Get an a/c shop to do a pressure test. Otherwise, all the refridgerant you
pay to get put in could leak.

Marshall Ruskin

>    Good morning
>    When I bought this van it had sat for 4 years, I don't know if you ever
>remember me mentioning that little fact... :0)...
>
>    Well needless to say the A/C has never worked for me.
>
>    When I went to check the compressor I noticed one of the screws that
>holds on the top pipe was loose, so I tightened it.
>
>    If I'm real lucky that IS my A/C problem...
>    Now what?
>
>                        Mtngal
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@pangea.ca>
>To: Debi Webi <mtngal@SIERRATEL.COM>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 12:03 AM
>Subject: Re: Re: A/C repair $ticker $hock - not "urgent," but "pressing"
>
>
>| 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
>| >
>|
>|
>
>