I need to fix my car's AC!!!

[bolido2000]

I did a freon recharge 3 years ago and I remember that the AC wasn't as cold as I wished. Summer is coming and the AC barely keeps me from sweating. I don't want to to a freon recharge only to find out that it's not very cool. If I take my car to a mechanic, will they be able to know the problem without much work? Compressor turns on, and there doesn't seem to be any leak (haven't seen anything suspicious with my naked eye). This is a 96 Maxima

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: bolido2000
I did a freon recharge 3 years ago and I remember that the AC wasn't as cold as I wished. Summer is coming and the AC barely keeps me from sweating. I don't want to to a freon recharge only to find out that it's not very cool. If I take my car to a mechanic, will they be able to know the problem without much work? Compressor turns on, and there doesn't seem to be any leak (haven't seen anything suspicious with my naked eye). This is a 96 Maxima

its kinda hard to "see" the refrigerant. You should be using a UV dye if you want to check for leaks. perhaps you do have a leak.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Do you want sympathy? I survived 5 years in Texas heat with no A/C. You pansies in California get a hot day or two and it's the end of the world.

Is your car R12 or R34? If there's a leak it might be expensive to fix, might not, depends on what's broken. Can't hurt to diagnose the problem. If it is leaking, just buy a few cans of R34 and fill er up. If it's R12, you better fix the leak first

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Do you want sympathy? I survived 5 years in Texas heat with no A/C. You pansies in California get a hot day or two and it's the end of the world.

Is your car R12 or R34? If there's a leak it might be expensive to fix, might not, depends on what's broken. Can't hurt to diagnose the problem. If it is leaking, just buy a few cans of R34 and fill er up. If it's R12, you better fix the leak first

hehe, yeah, $94 a lb for R12 is cheap

 

[NutBucket]

Your car need to have the AC dyed. Then you'll be able to "see" if it its leaking. Also, the mechanic can use a sniffer to check for the presense of freon (from a leaking join, etc.). Seems to me if it wasn't cold when it was "fixed" 3 years ago it was never fixed or you have a more serious problem.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: TechnoKid

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Do you want sympathy? I survived 5 years in Texas heat with no A/C. You pansies in California get a hot day or two and it's the end of the world.

Is your car R12 or R34? If there's a leak it might be expensive to fix, might not, depends on what's broken. Can't hurt to diagnose the problem. If it is leaking, just buy a few cans of R34 and fill er up. If it's R12, you better fix the leak first

hehe, yeah, $94 a lb for R12 is cheap

My neighbor and my dad got in an argument before R12 was outlawed. My dad though it never would and didn't stock up. My neighbor knew better and has probably 50lbs sitting in his garage. (They drive all new cars except for a 91 Mercedes and an 89 Legend) Needless to say my neighbor got the last laugh on that one

 

[SmokeRngs]

I've been driving for over ten years and less than a year ago I finally bought my first car with working A/C. Before that I just really didn't care. If it was really hot, I'd just drive faster to make the wind coming in the windows blow a little harder, or just drink more cold beer.

Hell, the main reason I finally got a car with A/C is because my kid has a tendancy to get a bit too hot in the car and he doesn't like a lot of wind. Then again, he is only three years old.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Originally posted by: bolido2000
I did a freon recharge 3 years ago and I remember that the AC wasn't as cold as I wished. Summer is coming and the AC barely keeps me from sweating. I don't want to to a freon recharge only to find out that it's not very cool. If I take my car to a mechanic, will they be able to know the problem without much work? Compressor turns on, and there doesn't seem to be any leak (haven't seen anything suspicious with my naked eye). This is a 96 Maxima

Loss of refridgerant is usually the cause of A/C not working well. A '96 model car would have 134a as the refridgerant and they're like $4 a can and you only need two or three cans to fill up a completely drained system.

A ready-charge (R-12 can already fitted with filling hose) kit cost about $10 and it might be worth a try charging it yourself.

There's no way to charge a 134a system absolutely proper without the proper knowledge, gauges and line thermometers though. Try ready-charge. If it doesn't corrrect the problem, take it to an A/C shop.

 

[noteworthy]

I drove 1 1/2 hours every day... 45 minutes in the heat of the day.. in Texas.. at 3pm.

No A/C.

FUN FUN