On Fri, 24 Feb 95 09:07:17 CST Tom Glazener said:
>I bought my 85 Vanagon about a year and a half ago.  The AC has never
>worked and I am interested in getting it up and running again.  Any
>suggestions as to the least stupid strategy to attain this goal?  I
>merely want some guidelines to assist me when the dealer begins to take
>full advantage of my ignorance  ;-).  Many thanks.

well ... it's almost a certainty that you'll need a new dryer. if the system
has been opened to the air at all, the dryer is probably wasted. they ain't
cheap. but you probably can find one at other-than-the-dealer.

the next thing would be the compressor, i guess. it might have to be rebuilt
or replaced, depending on the condition of the seals and the bearings. it
might be worth taking the car to an a/c specialist and getting a "thorough
inspection" before you let the dealer see it. i.e., get some independent's
ideas about what exactly has gone wrong. problem is, they'll likely charge
you half-an-arm for the inspection. all the a/c-related labor and parts and
chemicals has gone through the roof down here. since "spring" is right round
the corner, maybe look in the paper for some "intro special"??

joel
p.s. while you are at it, be sure to clean off the little evaporator/
condensor (radiator-looking thing up front) ... they get dirty and lose
efficiency. a water hose and a soft brush can make a lot of difference on
how well the system works.  good luck.