[jbrownkyr1]

Hey guys is there a thread somewhere here that shows how to get everything off to remove the condensor? My wife called yesterday and said the AC quit working and sure enough there is clear oil dripping from under the front grill/bumper. I found several condensors on ebay for around $100. How much should I have to pay to get it recharged? Any help is appreciated..thanks.

 

[Ross&Em]

Sorry to hear about your trouble with the A/C. I take it you never invested the $3.00 for the "H/D Mod" to protect your A/C. Do a search and you will find out how to install ( I never even took off my front bumper assy to install ) and when you replace the Comp,be sure to install the leaf gutter guard (aka. H/D mod). Good luck.

 

[Serj22]

I had the same issue, but I welded the condensor back together, not sure if that's good... but the A/C still works. But if yours is actually leaking the fluid... then it has to be replaced. Usually for every car ever made, you must release the plastic valves on the top of the engine bay. They're usually a green/blue color, and let all the freon out into the air. You do not want that stuff spraying into your face while you're working on the condensor and undo something. Remove the front bumper. Remove everything holding the condensor in. I belive it is 4 bolts on each corner (16 total)of it holding it to the bumper support. Undo all the tubing and hoses, and replace the new condensor in its place and re-attach everything. Usually aftermarket condensors are all shiny and chrome-y. THey do that to give the impression of it being an intercooler to people who just glance at it. "yeah, I gotsa turbo" Then make sure everything is tight, tighten up those two plastic caps that you released the freon from. Find a freon tech, have them vacuum all the moisture out of the lines, which will have gotten in there if you had the condensor off the pipes for more than a millisecond... which is un-avoidable. Then they will re-charge the system.

On my V, the Dealership wanted $750 to do the whole deal. Including New Condensor, recharge, replacement, etc... but you can easily do the whole deal for a new $75-100 condensor, you replace yourself in a couple hours, then get it recharged for however much it costs.

 

[breese524]

Usually for every car ever made, you must release the plastic valves on the top of the engine bay. They're usually a green/blue color, and let all the freon out into the air.

Releasing the coolent into the air is ILLEGAL!!!

If you are not A/C certified, your technically not supposed to do anything with the AC.

Having said that... See if you can find a shop that will collect the refridgerent for you.

I'm not sure if there are instructions to get you to the condenser on this site, but if you look at the HandA web site, the fog light install instructions will give you what you need to know to pull the bumper off. After that you'll be on your own...

 

[jbrownkyr1]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I thought the coolant system has already been de-pressurized if there is a hole in the condensor??

 

[Serj22]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I thought the coolant system has already been de-pressurized if there is a hole in the condensor??

as far as I heard it was okay to release the newer systems. But maybe not. Well, after research in the clean air act, section 608, you can not vent anything anymore, even the 134a, which was deemed "atmosphere ok" I really hate environmental laws, because half of them need to be broken just to fix something. Well, the only thing it says is that you can not re-fill or recharge a known leaking system, so as long as it's leaking out on its own, that's no fault of yours. Plus, you never call a service Dept. and say " my car is leaking freon" they never say "BRING IT IN IMMEDIATELY! YOU WILL BE FINED A BAGILLION DOLLARS!" once it leaked out, there's nothing you can do about it. Swap the condensor, and have someone recharge it.

Maybe I'm wrong here but I thought the coolant system has already been de-pressurized if there is a hole in the condensor??

Yup, I missed that part. No need to depressurize.

 

[hotrodder]

There is always a little refrigerant oil that settles in the bottom of the condenser. If there is a hole big enough to leak oil, it definitely has lost all freon already.

Rock Auto has a brand new one for $99.79---a new Honda condenser is $239.49.

X 2 on the grill (rock guard) mod---good luck;-)

 

[BigTzElement]

No Element EVER sold had or now has Freon.

 

[Island E]

No Element EVER sold had or now has Freon.

Details, details details.

Just like Vise grips, Channel locks and crescent wrenches

 

[Serj22]

I knew it had the 134a stuff or whatever refrigerant.

 

[breese524]

No Element EVER sold had or now has Freon.

Correct, it has R134a which is not Freon, but if you are doing a/c work, and the refridgrent hasn't already leaked out, it must be recovered according to the EPA.

Rummor has it that the refridgrent is still harmful for the environment and the EPA is set to require a stop to the use of R134a in the near future.

 

[Island E]

Funny thing is that a single launch of the space shuttle releases more ozone depleting junk into the air than the entire world's HVAC industry does in a year.

 

[hotrodder]

There is always a little refrigerant oil that settles in the bottom of the condenser. If there is a hole big enough to leak oil, it definitely has lost all of the refrigerant already.

Rock Auto has a brand new one for $99.79---a new Honda condenser is $239.49.

X 2 on the grill (rock guard) mod---good luck;-)

There, I fixed it-----used generics for simplicity;-)

You have to understand----my donkey is overloaded :twisted: :lol:

 

[presto88]

"Funny thing is that a single launch of the space shuttle releases more ozone depleting junk into the air than the entire world's HVAC industry does in a year."

Really? That just doesn't sound possible to me....

Do you have a source for that information?

 

[hotrodder]

I read something several years ago. The source (I don't recall) stated one shuttle launch caused as much damage to the ozone as all the vehicles of the world do for one year. It also said one volcanic eruption equals ten years worth of all vehicle damage to the ozone layer.

I remember it because it seemed odd and difficult to prove.

 

[Dom.five]

This is one of many. It's a proven fact.

More information from NASA about ozone.

Dom

 

[Serj22]

I read something several years ago. The source (I don't recall) stated one shuttle launch caused as much damage to the ozone as all the vehicles of the world do for one year. It also said one volcanic eruption equals ten years worth of all vehicle damage to the ozone layer.

I remember it because it seemed odd and difficult to prove.

So I can take the CAT off my car and the prez can stop yanking on all the emissions laws and instead focus their attention on building giant corks to plug up the volcanoes and a net to keep space shuttles from launching.

 

[hotrodder]

So I can take the CAT off my car and the prez can stop yanking on all the emissions laws and instead focus their attention on building giant corks to plug up the volcanoes and a net to keep space shuttles from launching.

With the state of world conditions and man's ability to destroy and pollute our resources at an alarming rate, your converter won't make much difference. I'm leaving now---turn off the lights when you go.;-)

P.S. I read the NASA report---never thought much of the government's ability to report on itself--- the hawk watching the hen house:shock:

 

[presto88]

Thanks for the links, Dom, but they seem to disprove the statement that the harm done by the shuttle is significant.

From the first link:
"...studies have shown that the amount of chlorine produced by the Space Shuttle and other rockets using similar solid propellants is actually quite small and has a miniscule effect on the ozone layer."
and,
" In an average year, industry generates an estimated 300 million kilograms of stratospheric chlorine while natural sources like volcanoes produce about 75 million kilograms. Assuming nine Space Shuttle launches and six launches of Titan rockets per year results in a total of 725,000 kilograms of chlorine released into the upper atmosphere. The actual launch rate of the Shuttle has only been this high once, in 1985, and is generally much lower with an historic average of less than five launches per year. "

From the NASA link:
"The report concludes that Space Shuttle launches at the current rate pose no significant threat to the ozone layer and will have no lasting effect on the atmosphere. The exhaust plume from the Shuttle represents a trivial fraction of the atmosphere, and even if ozone destruction occurred within the initial plume, its global impact would be inconsequential."

If the information from the first link is correct (it probably is, since there are similar numbers on the NASA site), then ALL of the shuttle/Titan launches during the busiest year in history (1985) amounted to less than one average DAY of industry output. This seems reasonable, because in spite of what Walt Disney says, it's a really big world afterall.