Hi Ken:
    Icing indicates a restriction somewhere.  Check out the behavior of temps at
each end to get a clue where it is, and get the electrical fixed so the
compressor cycles properly - the VW design is pretty good.

Randy Bergum
1990 Carat - with R-12:  Bwaa hah hah hah

KENWILFY@aol.com wrote:

> I have a guy in Spain who is having a problem with his '91 Westy (US version)
> with A/C.  He took it to a local shop to have the system charged.  They found
> that the rad fan wasn't coming on so they hot wired it on low and they also
> hot wired the compressor to come on (it wasn't coming on either).  So
> basically this shop is hack and splice.  But they got the A/C to work,
> however after an hour or so of running the evaporator starts to ice up and
> then the cold air stops.
>
> I am wondering if the evaporator icing is related to the non-functional
> high/low pressure switch, thermostat system for the A/C (since it had to be
> hot wired to get it to work) or if it is really an internal system problem
> (like moisture in the system or low charge or something).  The only reason I
> hesistate to think it is an electrical only problem is that the earlier
> Vanagons (84-85) had an A/C system that didn't have any high/low pressure
> switches or thermostat and they don't seem to ice up.  Basically everything
> in these earlier systems is just hotwired to come on when you turn the A/C on
> and it stays on until you shut the A/C off (you can run it without
> refrigerant, it doesn't care).
>
> Any ideas, experience, or comments would be appreciated.  I am basically just
> trying to help this guy as he isn't a customer (yet) and I am really working
> in the dark, not actually being able to try and troubleshoot the system hands
> on.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help,
> Ken Wilford
> http://www.vanagain.com
> John 3:16
>
> New Phone (856)-327-4936
> Shop: (856)-765-1583
> Fax:     (856)-327-2242