John Hung,

I feel you pain!

After spending over $300 to retrofit and upgrade to r-132a, the shop
told me that a AC hoses were just old and need to be replace.  The hose
blew out twice in a week.  Not having the time or money to fix it right
now I waited.  
I really cost me.  The hole in the line allowed the AC oil to leak out
and seize the compressor.  I am guessing that trip cost me over $400 in
AC parts and it didn't even work. 
I was in the habit of turning the compressor on the kick the cooling on
while driving hard.

I HIGHLY suggest removing the AC belt to prevent frying the compressor.
If you have a closed AC system with the oil intact you should be ok.

The Young lady I took on the trip was not amused at being broken down on
the side of the road.  It took me a while to figure out the problem.  At
first I thought the water pump went out, because the motor would not
turn over. Ater I figured out the motor was ok, I was relieved and went
on with the trip.  

Knock on wood, I have never been stranded in a VW. I have always managed
to get home safely.

Kenneth Winter
> Just a tip (OK a story) to share about vanagon A/C hoses.
> 
> A few years ago I had problems keeping A/C refrigerant in my 84 Vanagon.
> Checked all the connections over and over, and found no problem.  Borrowed
> an electronic leak detector, and found nothing around the connections.
> Laying under the van, I started to study the long rubber hoses that stretch
> from engine to condensor (way up front).  Hoses were kind of oily (slick).
> Lo and behold, the electronic leak detector beeps along the entire length
> of the hoses!  Apparently the hoses had deteriorated with age, and R12 was
> just oozing through the hoses, taking trace amounts of oil with it.
> 
> Dealer wanted space shuttle prices for hoses (they're really long).  None
> of the FLAPS could order them either - the compressor connections used on
> the vanagon are rare.  My solution:  Found a place that carries A/C hose in
> bulk (made by Goodyear).  I bought about 30 feet, and got some special
> clamps.  The clamps look like regular hose clamps, but they're a bit
> sturdier and have a small metal hook tack-welded to the band.  The hook is
> used to make sure the clamps are installed at exactly the right position on
> the hose end.  I went home and cut off the OEM crimp clamps (they cut off
> very easily with a hacksaw, but be careful not to damage the metal
> connector pipe underneath the hose.)
> 
> The Goodyear hose has thicker walls than OEM hoses, but the inside
> diameters are a teeny bit smaller.  I had to work hard pushing the old
> metal connectors into the new hose.  But once I finished, I was really
> pleased.  Kept A/C in the car for about two years...
> 
> I've lost the charge again, but this is due to the compressor connectors
> coming loose.  I haven't figured out a way to keep those connections tight.
> Over time, engine vibration and motion seems to loose the connections.
> Then the O-rings get beat up, and the gas escapes.  With today's R12
> prices, I'll probably just go without.  So I've got nice hoses with no
> freon ... sigh.
> 
> John Hung
> 84 GL
> jhung@eng.auburn.edu
> www.eng.auburn.edu/~jhung