[xj-s] 1983 A/C saga

[John Bertsche <103136.3056@CompuServe.COM>]

When I bought my XJ-S last year I took it to a shop to have the
non-functioning A/C repaired. They replaced the hoses (high and low side),
the receiver/dryer, and charged it up. They specifically told me that the
compressor (original Harrison) was fine, and that they changed the O-rings
on the back of the compressor. After a week or 10 days the A/C stopped
working, so they charged it up again for free. It worked for about a week,
then they charged it up again for free and shot some dye into the system
that would show up under ultraviolet light. When it stopped working again
after a week or two they looked for a leak and couldn't find it. The only 2
possibilities, they said, were a leak in the evaporator, or a leak inside
the fuel cooler(into the fuel line). 

By this time summer was almost over and I was driving with the top down
most of the time anyway, so I just stopped dealing with the issue, although
I was frustrated at having spent close to $1000.- and still not having A/C.

Early this week a friend of ours and I were talking (he works for a
refrigeration/A/C outfit) and decided to take another look. He figured the
dye was still in there, so we got a black light and took a look at the
engine in the dark. It took about thirty seconds to find the leak: bright
yellow all over the connections at the back of the compressor! I couldn't
believe that the shop hadn't found this leak at the most obvious place to
look.

Tonight we put in new O-rings, evacuated and vacuum-tested the system, and
charged it up. Cost $60.- for refrigerant. We could have used maybe three
ounces more-I'll get another can on Sunday-but it works great. I'm really
glad to have A/C again, especially for those hot rainy days when the inside
of the car is like a greenhouse. 

My point is that no matter how highly recommended a shop is, don't take
their word for anything. I'm sure they never changed the O-rings, which
would have taken them a few extra minutes (they had the compressor out to
change the hoses), and they couldn't have missed that leak. There's nothing
that hard about this job; I just wish I hadn't been fearful of diving into
it last year.           


                                                        jb

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• Re: [xj-s] 1983 A/C saga
• From: Walter Petermann <corsaro@brokersys.com>

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