Yes, John makes a great point and I think this is the reason why I have
looked through so many Vanagon service histories and saw an A/C charge
every summer since they were brand new.  A normal vehicle has the A/C
compressor come on when you turn on your defrost.  That way even in the
winter the compressor is being cycled on and the system stays happy.  In
the Vanagon not only is this not a feature but on the newer ones if it
below a certain temperature you couldn't get the compressor to come on
without hotwiring it.   So the systems sit all winter until we turn them
on in the spring and by that time the seals have contracted and released
most of the refrigerant.  I have just resigned myself to charging it
each spring and as long as R134a stays relatively cheap this isn't a big
deal.

Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

John Rodgers wrote:
> One thing not mentioned in all the related posts is that you need to run
> the AC for a few minutes once a week year round to keep all the seals
> wet. They tend to dry over time and shrink, and then they leak
> refrigerant.
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
> Jim Felder wrote:
>> Does anyone know of a complete set of instructions for converting to 134
>> from R12? I'm talking complete, like where to get any parts needed
>> for the
>> compressor and how to get the compressor open to fit them, how to get
>> the
>> oil out, put new oil in, and that sort of thing. I inherited a nice
>> set of
>> manifold gauges but have never used them. I also have access to a vacuum
>> pump if that is required.
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>