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Thread: Air conditioning - Where to begin?

  1. #1
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    Air conditioning - Where to begin?

    My A/C doesnt blow cold air. I tried to recharge it. The gauge said pressure was good. I sprayed a little in anyways. Not a change.

    Where do I begin?

    If I cant figure this out without taking it to a dealer I think I may try to convert it into OBA this winter. Figure I might as well try to figure it out first though.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    PghOffRoad Forum Addict!
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    gotta vaccume it down first ,that makes sure the is no air or such inside the line ..then the vaccume stays on it for about 15min to make sure of no pressure leaks then you can recharge ..your system can only hold so much..it states how many Lbs of freon on the Info label under the hood ..overcharging is a bad idea ..doing it at home hardly ever works with one of the kits from the parts store since you cant vaccume the system down ..

  3. #3
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    So to vacuum it down I need to take it to a shop? How much does that normally cost?

  4. #4
    "Has anyone ever mistaken the chicken outside for a crab?" JeepGeneral's Avatar
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    You're in for an expensive repair...we see a ton of Jeep ACs leaking, usually the evaporator or condensor. Each will run you atleast $500 from any shop. We usually recharge it with an A/C machine and run some dye through it. We have a special light that illuminates the dye and tells us where the system is leaking.

    Some people just pay the $45 to have it dyed/charged each year and it lasts for the summer. That's the cheapest way to keep cold air, but in most cases it doesn't last more than two weeks. Once the leak is found the part needs replaced, the evaporator is behind the dash and is a huge PITA to fix (The condensor is a pain, too). Parts are only ~$200, but Chrysler pays 7 or 8 hrs labor to put it in.

  5. #5
    PghOffRoad Forum Addict! Cebby's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mykal View Post
    So to vacuum it down I need to take it to a shop? How much does that normally cost?
    I have the same problem and have been gathering parts.

    Shop by me evac'd the AC for free since they will be recharging it.

    I'm tearing into my dash to replace the evaporator core - while I'm at it, I'm doing the heater core, blend door and recirc door too. The entire dash has to come out for this.

    I'm replacing the accumulator while I'm at it. Got my parts from JeepAir.com

    Hopefully I'll get another 100k out of this setup.
    2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee - New motor, long arms, 33's | Jeep FSM's & other stuff -> JeepsLimited.com

  6. #6
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    If I have to go through all of that I will turn it into OBA. I tore the dash out in a car I used to have and it wasnt that bad. I just dont want to spend the time or money on doing all of that.

  7. #7
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    I posted this on JF.

    Basically I jumped the A/C clutch. Took the pressure. Its around 1psi. Gonna try a recharge with the A/C clutch jumped at some point.

    From here. Once I shoot the recharge in.

    A. If it gets colder then I simply needed a recharge. If it then gets warmer that means I have a leak somewhere.

    B. If it doesnt get colder, I have larger problems. Which means I need info on OBA.

    Ill update when I eventually recharge.

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  9. #9
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    make sure if you decide to do the ac you buy everything. most auto parts stores only warranty it if everything is changed
    2007 Quad cab frontier LE
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  10. #10
    Premium Supporting Member OverkillZJ's Avatar
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    I've got 2 new evap coils for the Suburban (has front and rear AC systems) - I'm not looking forward to putting them in... I just replaced the compressor and a couple of lines, too. Man this thing better be an ice box, or I'm going to be pissed.

  11. #11
    PghOffRoad Forum Addict! cjw94xk's Avatar
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    Once you find where it is leaking from you only need to replace that and the receiver/drier. Actually, you don't even need to replace that but it is worthwhile to do so.
    Most of the zj's I see come in... it is leaking at the evap, which of course is ridiculous to replace. Keep in mind you have to pull the air bags which can be a bit of a pita. Be careful doing so. ALWAYS pull the ground of the battery before playing around.
    If you wanna bring it down I would be more than happy to look at it. I am up here in PGH, so it would be a bit of a drive but let me know.
    jamie

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