Well, one way to see if anything is happening is to touch the two pipes
coming from the compressor - one should be hot!!!! the other cold.

If that's the case, your compressor has a pulse, but may be half dead.

If it has a pulse, the next thing to find out is if you have any pressure in
your system - an a/c place can quickly check that

If there's no temp diff, have somebody turn the a/c on and off to see if the
clutch on the a/c clicks. If it doesn't your clutch is either dead or there
is a circuitry problem, methinks.

If you have low pressure, well, the question is why.

You may not have run the a/c often enough to keep the seals wet, and the
refrigerant may have leaked out.

What an a/c place should do then is a pressure and vacuum test. If it hold
positive and negative pressure, well, your seals healed themselves. It does
happen - happened to me.

If you have to recharge the system, remove the receiver-dryer, purge the
system with nitrogen, replace with a new receiver-dryer, have them pull a
hard vacuum, and then refill with r134a and the correct amount of oil.

That's the best way, not a shortcut way, but the way the pros do it.

.....They also reclaim the old refrigerant prior to disassembly.

Marshall Ruskin
-----Original Message-----
From: Debi Webi <mtngal@SIERRATEL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, August 20, 1999 12:54 AM
Subject: Re: A/C repair $ticker $hock - not "urgent," but "pressing"

>HOW DOES ONE KNOW IF THE COMPRESSOR IS ALRIGHT?
>Mine hasn't worked since I bought my van late last year.
>I think I mentioned this before in p-mail to someone but I wasn't confident
>enough to try it then...
>
>I need a step-by-step e-mail tutor to help me through checking the A/C
>SYSTEM...
>
>Anyone want to step up to the plate? :0)
>
>Word before is: I've never done this before, is it something you think I
can
>handle?
>                                    Mtngal
>
>
>|      Napa has compressor shaft seal kits  for $10 - $20 depending on the
>| sanden model in your van and your discount rate.  The compressor is
>probably
>| ok
>