yes there is a black market for R12, but if you get caught the fines would be very stiff... as in 10's of thousands of $$$. That is why it would be pretty stupid for someone to post an ad selling R12 on the internet and not require the appropriate cetification document from the purchaser.

How do I know all this? Because I took the EPA 609 certification test in 2006.

[gchemist]

I had my old Dakota converted with Freeze 12. It worked decently but not as good as R12.