good effort with AC not being one of your strengths. can see why you were told not to put it up, espeically in canada a person can't buy r134a in the parts store like you can in the US. r134a and r1234yf don't put holes in ozone layer, that's ODP (ozone depletion potential and older refrigerants like r12 and r22). R134a and r1234yf refrigerants have 0 ODP and some GWP. globalol warming "potential". you don't use a vacuum pump to evacuate refrigerant, you use a recovery machine and an empty cylinder to recover refrigerant to. Basically the world won't end and you aren't depleting ozone if that refrigerant didn't make it's way back into a cylinder for reclamation. your next goal: vacuum with line from vacuum pump to service port and a micron gauge on the other service port. But all in all, I think working on anything on a PT cruiser has got to be a punishment in the 6th or 7th circle of hell. A bit better test when you have a clutch cycling switch at the accumulator and high pressure cut-off switch at compressor is... feed the clutch ground and +12v. In many cases, the AC signal from control on dash goes to HP cutoff (normally closed) then to VCM or PCM. The clutch cycling switch (or low pressure switch) sends a ground to VCM/PCM when pressure is above low cutoff. Then the VCM/PCM will ground the clutch relay's coil. The relay contacts will send +12v to clutch. Not sure if you checked this offline before going at replacing the clutch or if you checked that the clutch was getting +12V from the relay, could have been the high pressure cutoff connector you said was buggered up that kept the clutch from engaging. During normal operation the HP switch is closed, so a break in the wire keeps the clutch from energizing.
All this is is a bunch of crap with the government. The ozone layer Freon is environmentally safe. It states it on a bottle and if you use common sense think on your own, you will see it. The chemicals that are used it’s been proven is just a money racket for the government to screw the people that work with it you gotta have a license for this you got to have a license for that yes I agree you should re-cover it because it can be reused unless it is contaminated every person should be license to use it, this is a bunch of crap that if you mess with a 12 ounce can you don’t have to be license but if you mess with a 30 pound bottle you have to be license it’s all rocket people that don’t know what they’re doing shouldn’t be touching it. You should be made to have a license to buy any type of Freon whatsoever. The reason is because people don’t know how to charger systems. They overcharge them, lock them up and just blow the Freon off or the system blows up in their face because they think, it’s not cold enough shoot more into it no you can’t. You have to diagnosed the systems and people don’t know how to do that anymore. They just want to throw parts at their systems anymore just like automotive they don’t wanna diagnose nothing no more they don’t know how to read a scanner and what I mean by that is you don’t know how to read data reading scanner is easy, the scanner point you in the direction, the problems that and then you got a figure it out and it converts computer language into English so we can understand it. You have to know the numbers people don’t understand that and for the simple fact of AutoZone advance. I think they should be made to stop scanning vehicles because they’re making people believe that that is the problem just because they hook the scanner up people don’t realize they’re there just to sell parts they didn’t diagnose it but they get pissed off when they take it to the shop AutoZone said put this part on when you put it on and then it doesn’t fix it. Well it’s not our problem we didn’t diagnose it go back to AutoZone saw and they would stop it dislike war forks. I don’t know what the reason for us, but they no longer can charge for air because they were suit. That’s why they’re not charge for air. People just need to learn to idle down take a breather and take a step back and learn you must troubleshoot system if you can’t have your magic, eight ball and throw parts at it because it can’t be a broken wire a loose connection I spread pin peoples in is such a big hurry nowadays they got time to troubleshoot or look at the simple fax the simple things that staring them in the face they think technicians are out to rip them off because they want to diagnose it. No, we want to cover our ass and that’s with all technicians even HVAC, I know HVAC people of seeing this problem people just want to shoot them or throw the part Adam and it always doesn’t work out. That way you have to diagnose things but this fast electronic world is not going to work it’s killing everything people need to learn how to take a breather, slow down think about the situation and take a double look at the whole picture and yes there is a lot of places HVAC automotive shops plumbers that won’t troubleshoot nothing and just throw parts at it all day. Oh I’ve seen that problem. This is what it is. Yes you seen a problem but you need to verify that that is the issue because you could have a defective part but you could have a wiring problem to you need to make sure but people don’t want to hear this. They don’t have time for this they think troubleshooting is a rip off. No it’s not. It’s to confirm that that is the actual problem, or do you have multiple problems and this is one that pisses me off to no end when they call automotive technicians mechanics we are not mechanics technicians figure out the problem for the mechanics to put parts on. We completed the puzzle we went through the system diagnostic mechanics don’t know how to do that. There’s a big difference in the two and a lot of people don’t understand that and they don’t know there is a difference and there is a big difference and I hate people that can’t comprehend and get that correct and another one that bothers me is people that say probably they’re not sure of their own selves that that is the issue learn how to speak. I can go on and on about this, but I’m going to cut it from here, but the main concern was talking about this global warming crap people just need to learn to use common sense. That’s all face the facts we could do all this work to try to save the world. It’s good. Going to do my lash one. It wants to mother nature you’re not gonna stop it you’re not gonna control it it’s gonna do what it wants and what it wants and nobody’s gonna stop it. I don’t care how much you do so you people just need to face the facts. Human beings are not gonna be around forever that’s the bottom one.
And as far as the hole in the ozone layer, we just now got technology to see it it’s always been there people don’t believe it but it’s been there. It’s a chimney, so suck it up deal with it. Nobody’s going to change it nobody’s going to fix the problem in the story. Humans won’t be around forever grandkids their time is limited on this earth face the fax people
Yeah its just greenwashing BS a little bit of gwp... Ill still recover my r134a though but thats only because of how expensive it is and its not exactly legal to buy either so its worth its weight in gold.
I've been a professional mechanic over 10 years, I thought this video would be laughable but you did a great job and were rather amusing. KEEP WRENCHIN
I have a philosophy: "I can pay a professional to screw it up, or I can screw it up myself for free." And... I have been teaching shop since _before_ OBD2; I'm old.
@@GregWellwood Same motto, and when I mess up I know and try to fix it. Some mechanics hide mess up and give the car back with a hidden problem. As example, once I couldn't change a tire on the side of the road because the stud just spun. The Goodyear tire monkey who recently changed that tire likely didn't know about LH wheel studs so just kept turning up his wrench until he spun the stud in the hub, then just put the wheel back like that, not letting the owner (me) know his screw-up, and leaving a hole to step in.
I love the comments slamming you! I added 134a to my daughter's car that had r12 originally. It wasn't completely discharged, so I just topped it off. Apparently the oils are not compatible, so I found 134a with no oil and put it in. Charged till the pressures seemed right and it worked great. Still was working when we sold it 3 years later. Like yours, it wasn't worth spending a lot of money on, so if it failed, I was only out a few hours and about 10 dollars.
This video is very entertaining. What I liked about the video was this fellow showed most of the problems I have ever run across in my 58+ years of working on cars. When you are an avid DIY’R, you do what you have to do to get a job done. My advice is NEVER give up! He mentioned how some say never use gloves with power equipment. I will tell you NEVER use an angle grinder or cutoff wheel WITHOUT gloves! (My $2100 visit to the emergency room this past year will attest to the FACT that an angle grinder can get away from you and chew up your fingers!) Keep up the great videos!
Repairing my cars and my classic cars is over! At a certain age 65 bought a new truck with warranty and an electric car because there are no oil changes, no exhaust system, no brake jobs, no transmission, no differential. The regular maintenance includes the cabin air filter and rotating the tires. When the stealership war replacing the cam phasers in the truck, I was collecting my $7000 rebate from you taxpayers and another $2000 from you state taxpayers. Thanks 😂
Yeah. My dad was a journeyman lineman for 23 years then got an AA in HVAC, he was a radioman in Korea and he fixed tons of tvs and radios in our basement while I was growing up, and he was a world class auto mechanic. I could count on helping him fix all his co-worker's cars, holding the light for him, at 8 years old, on 20° St. Louis winter nights after one of their sons knocked the front ball joint off driving like a dick. Fortunately, I paid attention and pretty much picked up all the lessons he taught me, in addition to bodywork. I've had a classic Corvette restoration shop for 40 years and used all the plumbing, carpentry, roofing cement 😂 electronics repair he taught me years ago. I've also been an attorney for 20 years, but mechanical stuff will always be my thing. Take a kid to a car show or expose them to working on cars or stuff around the house. All many of them need is being exposed to working with their hands. If the gift is there, you'll never get them away from it.
As a result of watching this today I ended up with a world class lesson in patience and always to try to keep a good mental positive attitude and disposition despite having to deal with really stupid engineering design and the repair from the pit of hell and I thank you for that.
Great channel! Love those that state “if you have a crescent wrench and 5 minutes time, you too can do this…..” thanks for putting this in real world circumstances.
Submerse the cans in a bucket of hot water while servicing. It cuts the time down a lot. To get the exact coolant amount, I use a digital thermometer measuring temps coming out of the vents, fan on high. As coolant is added the temp decreases. Once the temp goes back up a degree, stop adding refrigerant.
My brother! No one has ever spoke to my heart the way you did at 11:20. The inflection, the tone of your voice, I KNEW you have known the pain that I feel more and more with every passing day. "After arguing with the electrical connector I cut it off and then dont show how I had to completely undo and redo the hell I had just been thru." (I'm paraphrasing there, I realize those weren't your exact words.) That is the story of my life. It seems like every single project or chore or undertaking I attempt, the universe has decided to make it as absolutely miserable and far more difficult that it needs to be. Or is remotely even reasonable. It cant all be coincidence. It is by design, I'm sure of it. It's crazy making. Its going to end in tragedy. Its got to the point my new motto or mantra is....if it aint broke, just give me a minute. And I know it cant be a pretty sight to see, watching a grown man have an absolute tissy fit, a psychotic break because cant find a 1/2" socket with 1/2" drive. He's dumped every old tool box and old bucket and jar out on the garage floor, and he's found 38 1/2" sockets but none with 1/2“ drive and he only has the extension and universal he needs in 1/2". Has an adapter, but of course it wont fit in there with the adapter. So he just decides to go after it with vice grips and channel locks, you know, the ones that always slip and pinch your palm. And then when you said soldering, I teared up a little. Its not my forte. Fits like these, when soldering is involved, usually degrade to mapp gas. And I'm not talking about sweating pipe, I mean soldering. As in wires and boards and what not. Because I promise you that $#@d solder is gonna melt. I promise you. Let me put it like this, my boy was probably 6 or 7 at the time. Seeing the look of desperation and frustration of a broken, beaten man, asked me with genuine sincerity and concern, he asked me in ernest, "dad, why does God hate you?" I almost wept. I could be wrong, but when you made the comment about the hammer, I sensed, at least a little bit, you KNOW my pain. Let me know if you ever want to partner up, and we can go looking for that little elf that keeps stealing all the 8 & 10 millimeter nutdrivers. We can find him and beat the *#&$=\% oiss outta him! Ha! It was an excellent video, sir. It was so good, I watched it. I watched your video on a PT Cruiser a/c compressor. And that is saying something, because right now I'm working on a water pump on an old Mustang. Just sayin.... If it aint broke, just gimme a minute......its mine, nobody steal it!
Jerry if it makes you feel any better there is nothing that I've done that I haven't done twice...I have come to realize that I will never get anything done on the first go round! I can expect the worse every time on any project!
I firmly believe that whatever an auto-designer makes on a car; he should be then sent out into the field and forced to repair it a number of times so they actually get some commonsense to offset the high amount of non-sense they often have.
@@jerbear7952 No. When you design a bolt that holds an expected part that will need multiple replacings in the life of the engine (like an idler pulley); and that bolt can't be removed without lifting the engine; then that designer is a moron-arsehole with no mechanical or engineering skill. Sorry but that is a brute fact. Granted some may not be able to foresee everything; but there should be a knowledgeable mechanic somewhere on the design team with enough say-so to stop the stupidity before it is in a full production line.
@@jerbear7952 Engineers don't know themselves, otherwise they wouldn't build something that you have to tear the car half apart to change a water pump or whatever, which in the past was pretty simple on other cars. Here's a good example of an idiot engineer, my lawnmower. He or she decided to have the pull start handle open, so it conveniently catches on ever shrub or bush in my yard. So then i can hear the pull start mechanism making a noise every time the handle catches. I always think to myself "that so and so never mowed a lawn in his/her life". Otherwise, they would have known that handle was an idiot design!
First time on your channel and it is great. I've had a lifetime of servicing my trucks and can tell you know what you are doing and the Canadian references make it real. I'd much rather watch you work than get to the work waiting for me. Of course, I subscribed and liked.
I have been a technician at a GM dealer for 25 years, 30 total in the car business and I don't ever see anything done here that I haven't seen before in A shop that I have worked at. No one ever follows all the rules and regulations that are in place, show me A person that says they do, and I'll show you a lair! There are short cuts to everything, made up by guys in the shops, because we get paid by the job, not the hour. You do what works for you and keep on trucking. Love the content and the comedy that you put with it, keep up the good work and teaching the young minds of your students!
A/C was my weakest area in my technical training days, and I never had any experience in working with A/C at all. It doesn't seem as hard as I thought it would be.
@@GregWellwood If you watch a few AC people on youtube, you can pick it up pretty fast (like 'steven lavimoniere' or 'hvacr'). If you know how to read a P/T chart, it's really obvious. The biggest unintuitive thing about it is if the pressure is too low (aka there's a leak or there isn't enough refrigerant in the system), that's when it freezes and ices up. Low pressure = low boiling point, and if the refrigerant is below 0C at the boiling point, the system will ice up. You actually add MORE refrigerant to raise the pressure (and thus the temperature of the cold side) to make sure it's above freezing. The only thing I'd suggest you do is purge your hoses before you dump the refrigerant in - you either need to bleed some refrigerant through the hose to flush out the air first, or connect the hoses to the gauges, and evacuate them with the vacuum when you evacuate the rest of the system. You don't want the air that's in the hose initially to go into the system.
While not applicable here - make sure that plug you're jumping only has TWO wires not 3. If it's got 3, one is ground, one is sensor out, one is +5 from the BCM. The BCM can see what the actual pressure is (vs on/off or high/low). Anyhow, point is you could damage the control module, and it won't turn on the compressor. You just go to the fuse/relay panel and short the switch contacts there. Same net result. We now continue with your regularly scheduled broadcast.
@@GregWellwood Found this out with a Mitsubishi Outlander. I just used a 1.5v AA Battery which gave a voltage within the correct range and the compressor clicked in.
Having recently worked on a PT Jigsaw puzzle I appreciate your recording of it first pulling the refrigerant into the system you can hear that cold motor. And by the time you were done you could actually hear yourself think around the motor after everything warmed up and filled up the spaces that makes the nasty racket of a PT/neon motors starting up cold.
First timer here, great advice, glad to see you keep it real. Like said above, you relate to the realworld DIY who's found this out of necessity. Earned my like and Subscribe!
For cost effective repair I often harvest parts at a pick&pull type place. As a rule cheaper than aftermarket and as good quality. There may be exceptions. The staging of the cars to be harvested for parts at the pick and pull seems to be best when the cars are supported by steel rims off the ground. Take a 2X4 with you if a lug nuts have to be loosened to remove a wheel. Put the 2x4 between the ground and spoke in wheel to hold it to remove lug nut.
I just worked on a buddies 3.6l Dodge. Engine was ticking hard. Pulled the valve covers off and a few of the rockers ate into the camshaft. Also VVT sprocket was bad along with some tensioner arms/guides. Anyways, he had little money for the repair. So pick your parts for the camshaft and a few rockers got the car going again.
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your experience on the Chrysler repairs , you are very brave man !!! After watching your struggle , I congratulate my self for staying away from Chrysler , Dodge , Ram you know , all that “ famous “ brand !!! I prefer learning from some one else struggles ! Any way , I really enjoyed and learned a lot from your video , thanks !!!👍👍👍
First time here, and I just wanted to say 2 things: That broken switch is the ambient temperature sensor. 2-Thank you for the entertainment and the explanation for all of those who don't have the knowledge about the importance of vacuuming the system.
WOW , great video . I can totally tell you are a teacher . This is a complement ;) I learned a lot . Here in Louisiana most people use R134 to recharge their a/c EVERY SUMMER because our summers are BRUTAL . Last year we had at least 30 days over 100F and 10 days around 110F.. It feels good to know that R134 is less damaging to the environment. WOO HOO !!😁
That plug you thought was broken and didn't know what it was, is actually the temperature sensor for a digital readout somehere in the car, most likely the mirror.
Hilarious, been there myself doing A/C compressor on a Ford Expedition. After fighting the compressor out, I put a new compressor in and couldn't get the long ass bolt in it, so I had to drop the compressor back out and insert the long ass bolt then reinstall it. Of course, this was all done laying under the truck with rust and dirt falling on my face, what a pain in the ass. Great video brought back that wonderful memory of doing the same thing.
If I had to cut bolts off I would pretty much always replaced them with studs using Never Seize. I love that stuff.. I've done that many times over my 40+ years as a mechanic. I did like your comment about paying market value for the vehicle to get work done. LOL I still do most of my own repairs but I really don't enjoy working on these rolling computers they call cars today. Anyway, good video. I'll be back.
That was probably the most entertaining a/c video I have watched. Love the humor and you handled the PT cruiser well. Never was vehicle that I enjoyed working on less that a PT cruiser, maybe a prowler but they are so close it doesn't matter.
I am so going to have to do this on my Ford transit. The dryer had a hole in it when I bought it, aluminium corrosion. Looks the same as yours. Wonder how long it was exposed!
In the past year I did both a radiator (10/22) and the timing belt (3/23) on my '97 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible with the 2.5 liter V6. I don't know if you've worked on those cars, Mr. Shop Teacher, but I can assure you that the grunting, swearing, dropping of tools, along with wanting to exact revenge against the car seems somewhat similar. I swear, Chrysler put the engines on a cradle and build the *bleeping* cars around them. In other words- I feel your pain!! And yes, my car is running great now.
Nice to know I'm in good company. I was one of those "weird" kids that started to asked Santa Claus for automotive tools when I was 12. I gleefully flipped through the Sears Catalog picking out craftsman tools.
Yet not alone I grew up so poor that xmas wasnt much of an option But a basic set of tools I got before I got my 1st car and learned how to do fixes myself since no way in hell I could afford to pay anyone else Thankfully I was smart and skipped american cars entirely since they were such utter crap by then, my 1sr Datsun sports car was dead reliable, quick and actually got slightly better then the commercials for it claimed at 40mpg I got it at almost 300k and sold it 3yrs later for more than I paid with then 480 on it.. I upgraded then to my 280zx with about 300 on it.. unkillable engine, easy to work on and same toolset slowly grew. (Frame finally was fubar in mine at 800+ on it only basic maintenance for it.. transplanted the engine and tranny to another 280 and last I checked with that owner it was 1.3million and going strong still with only basic maintenance.. and all with that same sort of basic toolkit he got much as indid and you did when we were quite young. Lesson buy a properly designed reliable car that you can actually work on and get your kids a basic toolset when they are young it can be a LIFESAVER!!!
The Sears Catalog was a gift in and of itself when I was younger. I remember standing in the tool department wishing that one day I could afford the tools. Things sure have changed.
Thanks for Sharing...... On vehicle that is more than 10 years old, it is good idea to replace the Schrader Valves (High and Low) because they are point where they could easily leak and they are not too much to replace....Be careful, a lot of those "Refrigerant Substitutes" are very Flammable because they are "Propane Derivatives".
Stainless into aluminum is the second worst situation. Aluminium is rapidly corroded. Now coat the stainless end to end with a high solids copper antiseize and that bolt will not react. I can not explain how the galvanic effect is disrupted but it is very effective.
@@billderby1527 only if the refrigerant is a tertiary blend. 134a is not. 410a most certainly is. I started working for a single man operation, owner/tech some years ago. The 3rd day I was charging a new install of a unitary system, 410a, tank inverted. He, who had been the sole installer for 1.5 years at that point, asked me-as if I was stupid- (a common occurence) WHY I had the tank upside down. O.M.G. . .And ME, the 'beginner' with 20 years of domestic refrigeration experience. The rest of the story is , well, self explanatory. A nightmare of incorrectly charged, newly installed mostly Rheem systems, with customers unhappy with the performance versus cost. I was able to rectify the situation, but it involved roughly 5 - 7 tanks of 410a, and about a years time.
I worked on different aircraft while in the USAF, this R & R & Recharge so reminded me of the jobs I did as an aircraft electrician. Associated systems and equipment that were in the way of our stuff were technically required to be be removed by the other techs But unless you wanted to add 1/2 day of freezing weather or scorching heat you tried to do it without them. My small sure hands fit in places the other Man hands wouldn’t and I didn’t drop stuff cause if you do that bird don’t fly till it’s found and removed.
Ahhh, the Old PT Barnum Cruiser, made lots of money on them over the years. Almost every task leaves 3" of room to get twice as many inches of parts in and out. I prefer to use the silver anti-seize (tin man style) ...and some o-rings slid down the bolts to help hold them in place. They collapse easily later on. Nice work.
After watching the video, giving due consideration of the amount of effort involved and factoring in that the entire project looks to be about as entertaining as masturbating with a cheese grater, I've arrived at a superior and much faster solution to the entire problem. A five gallon bucket of thermite. Don't need anywhere near that much, but a job well done is a job done thoroughly. This is an unusual solution that I'm recommending, as I usually recommend the judicious application of copious amounts of high explosives. But, the exception is for when one considers whether or not the world would benefit from any part of this turd entering into high earth orbit. As an aside, I've learned that this vehicle would never be allowed to be launched into orbit, as planetary protection protocols would consider its reentry a hazardous contamination event, as it obviously should've never been permitted to grace the surface of this earth in the first place.
Good video! My car is 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS, currently at 125k. About a month ago it wasn’t blowing cold air so I decided to use one of this refrigerant cans and accidentally put to much in the system. Had to take it to a shop so they evacuated the whole system, changed the expansion valve and refilled it. It didn’t seem to work cause a/c was working but not getting cold air as it should. Now I’m having this issue with my RPM at idle when the A/C is on. It also have this little noise coming from the blower motor, but it only seems to happen when idling. Car runs smooth, but at red lights or stop signs RPM goes down and it becomes shaky and then this noise from the blower motor comes out (it only happens when a/c is on). Also replaced the throttle body, coils, spark plugs, MAP sensor, PCV valve because of this rough idle, and right now IDK what else to do with this. Dealer was asking for $550 for just a diagnosis and I don’t trust them anymore, so I’m running out of ideas
Yowza! I have the same black jackstands … and i got mine when i was about 15 … nearly 40 years ago! I still use ‘em and still mostly trust ‘em. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else with a set of those. Btw, I’m pretty sure your PTSD Cruiser originally had 134a refrigerant; while it’s still preferable to capture any that might be in the system, it’s far less toxic to the ozone than was the old R12 stuff of yore.
@@GregWellwood I learn something new every day! Turns out R12A is different from the R12 that I'm familiar with -- but it's all organic (maybe even free-range!) and safe to use or leak out as you please in place of R12 or R134a. Sounds like it works for you, so that's good enough for me! Fwiw, your videos remind me of my original Auto Shop teacher (Goodwin Hannaford, RIP) from way back when, when I was a kid. Keep up the awesome videos and teaching those kids! Thanks!
@@musclecaraction Organic simply means its a Carbon Compound. In this case, a Hydrocarbon. R12a is an Alkane, a member of the same family as Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, etc., you get the picture, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE!
I just vacuumed and recharged my 2000 Tacoma using R134A/substitute hydrocarbon based refrigerant. I realize it's combustible but I don't have any leaks (except slow leakage at comp shaft) so I went with it. Cold like a meat locker. As a matter of fact, I recharged both of my 911SCs w/ Freon 12 and this is just as cold as the R12 cars. I have a recovery unit but the 911s had leaks that had to be fixed so they were both empty prior to recharge.
One note on detecting leaks using vacuum, I have had more than one car in my shop that held vacuum overnight but leaked horridly when I put pressure in the system. In all cases a fitting was loose and the vacuum was pulling the seal together. I now use compressed air to check for leaks and then pull a vacuum to get the moisture out.
Actually, by unbolting the compressor from the engine first and tying it to the radiator support you don't have to evacuate the AC system. Ive done several of those timing belt kits (with water pump) on PT-Loosers and had no problems. It's approximately 4 hour job.
Many years ago at a place I worked I got to watch the testing of a vacuum tank system that had a tank big enough to hold a couple people. ( no I didn't get in it ) it had porthole windows at the bottom and at around 15 inches of vacuum I got to watch a puddle of water in the bottom boil at 70 degrees F. I could put my hand right underneath where it was boiling. It was really cool to see.
@@GregWellwood that was the thing, I could look through the window and watch it boil like on a hot fire and at same time feel the cool metal right under it. It really messed with your head.
Now then consider that it can get so cold under vacuum that it turns to ice and for a complete evacuation and removal of the moisture, the ice goes through sublimation… ice to vapor.
@@waggtech4883 yes, I suppose it could do that. But as I remember it was pretty big, dense tank and only about a pint or less of water. Were the tank small and not so much to ' chill ' Would it change to ice and would solid ice still change to gas ? I hear about ice in space all the time, if there is then how does it not just change to gas and totally dissipate? At my job I occasionally use a bunch of torches connected to single propane tank and after using a lot of propane rather fast it ' ices up ' and hardly comes out so I have to switch to another tank and let that one thaw to use the rest.
Before replacing the compressor you have checked fuses and and wiring that is associated to the ac. Don't assume the the compressor is bad. It could have cost you more , replaced the part and still don't work. Keep that in mind.
Always Check for system leaks with pressure (dry nitrogen) not vacuum. If you do have a leak, applying vacuum pulls moisture into the system which will have to be removed later.
@@carrollprice1213 If you watch the video you can see he used two (off the shelf) cans of fluid, and started a third accidentally. So it was just a backyard-John for personal use, one time job. Yes, a non-amateur would use a dry nitrogen pressurized test. FIRST. But vacuum is nice to suck in those one time disposable cans.
As a 20+ year ASE certified Auto Tech, I have never seen anyone use or heard of using nitrogen to pressurize an automotive or light/medium/heavy A/C system. To say that anyone with a clue would get a nitrogen and a regulator before a vacuum comes from a place of ignorance about actually servicing mobile automotive type A/C systems. Call a dozen local auto repair shops that work on A/C systems, including new car dealers, and see if you can find _one_ that has the capability to pressurize a system with nitrogen. I'll wait... I'm not saying it wouldn't be a good idea, it's just not standard practice. It's also possible that regionally things are done differently. I know this is true in the building trades but I haven't seen it nearly as much in auto repair. @carrollprice1213 9 days ago Always Check for system leaks with pressure (dry nitrogen) not vacuum. If you do have a leak, applying vacuum pulls moisture into the system which will have to be removed later. @carrollprice1213 8 days ago @markae0 I hope so because anyone with a clue as to what they're doing would acquire nitrogen and a regulator before a vacuum pump.
The system should be charged through the yellow hose on the manifold set to preserve the vacuum that is in the system. By removing the manifold, you lost much of your vacuum. Those schrader valves are not designed to hold vacuum in the system. Connect a can tap to the yellow hose where the vacuum pump was without removing the manifold from the system. Let the refrigerant flow into the system with the engine off... then start the system and charge using the low side knob on the manifold. (make sure the high side manifold knob stays shut to prevent can rupture) The low loss valve on the yellow hose can hold a vacuum, but I like to attach a ball valve for added security when removing the vacuum pump and attaching the refrigerant can.
PAG 150 vis is advisable since a thin oil will cause troubles. I ran across a statement put out by GM that every vehicle in for warranty service would have their HVAC system sampled for less than PAG 150 viscosity oil and forever more denied any HVAC warranty work on that vehicle if anything less than 150 viscosity was found. Even it was just an oil change, they were gonna sample your AC for the oil in there. I've been using 150 ever since and my issues with AC are not a thing anymore. The first R-12 replacement kits came with plenty of PAG-46 vis oil and they tended to need a compressor soon after. I did a lot of those convert kits back in the day when R-12 was pulled from the market.
I feel your pain. I did my 08 altima 3.5 and there's practically no space to maneuver or take out bolts 😡 thanks for recording your struggle to remind the rest of us that were not the only one.
Moisture reacts with the refrigerant and creates “Hydroflouric Acid” which corrodes the metal in the system causing rust flakes to clog things up (Exp. Valve, Receiver Drier) also if there’s enough moisture it will saturate the desiccant bag in the drier and cause it to “Powder” and then its real ugly…. Rec.Driers should be replaced every time the system is opened. Speaking as an A/C Specialist with 48 years experience.
Actually, it is the PAG oil which absorbs moisture to cause internal corrosion. Many people don't fix a failed AC over Winter since it lost refrigerant, then address it in Spring. By then, atmospheric air and moisture has gotten in to start corrosion. Best oil today is PAO 68 since doesn't absorb moisture and works with all refrigerants (R-12, R-134A, HC, I think even R-1234yc). The old mineral oil used with R-12 absorbs negligible moisture.
Enough moisture can also freeze at the expansion devise and cause a high side restriction. I’ve seen this happen mostly in automotive due to improper service procedures. I’ve also seen it happen in walk in freezers and another instance in a manufacturing process cooler…
I am interested in the chemical redaction where water plus Freon will yield Hydrofluoric Acid. HF is one of the strongest most reactive of the acids. I don’t want to appear to like some on here, that like to argue and such. I am really interested. If you could site some info or a place to find the info I would appreciate it. You are the pro with 48 yrs of working A/C. I am just a guy who finds all this interesting. Thanks
Ohhh! I can hear the frustration in your speech about this project, and for some reason I thought it would be fun to watch this even though I was plagued with DIY work on formerly my 2-decade-old manual diesel Dodge Ram several months ago before I gave up, sold it, added a few thousand dollars and bought my '15 Honda Fit EX! Ughh, trying to replace those broken valves and putting the head and other things back on was SO frustrating! I don't know why I'm watching this now, because after that, I CAN'T STAND doing auto repair work! Ughhh, despite these compartments being sort of big-looking, there are TOO MANY odd little areas that have such TIGHT clearance and are so HARD to work in and around! Ughh, I feel your pain!
The older I get, the less I want to work on vehicles, I find it less and less satisfying. Having said that, I do want to mid-mount a V8 in a Honda Fit, and call it "MisFit"
TIP: After 47 years of working on cars, I have found that using a Temperature-Pressure Chart is BY FAR the best way to add whatever type of Freon you use. It never misses on the perfect amount of Freon needed AND it protects the compressor and whole AC system from being over-pressurized - THE MOST COMMON cause of compressor failures.
This was back in the day... you can't follow this same principle with variable displacement compressors. You will end up overcharging the system and burning the compressor. The best way of changing the ac system successfully is putting what the manufacturer recommends... no more, no less.
@@VWtech562 Yup. I show how you can weigh in a charge using a simple 16oz digital postal scale using 12oz cans. charging by pressure doesn't ensure a proper charge. And the only thing you know when the standing refrigerant pressure = saturation pressure at temp is that there is at least a drop of liquid refrigerant in the system. If it's 70F/21C and refrigerant is sitting at 71psig, sure you have some liquid in the system, but how much? If you add 6oz of refrigerant, the saturation pressure is... still 71psig. If pressure is 65psig, then you have ZERO liquid refrigerant in there.
@@BearHomeOwnerDIY I cannot find the video on your page of this what am I missing? I’m about to tackle ac on two trucks myself and I have a postal gauge you mention and manifold gauge set I just need to buy a vacuum pump.
Before recharging my old Toronado: I replaced the green o-rings on the top of the compressor connections. I ran a liter of the special ac cleaner through the condenser, tubing and connections finally blowing all of it out with compressed air.
That vacuum gauge would be a nice tool to use on first dates to see if she is worth your time...When you find a girl that can max out the vacuum gauge she's a keeper...great video
You're FAR better off taking the front off the car and the radiators out. Once you've done that a PT is a dream to work on - it's all there in front of you. Rad's out when your aircon is empty you're looking 30-45 mins max. The lazy mans way really is the hard way on a PT 😊
I hated working on PT Cruisers when I owned my shop! I swear almost every repair instructions started with, “drain and remove the radiator.” I used to replace the receiver/dryer every time but after a while (and a few customers complaining about the added cost) I found putting it under vacuum for 1hr it never cased an issue.
@@IconicSpitters I have no idea who that is. I did hear that phrase on youtube for the first time quite a while ago, but I'm pretty sure it's a really common and old phrase, and wasn't coined by anyone in particular on youtube.
@IconicSpitters I fix my own stuff , lately that's been my motto .. lol ..its good practice I guess .. Everyone is like , can you fix mine ? "He'll no , mine was hard enough ..
I've seen people fill the system with propane just for testing a system to make sure everything works, then suck all the propane out and fill with real refrigerant.
2:20 I quite enjoyed the expression " [ ... ] and you can figure out how much _you_ *suck* [ ... ] " as it took me by surprise how long I have overlooked that pun. 😄😄
I'm currently in brazil, here they Macgyver things into a/c systems like lpg gas...thats like pure propane / butane, i've seen they use carburettor cleaner, just pop the entire aerosol can using a perforating pliers with a r-12 port straight into the system, same process with contact cleaner and brake parts cleaner....amazing thing is that with these " substitute" refrigerants they get ice cold air from the a/c system in the car...
Duster can (like "compressed air" aerosol cans) used to be R134a, so it's complete BS that when used for air conditioning, it's "harmful to the ozone layer", but in "duster cans", the intended application is "spray it into the atmosphere". Regardless of whether it's actually bad for the ozone layer or the environment (aka greenhouse gas effect), which I'm sure it is, the f'ing laws make no sense. That said, a lot of propellants used in all aerosol cans are actually refrigerants too, propane, butane, etc etc. Commercial refrigeration also uses ammonia.
@@gorak9000 R12 was one of the"Ozone' effecting refrigerants that R-134a replaced. R134a/HFC134a is still sometimes used as a can propellant due it being mostly harmless, but it is being legislated out of usage in preference for other options. R134a was not the Ozone killer of the 60-70-80's AC ; that was the hairspray I used in the 80's ( All the blame on my hair metal friends).
@@donaldwrissler9059 But supposedly R134a has bad greehouse gas (global warming potential is the official term) effect - because it's phased out, and new automotive systems now are now R1234yf. I'm pretty sure they just keep phasing out refrigerants every few years so you have to keep replacing your AC system when the old refrigerant is now "illegal", or at the very least hard to get and thus too expensive. More so for residential AC's that cars - people don't keep cars very long anyway. Meanwhile tons of commercial AC still uses R22
Was looking into why the carburettor cleaner works well...prob cleans the inside of the heat transfer devices, and the NH3 . ... Ammonia works as the refrigerant, the contact cleaner and brake parts cleaner is probably R-141, a similar refrigerant to R-11.
Have manifold w/gauges, vacuum pump, and various incidentals for using 12oz R-340A cans and such. Used once to recharge system after replacing condenser and dryer. Will sell for $100 all inclusive for pickup in South Carolina and will ship at cost.
I was offered a PT cruiser some years ago at a an attractive price. I gave it a thorough inspection, & discovered bubbles in the cooling system. YES.....a leaking head gasket. I was told by mechanics that these cars are infamous for head gasket problems. I looked the thing over & d4ecided it was a poorly engineered POS & I am NOT surprised that they are long gone.
I had one that lasted 155,000 miles. I replaced the timing belt at 80k and put in a new clutch at about 105k. The brake pads and rear shoes were replaced once. The tie rod ends were replaced at about 95k. Of course there were some new tires and oil changes. I would say it was one of the best cars I have ever owned. My 16 year old kid totaled it. Sad ending for such a great car. I have a friend that had one for about ten years. It was his daily driver. He had a similar experience. Just regular maintenance.
Aas if the shittacular sohc ver or the far better (Mitsubishi design base) dohc version which did not suffer the same issues and were notnassy in the same plants The sohc was both a pos design but the QC for assy was abysmal much like gm for their pathetic spitfire with forced induction.. so bad of qc they had to have those built in germany instead of the states lol
I never understood how these cars got such a bad reputation. I guess it's good. It keeps them cheap. I should get a couple more of them before they are gone.
Talking about that engine swap, I saw a pt cruiser with 7.4 badges on it, big header primaries showing behind the front tires and one heck of an exhaust note. unfortunately I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner but i would have loved to seen what it took to fit a rwd 440 in one. Saw it just west of Edmonton, AB. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Should be a tag under the hood showing refrigerant type and amount for full charge. A small kitchen scale can be used to measure if you need a partial an.
Not that you would ever let your bottle of Never Seize dry out… I’ve found that adding some WD40 to the mix brings it back to the proper consistency. Just an FYI.
I think a large number the Chrysler engineers are card carrying "Crack Smokers Union" with plugs & coils behind the intake and batteries behind the wheel. They need to develop a better "Punch Board" for completing builds that non-crack smokers can get to and fix. After all, they didn't design them to run for ever. A parts department buddy must have lost a bet and ended up working at a Chrysler dealer 20 years or so before anyone knew that FIAT meant "Fix Again Tony" and in my short visit, he pointed out automatic trans failures (Baby 906?) and shown me the pile of 43 transmissions outside the receiving door of parts. He told me that a large number of them (99%) were all under warranty and internal problems (Fragmentation Grenades) would not let them be rebuilt. To this day, I think Chuck Norris hung them on chains, then had a workout!
All the env regulations just helps clearing our wallets better. And those certifications have to be renewed yearly!! Few weeks back, replaced compressor+dryer and washed the evap (was really dirty). If i was to do (the repair part) on a certified ac guy, i would spend >5x more. Just went to vacuum tested+refill after repairing. And probably due to the legislation, gas is 2-3x more than it would.
All refrigerates with an "A" after the number (such as 134A and most other refrigerates on the market today) is a blend of refrigerates and should always be added to a system as a liquid instead of a vapor. Which means that the container should be inverted (turned upside down) while adding refrigerate.
I'm SO pleased you talked about Celcius. It's the ONLY sensible measurment out there (Ha ha ha, my Murrican spell check doesn't recognise Celcius, lol 😀 I'm in Scotland, where we use metric for measuring things like wood and imperial for miles & MPH). as you pointed out, water freezes at 0 & boils at 100. Fart en shite is the WORST!! Murricans "Oh gosh. It's 110 degree's today!" I'm like WTF????? Anyway, my wife's engine & gearbox had to come out of her Citroen for a clutch, timing belt, timing chain (the DV6 engine has both) glow plugs (and I just KNEW a glow plug would break, so it was better with the engine on the bench) and so on. While engine was out, I tested her condenser with air pressure and found the pin hole that had been there for years. Charged the AC yesterday and it's blowing cold 🙂
Here in Canada, we use both, but it depends on what you're measuring. If you're cooking, °F. If it's outside temp, °C. If it's pool temp, it's °F. If you're measuring your own weight, it's in Lbs. If you're measuring something light, it's Kg, but if it's heavy it's Lbs. If you're measuring your own height, it's Feet and Inches. If it's a long distance, Km. If it's a short distance and work-related, Miles. If you're giving directions, distance is measured in travel time.
7:40 that's your outside temperature sensor and the sensor is probably working but the mount flange is broken and missing which explains the steel wire someone used to attach it to the bracket.
few tips while for dealing with a/c systems. You didn't elaborate while your were testing the compressor weather your did it before or after or while the system was under a vacuum. NEVER attempt to run the compressor while it is in a vacuum. In a vacuum the oil inside the compressor does not flow like a liquid in a vacuum and with no refigerant in the system no oil will be flowing to keep the compressor lubricated. While filling the system with the cans you were using do not hold the can upside down and allow liquid refrigerant to enter the low side of the system. the line you were duping liquid refrigerant in goes directly to the compressor and if you attempt to put liquid refrigerant into the compressor you could hydro-lock the compressor and blow it up. Hold the can upright and allow the refrigerant to boil off and be sucked into the system as a vapor its safer.
I did not mention it, but I did NOT run the compressor under a vacuum. I didn't even think to. I believe the cans said to hold upside down for filling, so that's what I did. Assuming I read them correctly.
R12a is a blend and therefore must be charged as a liquid but you can adjust the valve so that it flows slowly out of the can and evaporates in the low pressure line.
Isn't it refreshing to see *not a hint* of cynicism, negativity or sarcasm, as he happily, joyfully, works on..... and I hope you appreciate the subtle hint (and relevance) of supertramp..
No mention was made of Removing / Replacing compressor belt, bleeding recharge hose b4 recharging, maximum refill ozs. / pressure, positioning of can ..Upright for gas / inverted for liquid and the reasons to avoid pumping liquid into compressor .etc. etc..
Great Video! Thanks for the info. I have been troubleshooting my A/C for a couple of days now and found a massive hole in the line that feeds the rear A/C. I am getting ready to replace it but thought I would research next steps for when that's done. I think I'll check out a loaner vacuum from Autozone and see if it holds with the new line. How will I know if the system is free of moisture? I'll also jumper the low pressure switch and see if the compressor runs. The only other thing that is unknown to me is A/C oil. Is there a way to tell if I need to add oil since the car has been without A/C for over a year?
Check out alternative refrigerants. I've been using R152a (computer keyboard duster) for 3 years. Mixes with all the oils and gases and reduces drag on the compressor.
Nice video, only thing I would say is that you're not supposed to invert the can because you're pouring the gas in its liquid form into the pump and liquids are non compressible so it will in theory damage it, you have to keep it upright and just agitate the can, thats what i did when i topped up my system last time, takes longer but it does work and is supposed to be safer in theory !!!
I've been using silicone grease since 1970 to stop steel bolts and ally from rotting, it doesn't have the good looks of Never-Seez but is just as good if not better.
Why are you unscrewing the line connections when putting them on ? Every set of gauges i've ever used goes against that, you clip on the QDC and then tighten the top to make it open the schrader valve. How does your set of guages open the valve by loosening the top ? Or did you just not show the part where you tighten the connections again ??
Thanks for the video, you took a different route altogether, might have tried pumping a little air if not nitrogen to see if clutch on compressor engaged, also to check for leaks with bubble solution if okay, evacuate and recharge but old habits die hard and you chose to run a long mile but it takes years to train to make a meal out of recharge or to make a life out of any profession. Good luck.
good effort with AC not being one of your strengths. can see why you were told not to put it up, espeically in canada a person can't buy r134a in the parts store like you can in the US. r134a and r1234yf don't put holes in ozone layer, that's ODP (ozone depletion potential and older refrigerants like r12 and r22). R134a and r1234yf refrigerants have 0 ODP and some GWP. globalol warming "potential". you don't use a vacuum pump to evacuate refrigerant, you use a recovery machine and an empty cylinder to recover refrigerant to. Basically the world won't end and you aren't depleting ozone if that refrigerant didn't make it's way back into a cylinder for reclamation. your next goal: vacuum with line from vacuum pump to service port and a micron gauge on the other service port. But all in all, I think working on anything on a PT cruiser has got to be a punishment in the 6th or 7th circle of hell. A bit better test when you have a clutch cycling switch at the accumulator and high pressure cut-off switch at compressor is... feed the clutch ground and +12v. In many cases, the AC signal from control on dash goes to HP cutoff (normally closed) then to VCM or PCM. The clutch cycling switch (or low pressure switch) sends a ground to VCM/PCM when pressure is above low cutoff. Then the VCM/PCM will ground the clutch relay's coil. The relay contacts will send +12v to clutch. Not sure if you checked this offline before going at replacing the clutch or if you checked that the clutch was getting +12V from the relay, could have been the high pressure cutoff connector you said was buggered up that kept the clutch from engaging. During normal operation the HP switch is closed, so a break in the wire keeps the clutch from energizing.
R134a has a ODP of 0.000015..... virtually nothing but still not zero
All this is is a bunch of crap with the government. The ozone layer Freon is environmentally safe. It states it on a bottle and if you use common sense think on your own, you will see it. The chemicals that are used it’s been proven is just a money racket for the government to screw the people that work with it you gotta have a license for this you got to have a license for that yes I agree you should re-cover it because it can be reused unless it is contaminated every person should be license to use it, this is a bunch of crap that if you mess with a 12 ounce can you don’t have to be license but if you mess with a 30 pound bottle you have to be license it’s all rocket people that don’t know what they’re doing shouldn’t be touching it. You should be made to have a license to buy any type of Freon whatsoever. The reason is because people don’t know how to charger systems. They overcharge them, lock them up and just blow the Freon off or the system blows up in their face because they think, it’s not cold enough shoot more into it no you can’t. You have to diagnosed the systems and people don’t know how to do that anymore. They just want to throw parts at their systems anymore just like automotive they don’t wanna diagnose nothing no more they don’t know how to read a scanner and what I mean by that is you don’t know how to read data reading scanner is easy, the scanner point you in the direction, the problems that and then you got a figure it out and it converts computer language into English so we can understand it. You have to know the numbers people don’t understand that and for the simple fact of AutoZone advance. I think they should be made to stop scanning vehicles because they’re making people believe that that is the problem just because they hook the scanner up people don’t realize they’re there just to sell parts they didn’t diagnose it but they get pissed off when they take it to the shop AutoZone said put this part on when you put it on and then it doesn’t fix it. Well it’s not our problem we didn’t diagnose it go back to AutoZone saw and they would stop it dislike war forks. I don’t know what the reason for us, but they no longer can charge for air because they were suit. That’s why they’re not charge for air. People just need to learn to idle down take a breather and take a step back and learn you must troubleshoot system if you can’t have your magic, eight ball and throw parts at it because it can’t be a broken wire a loose connection I spread pin peoples in is such a big hurry nowadays they got time to troubleshoot or look at the simple fax the simple things that staring them in the face they think technicians are out to rip them off because they want to diagnose it. No, we want to cover our ass and that’s with all technicians even HVAC, I know HVAC people of seeing this problem people just want to shoot them or throw the part Adam and it always doesn’t work out. That way you have to diagnose things but this fast electronic world is not going to work it’s killing everything people need to learn how to take a breather, slow down think about the situation and take a double look at the whole picture and yes there is a lot of places HVAC automotive shops plumbers that won’t troubleshoot nothing and just throw parts at it all day. Oh I’ve seen that problem. This is what it is. Yes you seen a problem but you need to verify that that is the issue because you could have a defective part but you could have a wiring problem to you need to make sure but people don’t want to hear this. They don’t have time for this they think troubleshooting is a rip off. No it’s not. It’s to confirm that that is the actual problem, or do you have multiple problems and this is one that pisses me off to no end when they call automotive technicians mechanics we are not mechanics technicians figure out the problem for the mechanics to put parts on. We completed the puzzle we went through the system diagnostic mechanics don’t know how to do that. There’s a big difference in the two and a lot of people don’t understand that and they don’t know there is a difference and there is a big difference and I hate people that can’t comprehend and get that correct and another one that bothers me is people that say probably they’re not sure of their own selves that that is the issue learn how to speak. I can go on and on about this, but I’m going to cut it from here, but the main concern was talking about this global warming crap people just need to learn to use common sense. That’s all face the facts we could do all this work to try to save the world. It’s good. Going to do my lash one. It wants to mother nature you’re not gonna stop it you’re not gonna control it it’s gonna do what it wants and what it wants and nobody’s gonna stop it. I don’t care how much you do so you people just need to face the facts. Human beings are not gonna be around forever that’s the bottom one.
And as far as the hole in the ozone layer, we just now got technology to see it it’s always been there people don’t believe it but it’s been there. It’s a chimney, so suck it up deal with it. Nobody’s going to change it nobody’s going to fix the problem in the story. Humans won’t be around forever grandkids their time is limited on this earth face the fax people
world will end cause from a global warming perspective its 1400 times more potent than CO2
Yeah its just greenwashing BS a little bit of gwp... Ill still recover my r134a though but thats only because of how expensive it is and its not exactly legal to buy either so its worth its weight in gold.
I've been a professional mechanic over 10 years, I thought this video would be laughable but you did a great job and were rather amusing. KEEP WRENCHIN
Some of my coworkers don't have that knowledge and their considered professional. Great job
I have a philosophy: "I can pay a professional to screw it up, or I can screw it up myself for free." And... I have been teaching shop since _before_ OBD2; I'm old.
Damned by faint praise;-))
I was this was not a serious repair but it looks like it is good.
@@GregWellwood Same motto, and when I mess up I know and try to fix it. Some mechanics hide mess up and give the car back with a hidden problem. As example, once I couldn't change a tire on the side of the road because the stud just spun. The Goodyear tire monkey who recently changed that tire likely didn't know about LH wheel studs so just kept turning up his wrench until he spun the stud in the hub, then just put the wheel back like that, not letting the owner (me) know his screw-up, and leaving a hole to step in.
I love the comments slamming you!
I added 134a to my daughter's car that had r12 originally. It wasn't completely discharged, so I just topped it off. Apparently
the oils are not compatible, so I found 134a with no oil and put it in. Charged till the pressures seemed right and it worked great.
Still was working when we sold it 3 years later. Like yours, it wasn't worth spending a lot of money on, so if it failed, I was only out a few hours and about 10 dollars.
This video is very entertaining. What I liked about the video was this fellow showed most of the problems I have ever run across in my 58+ years of working on cars. When you are an avid DIY’R, you do what you have to do to get a job done. My advice is NEVER give up! He mentioned how some say never use gloves with power equipment. I will tell you NEVER use an angle grinder or cutoff wheel WITHOUT gloves! (My $2100 visit to the emergency room this past year will attest to the FACT that an angle grinder can get away from you and chew up your fingers!) Keep up the great videos!
Heck yeah dude my miter almost got my fingers, i and anyone using my tools betta use leather gloves n eye protection at the very least.
Repairing my cars and my classic cars is over! At a certain age 65 bought a new truck with warranty and an electric car because there are no oil changes, no exhaust system, no brake jobs, no transmission, no differential. The regular maintenance includes the cabin air filter and rotating the tires. When the stealership war replacing the cam phasers in the truck, I was collecting my $7000 rebate from you taxpayers and another $2000 from you state taxpayers. Thanks 😂
this channel is consistently a source of knowledge every kid wishes his dad had
Yeah. My dad was a journeyman lineman for 23 years then got an AA in HVAC, he was a radioman in Korea and he fixed tons of tvs and radios in our basement while I was growing up, and he was a world class auto mechanic. I could count on helping him fix all his co-worker's cars, holding the light for him, at 8 years old, on 20° St. Louis winter nights after one of their sons knocked the front ball joint off driving like a dick. Fortunately, I paid attention and pretty much picked up all the lessons he taught me, in addition to bodywork. I've had a classic Corvette restoration shop for 40 years and used all the plumbing, carpentry, roofing cement 😂 electronics repair he taught me years ago. I've also been an attorney for 20 years, but mechanical stuff will always be my thing. Take a kid to a car show or expose them to working on cars or stuff around the house. All many of them need is being exposed to working with their hands. If the gift is there, you'll never get them away from it.
What a great video! Professional Tech here. I really liked your placing the wheel & tire under the supported vehicle! Very smart insurance!
As a result of watching this today I ended up with a world class lesson in patience and always to try to keep a good mental positive attitude and disposition despite having to deal with really stupid engineering design and the repair from the pit of hell and I thank you for that.
Great channel! Love those that state “if you have a crescent wrench and 5 minutes time, you too can do this…..” thanks for putting this in real world circumstances.
Submerse the cans in a bucket of hot water while servicing. It cuts the time down a lot.
To get the exact coolant amount, I use a digital thermometer measuring temps coming out of the vents, fan on high. As coolant is added the temp decreases. Once the temp goes back up a degree, stop adding refrigerant.
My brother! No one has ever spoke to my heart the way you did at 11:20. The inflection, the tone of your voice, I KNEW you have known the pain that I feel more and more with every passing day. "After arguing with the electrical connector I cut it off and then dont show how I had to completely undo and redo the hell I had just been thru." (I'm paraphrasing there, I realize those weren't your exact words.) That is the story of my life. It seems like every single project or chore or undertaking I attempt, the universe has decided to make it as absolutely miserable and far more difficult that it needs to be. Or is remotely even reasonable. It cant all be coincidence. It is by design, I'm sure of it. It's crazy making. Its going to end in tragedy. Its got to the point my new motto or mantra is....if it aint broke, just give me a minute. And I know it cant be a pretty sight to see, watching a grown man have an absolute tissy fit, a psychotic break because cant find a 1/2" socket with 1/2" drive. He's dumped every old tool box and old bucket and jar out on the garage floor, and he's found 38 1/2" sockets but none with 1/2“ drive and he only has the extension and universal he needs in 1/2". Has an adapter, but of course it wont fit in there with the adapter. So he just decides to go after it with vice grips and channel locks, you know, the ones that always slip and pinch your palm. And then when you said soldering, I teared up a little. Its not my forte. Fits like these, when soldering is involved, usually degrade to mapp gas. And I'm not talking about sweating pipe, I mean soldering. As in wires and boards and what not. Because I promise you that $#@d solder is gonna melt. I promise you. Let me put it like this, my boy was probably 6 or 7 at the time. Seeing the look of desperation and frustration of a broken, beaten man, asked me with genuine sincerity and concern, he asked me in ernest, "dad, why does God hate you?" I almost wept. I could be wrong, but when you made the comment about the hammer, I sensed, at least a little bit, you KNOW my pain. Let me know if you ever want to partner up, and we can go looking for that little elf that keeps stealing all the 8 & 10 millimeter nutdrivers. We can find him and beat the *#&$=\% oiss outta him! Ha!
It was an excellent video, sir. It was so good, I watched it. I watched your video on a PT Cruiser a/c compressor. And that is saying something, because right now I'm working on a water pump on an old Mustang. Just sayin....
If it aint broke, just gimme a minute......its mine, nobody steal it!
My Epitaph will be: "Well, I didn't expect it to go wrong _that_ way."
You are hilarious. I wish you were my friend
Jerry if it makes you feel any better there is nothing that I've done that I haven't done twice...I have come to realize that I will never get anything done on the first go round! I can expect the worse every time on any project!
I firmly believe that whatever an auto-designer makes on a car; he should be then sent out into the field and forced to repair it a number of times so they actually get some commonsense to offset the high amount of non-sense they often have.
Mechanics should study industrial engineering so they understand why things are done the way they are. Still it wouldn't hurt to spend time on it
Amen
Engineers should do all first repairs
@@jerbear7952 No. When you design a bolt that holds an expected part that will need multiple replacings in the life of the engine (like an idler pulley); and that bolt can't be removed without lifting the engine; then that designer is a moron-arsehole with no mechanical or engineering skill. Sorry but that is a brute fact. Granted some may not be able to foresee everything; but there should be a knowledgeable mechanic somewhere on the design team with enough say-so to stop the stupidity before it is in a full production line.
Engineers are clueless. It works on paper or on the computer.
@@jerbear7952 Engineers don't know themselves, otherwise they wouldn't build something that you have to tear the car half apart to change a water pump or whatever, which in the past was pretty simple on other cars. Here's a good example of an idiot engineer, my lawnmower. He or she decided to have the pull start handle open, so it conveniently catches on ever shrub or bush in my yard. So then i can hear the pull start mechanism making a noise every time the handle catches. I always think to myself "that so and so never mowed a lawn in his/her life". Otherwise, they would have known that handle was an idiot design!
First time on your channel and it is great. I've had a lifetime of servicing my trucks and can tell you know what you are doing and the Canadian references make it real. I'd much rather watch you work than get to the work waiting for me. Of course, I subscribed and liked.
I have been a technician at a GM dealer for 25 years, 30 total in the car business and I don't ever see anything done here that I haven't seen before in A shop that I have worked at. No one ever follows all the rules and regulations that are in place, show me A person that says they do, and I'll show you a lair! There are short cuts to everything, made up by guys in the shops, because we get paid by the job, not the hour. You do what works for you and keep on trucking. Love the content and the comedy that you put with it, keep up the good work and teaching the young minds of your students!
A/C was my weakest area in my technical training days, and I never had any experience in working with A/C at all. It doesn't seem as hard as I thought it would be.
@@GregWellwood If you watch a few AC people on youtube, you can pick it up pretty fast (like 'steven lavimoniere' or 'hvacr'). If you know how to read a P/T chart, it's really obvious. The biggest unintuitive thing about it is if the pressure is too low (aka there's a leak or there isn't enough refrigerant in the system), that's when it freezes and ices up. Low pressure = low boiling point, and if the refrigerant is below 0C at the boiling point, the system will ice up. You actually add MORE refrigerant to raise the pressure (and thus the temperature of the cold side) to make sure it's above freezing. The only thing I'd suggest you do is purge your hoses before you dump the refrigerant in - you either need to bleed some refrigerant through the hose to flush out the air first, or connect the hoses to the gauges, and evacuate them with the vacuum when you evacuate the rest of the system. You don't want the air that's in the hose initially to go into the system.
While not applicable here - make sure that plug you're jumping only has TWO wires not 3.
If it's got 3, one is ground, one is sensor out, one is +5 from the BCM. The BCM can see what the actual pressure is (vs on/off or high/low). Anyhow, point is you could damage the control module, and it won't turn on the compressor. You just go to the fuse/relay panel and short the switch contacts there. Same net result.
We now continue with your regularly scheduled broadcast.
Very true. I'm working through the wiring harness of an LS Chevy right now, and I see that it's a pressure sensor in that system - three wires!
@@GregWellwood Found this out with a Mitsubishi Outlander. I just used a 1.5v AA Battery which gave a voltage within the correct range and the compressor clicked in.
If this PT-Cruiser was your son's vehicle and you fixed it, you are a better father than I ever had. I will leave it at that. Blessings to you.
But his kid should be there learning. Instead of Dad doing.
Having recently worked on a PT Jigsaw puzzle I appreciate your recording of it first pulling the refrigerant into the system you can hear that cold motor. And by the time you were done you could actually hear yourself think around the motor after everything warmed up and filled up the spaces that makes the nasty racket of a PT/neon motors starting up cold.
First timer here, great advice, glad to see you keep it real. Like said above, you relate to the realworld DIY who's found this out of necessity.
Earned my like and Subscribe!
For cost effective repair I often harvest parts at a pick&pull type place. As a rule cheaper than aftermarket and as good quality. There may be exceptions.
The staging of the cars to be harvested for parts at the pick and pull seems to be best when the cars are supported by steel rims off the ground. Take a 2X4 with you if a lug nuts have to be loosened to remove a wheel. Put the 2x4 between the ground and spoke in wheel to hold it to remove lug nut.
I just worked on a buddies 3.6l Dodge. Engine was ticking hard. Pulled the valve covers off and a few of the rockers ate into the camshaft. Also VVT sprocket was bad along with some tensioner arms/guides. Anyways, he had little money for the repair. So pick your parts for the camshaft and a few rockers got the car going again.
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your experience on the Chrysler repairs , you are very brave man !!! After watching your struggle , I congratulate my self for staying away from Chrysler , Dodge , Ram you know , all that “ famous “ brand !!! I prefer learning from some one else struggles ! Any way , I really enjoyed and learned a lot from your video , thanks !!!👍👍👍
Great video. Watching from Australia. Love your candid approach and ability to get the job done and pass on the knowledge!
Aussie Aussie
Canadians are the Australian's of the Northern hemisphere 😅
First time here, and I just wanted to say 2 things:
That broken switch is the ambient temperature sensor. 2-Thank you for the entertainment and the explanation for all of those who don't have the knowledge about the importance of vacuuming the system.
I learned more from you in the first few minutes of this video than from most other videos I've watched (hundreds) on this topic.... amazing!
WOW , great video . I can totally tell you are a teacher . This is a complement ;) I learned a lot . Here in Louisiana most people use R134 to recharge their a/c EVERY SUMMER because our summers are BRUTAL . Last year we had at least 30 days over 100F and 10 days around 110F.. It feels good to know that R134 is less damaging to the environment. WOO HOO !!😁
That plug you thought was broken and didn't know what it was, is actually the temperature sensor for a digital readout somehere in the car, most likely the mirror.
Hilarious, been there myself doing A/C compressor on a Ford Expedition. After fighting the compressor out, I put a new compressor in and couldn't get the long ass bolt in it, so I had to drop the compressor back out and insert the long ass bolt then reinstall it. Of course, this was all done laying under the truck with rust and dirt falling on my face, what a pain in the ass. Great video brought back that wonderful memory of doing the same thing.
If I had to cut bolts off I would pretty much always replaced them with studs using Never Seize. I love that stuff.. I've done that many times over my 40+ years as a mechanic. I did like your comment about paying market value for the vehicle to get work done. LOL I still do most of my own repairs but I really don't enjoy working on these rolling computers they call cars today.
Anyway, good video. I'll be back.
That was probably the most entertaining a/c video I have watched. Love the humor and you handled the PT cruiser well. Never was vehicle that I enjoyed working on less that a PT cruiser, maybe a prowler but they are so close it doesn't matter.
I am so going to have to do this on my Ford transit. The dryer had a hole in it when I bought it, aluminium corrosion. Looks the same as yours. Wonder how long it was exposed!
You better oil your compressor!
In the past year I did both a radiator (10/22) and the timing belt (3/23) on my '97 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible with the 2.5 liter V6. I don't know if you've worked on those cars, Mr. Shop Teacher, but I can assure you that the grunting, swearing, dropping of tools, along with wanting to exact revenge against the car seems somewhat similar. I swear, Chrysler put the engines on a cradle and build the *bleeping* cars around them. In other words- I feel your pain!! And yes, my car is running great now.
Was wondering why you didn’t mention testing for power and ground at the clutch before replacing the compressor.
Hmmm. I don't know why I didn't. Those should be step #1 and #2 before pulling the compressor for sure!
Your attitude and patience is incredible, i would have lost my shit and the video would have been called something completely different
There are some scenes that didn't make it into the final cut (grin).
Nice to know I'm in good company. I was one of those "weird" kids that started to asked Santa Claus for automotive tools when I was 12. I gleefully flipped through the Sears Catalog picking out craftsman tools.
Yet not alone
I grew up so poor that xmas wasnt much of an option
But a basic set of tools I got before I got my 1st car and learned how to do fixes myself since no way in hell I could afford to pay anyone else
Thankfully I was smart and skipped american cars entirely since they were such utter crap by then, my 1sr Datsun sports car was dead reliable, quick and actually got slightly better then the commercials for it claimed at 40mpg
I got it at almost 300k and sold it 3yrs later for more than I paid with then 480 on it..
I upgraded then to my 280zx with about 300 on it.. unkillable engine, easy to work on and same toolset slowly grew. (Frame finally was fubar in mine at 800+ on it only basic maintenance for it.. transplanted the engine and tranny to another 280 and last I checked with that owner it was 1.3million and going strong still with only basic maintenance.. and all with that same sort of basic toolkit he got much as indid and you did when we were quite young.
Lesson buy a properly designed reliable car that you can actually work on and get your kids a basic toolset when they are young it can be a LIFESAVER!!!
The Sears Catalog was a gift in and of itself when I was younger. I remember standing in the tool department wishing that one day I could afford the tools. Things sure have changed.
Future tip if you see one these pulling up to your garage, scamble for the " sorry closed " sign 😋
Thanks for Sharing...... On vehicle that is more than 10 years old, it is good idea to replace the Schrader Valves (High and Low) because they are point where they could easily leak and they are not too much to replace....Be careful, a lot of those "Refrigerant Substitutes" are very Flammable because they are "Propane Derivatives".
R12a is an Alkane, a member of the same family as Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, etc., you get the picture, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE!
Hopefully that helps. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.
A little helpful tip. Don't use copper based grease on aluminum, since it can react with the aluminum and cause even worse corrosion. 🙂
@@randycraft3166 You're aware majority of refrigerants today require to be charged in a liquid state?
Using copper grease is fine mate, as long as there’s little moisture
Stainless into aluminum is the second worst situation. Aluminium is rapidly corroded. Now coat the stainless end to end with a high solids copper antiseize and that bolt will not react. I can not explain how the galvanic effect is disrupted but it is very effective.
@@billderby1527 only if the refrigerant is a tertiary blend. 134a is not. 410a most certainly is.
I started working for a single man operation, owner/tech some years ago. The 3rd day I was charging a new install of a unitary system, 410a, tank inverted. He, who had been the sole installer for 1.5 years at that point, asked me-as if I was stupid- (a common occurence) WHY I had the tank upside down.
O.M.G. . .And ME, the 'beginner' with 20 years of domestic refrigeration experience.
The rest of the story is , well, self explanatory. A nightmare of incorrectly charged, newly installed mostly Rheem systems, with customers unhappy with the performance versus cost.
I was able to rectify the situation, but it involved roughly 5 - 7 tanks of 410a, and about a years time.
What is copper based grease? Never heard of that, honestly.
I worked on different aircraft while in the USAF, this R & R & Recharge so reminded me of the jobs I did as an aircraft electrician. Associated systems and equipment that were in the way of our stuff were technically required to be be removed by the other techs But unless you wanted to add 1/2 day of freezing weather or scorching heat you tried to do it without them. My small sure hands fit in places the other Man hands wouldn’t and I didn’t drop stuff cause if you do that bird don’t fly till it’s found and removed.
Ahhh, the Old PT Barnum Cruiser, made lots of money on them over the years. Almost every task leaves 3" of room to get twice as many inches of parts in and out.
I prefer to use the silver anti-seize (tin man style) ...and some o-rings slid down the bolts to help hold them in place. They collapse easily later on.
Nice work.
After watching the video, giving due consideration of the amount of effort involved and factoring in that the entire project looks to be about as entertaining as masturbating with a cheese grater, I've arrived at a superior and much faster solution to the entire problem.
A five gallon bucket of thermite. Don't need anywhere near that much, but a job well done is a job done thoroughly.
This is an unusual solution that I'm recommending, as I usually recommend the judicious application of copious amounts of high explosives. But, the exception is for when one considers whether or not the world would benefit from any part of this turd entering into high earth orbit.
As an aside, I've learned that this vehicle would never be allowed to be launched into orbit, as planetary protection protocols would consider its reentry a hazardous contamination event, as it obviously should've never been permitted to grace the surface of this earth in the first place.
Great idea, 'O'rings........
@@scottcrowley2061 O rings, worked great for the space shuttle and the Pershing missile...
Not a >BOOM!?> problem...
Good video! My car is 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS, currently at 125k. About a month ago it wasn’t blowing cold air so I decided to use one of this refrigerant cans and accidentally put to much in the system. Had to take it to a shop so they evacuated the whole system, changed the expansion valve and refilled it. It didn’t seem to work cause a/c was working but not getting cold air as it should. Now I’m having this issue with my RPM at idle when the A/C is on. It also have this little noise coming from the blower motor, but it only seems to happen when idling. Car runs smooth, but at red lights or stop signs RPM goes down and it becomes shaky and then this noise from the blower motor comes out (it only happens when a/c is on).
Also replaced the throttle body, coils, spark plugs, MAP sensor, PCV valve because of this rough idle, and right now IDK what else to do with this. Dealer was asking for $550 for just a diagnosis and I don’t trust them anymore, so I’m running out of ideas
Yowza! I have the same black jackstands … and i got mine when i was about 15 … nearly 40 years ago! I still use ‘em and still mostly trust ‘em. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else with a set of those. Btw, I’m pretty sure your PTSD Cruiser originally had 134a refrigerant; while it’s still preferable to capture any that might be in the system, it’s far less toxic to the ozone than was the old R12 stuff of yore.
It was R134a. I asked - I cannot get it. I used 12a, which apparently is not harmful to the ozone.
@@GregWellwood I learn something new every day! Turns out R12A is different from the R12 that I'm familiar with -- but it's all organic (maybe even free-range!) and safe to use or leak out as you please in place of R12 or R134a. Sounds like it works for you, so that's good enough for me! Fwiw, your videos remind me of my original Auto Shop teacher (Goodwin Hannaford, RIP) from way back when, when I was a kid. Keep up the awesome videos and teaching those kids! Thanks!
@@GregWellwood r134a is not harmful to the ozone. It has an ODP of 0.
@@musclecaraction Organic simply means its a Carbon Compound. In this case, a Hydrocarbon. R12a is an Alkane, a member of the same family as Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, etc., you get the picture, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE!
My jack stands like that are orange.I bought them in about 1965 and still use them.
I just vacuumed and recharged my 2000 Tacoma using R134A/substitute hydrocarbon based refrigerant. I realize it's combustible but I don't have any leaks (except slow leakage at comp shaft) so I went with it. Cold like a meat locker. As a matter of fact, I recharged both of my 911SCs w/ Freon 12 and this is just as cold as the R12 cars. I have a recovery unit but the 911s had leaks that had to be fixed so they were both empty prior to recharge.
Funny..I have those jack stands from my high school days. Still in use. Great video as usual.
One note on detecting leaks using vacuum, I have had more than one car in my shop that held vacuum overnight but leaked horridly when I put pressure in the system. In all cases a fitting was loose and the vacuum was pulling the seal together. I now use compressed air to check for leaks and then pull a vacuum to get the moisture out.
Actually, by unbolting the compressor from the engine first and tying it to the radiator support you don't have to evacuate the AC system. Ive done several of those timing belt kits (with water pump) on PT-Loosers and had no problems. It's approximately 4 hour job.
I didn't think you should have to open the system
Yep
New subscriber here!
I like your style of recording. The fast forward with commentary mixed with real time and tips 👍
Bueno!
Many years ago at a place I worked I got to watch the testing of a vacuum tank system that had a tank big enough to hold a couple people. ( no I didn't get in it ) it had porthole windows at the bottom and at around 15 inches of vacuum I got to watch a puddle of water in the bottom boil at 70 degrees F.
I could put my hand right underneath where it was boiling.
It was really cool to see.
Probably cool to the touch as well!
@@GregWellwood that was the thing, I could look through the window and watch it boil like on a hot fire and at same time feel the cool metal right under it.
It really messed with your head.
Now then consider that it can get so cold under vacuum that it turns to ice and for a complete evacuation and removal of the moisture, the ice goes through sublimation… ice to vapor.
@@waggtech4883 yes, I suppose it could do that. But as I remember it was pretty big, dense tank and only about a pint or less of water. Were the tank small and not so much to ' chill '
Would it change to ice and would solid ice still change to gas ? I hear about ice in space all the time, if there is then how does it not just change to gas and totally dissipate?
At my job I occasionally use a bunch of torches connected to single propane tank and after using a lot of propane rather fast it ' ices up ' and hardly comes out so I have to switch to another tank and let that one thaw to use the rest.
@@waggtech4883...
Dude, love your commentary! Just as sarcastic as we are here in Florida. So funny bro.
You relate to the DIY car guys who cannot afford new cars and need to get to work. Thanks
Excellent explanation, but the most is that you are on the moode to fix that AC, regardless difficulties. GOOD JOB. Thank you
Before replacing the compressor you have checked fuses and and wiring that is associated to the ac. Don't assume the the compressor is bad. It could have cost you more , replaced the part and still don't work. Keep that in mind.
Correct. Sometimes I gamble and win. In the next video, I lose.
Or something as quick and easy to rectify as the air gap on the electromagnetic clutch.
First time viewer and really enjoyed this tutorial. Liked, subscribed and hit the notification bell.
Always Check for system leaks with pressure (dry nitrogen) not vacuum. If you do have a leak, applying vacuum pulls moisture into the system which will have to be removed later.
yeah i got some canned dry nitrogen in my back pocket.
@@markae0 I hope so because anyone with a clue as to what they're doing would acquire nitrogen and a regulator before a vacuum pump.
@@carrollprice1213 If you watch the video you can see he used two (off the shelf) cans of fluid, and started a third accidentally. So it was just a backyard-John for personal use, one time job. Yes, a non-amateur would use a dry nitrogen pressurized test. FIRST. But vacuum is nice to suck in those one time disposable cans.
You can use compressed air to pressure check for leaks - PROVIDED you run a vacuum afterwards to clean the system.
As a 20+ year ASE certified Auto Tech, I have never seen anyone use or heard of using nitrogen to pressurize an automotive or light/medium/heavy A/C system. To say that anyone with a clue would get a nitrogen and a regulator before a vacuum comes from a place of ignorance about actually servicing mobile automotive type A/C systems. Call a dozen local auto repair shops that work on A/C systems, including new car dealers, and see if you can find _one_ that has the capability to pressurize a system with nitrogen. I'll wait...
I'm not saying it wouldn't be a good idea, it's just not standard practice. It's also possible that regionally things are done differently. I know this is true in the building trades but I haven't seen it nearly as much in auto repair.
@carrollprice1213
9 days ago
Always Check for system leaks with pressure (dry nitrogen) not vacuum. If you do have a leak, applying vacuum pulls moisture into the system which will have to be removed later.
@carrollprice1213
8 days ago
@markae0 I hope so because anyone with a clue as to what they're doing would acquire nitrogen and a regulator before a vacuum pump.
The system should be charged through the yellow hose on the manifold set to preserve the vacuum that is in the system. By removing the manifold, you lost much of your vacuum. Those schrader valves are not designed to hold vacuum in the system. Connect a can tap to the yellow hose where the vacuum pump was without removing the manifold from the system. Let the refrigerant flow into the system with the engine off... then start the system and charge using the low side knob on the manifold. (make sure the high side manifold knob stays shut to prevent can rupture) The low loss valve on the yellow hose can hold a vacuum, but I like to attach a ball valve for added security when removing the vacuum pump and attaching the refrigerant can.
PAG 150 vis is advisable since a thin oil will cause troubles. I ran across a statement put out by GM that every vehicle in for warranty service would have their HVAC system sampled for less than PAG 150 viscosity oil and forever more denied any HVAC warranty work on that vehicle if anything less than 150 viscosity was found. Even it was just an oil change, they were gonna sample your AC for the oil in there. I've been using 150 ever since and my issues with AC are not a thing anymore. The first R-12 replacement kits came with plenty of PAG-46 vis oil and they tended to need a compressor soon after. I did a lot of those convert kits back in the day when R-12 was pulled from the market.
I feel your pain. I did my 08 altima 3.5 and there's practically no space to maneuver or take out bolts 😡 thanks for recording your struggle to remind the rest of us that were not the only one.
Moisture reacts with the refrigerant and creates “Hydroflouric Acid” which corrodes the metal in the system causing rust flakes to clog things up (Exp. Valve, Receiver Drier) also if there’s enough moisture it will saturate the desiccant bag in the drier and cause it to “Powder” and then its real ugly…. Rec.Driers should be replaced every time the system is opened. Speaking as an A/C Specialist with 48 years experience.
Actually, it is the PAG oil which absorbs moisture to cause internal corrosion. Many people don't fix a failed AC over Winter since it lost refrigerant, then address it in Spring. By then, atmospheric air and moisture has gotten in to start corrosion. Best oil today is PAO 68 since doesn't absorb moisture and works with all refrigerants (R-12, R-134A, HC, I think even R-1234yc). The old mineral oil used with R-12 absorbs negligible moisture.
Enough moisture can also freeze at the expansion devise and cause a high side restriction. I’ve seen this happen mostly in automotive due to improper service procedures. I’ve also seen it happen in walk in freezers and another instance in a manufacturing process cooler…
I am interested in the chemical redaction where water plus Freon will yield Hydrofluoric Acid. HF is one of the strongest most reactive of the acids. I don’t want to appear to like some on here, that like to argue and such. I am really interested. If you could site some info or a place to find the info I would appreciate it. You are the pro with 48 yrs of working A/C. I am just a guy who finds all this interesting. Thanks
Ohhh! I can hear the frustration in your speech about this project, and for some reason I thought it would be fun to watch this even though I was plagued with DIY work on formerly my 2-decade-old manual diesel Dodge Ram several months ago before I gave up, sold it, added a few thousand dollars and bought my '15 Honda Fit EX! Ughh, trying to replace those broken valves and putting the head and other things back on was SO frustrating! I don't know why I'm watching this now, because after that, I CAN'T STAND doing auto repair work! Ughhh, despite these compartments being sort of big-looking, there are TOO MANY odd little areas that have such TIGHT clearance and are so HARD to work in and around! Ughh, I feel your pain!
The older I get, the less I want to work on vehicles, I find it less and less satisfying. Having said that, I do want to mid-mount a V8 in a Honda Fit, and call it "MisFit"
TIP: After 47 years of working on cars, I have found that using a Temperature-Pressure Chart is BY FAR the best way to add whatever type of Freon you use. It never misses on the perfect amount of Freon needed AND it protects the compressor and whole AC system from being over-pressurized - THE MOST COMMON cause of compressor failures.
Mechanic for 45 years and I keep a pressure chart in my wallet it was on the cardboard wrapper on my new gouges. From harbor freight.
This was back in the day... you can't follow this same principle with variable displacement compressors. You will end up overcharging the system and burning the compressor.
The best way of changing the ac system successfully is putting what the manufacturer recommends... no more, no less.
@@VWtech562 Yup. I show how you can weigh in a charge using a simple 16oz digital postal scale using 12oz cans. charging by pressure doesn't ensure a proper charge. And the only thing you know when the standing refrigerant pressure = saturation pressure at temp is that there is at least a drop of liquid refrigerant in the system. If it's 70F/21C and refrigerant is sitting at 71psig, sure you have some liquid in the system, but how much? If you add 6oz of refrigerant, the saturation pressure is... still 71psig. If pressure is 65psig, then you have ZERO liquid refrigerant in there.
@joeseda8102 How do you charge using the PT chart?
@@BearHomeOwnerDIY I cannot find the video on your page of this what am I missing? I’m about to tackle ac on two trucks myself and I have a postal gauge you mention and manifold gauge set I just need to buy a vacuum pump.
Before recharging my old Toronado: I replaced the green o-rings on the top of the compressor connections. I ran a liter of the special ac cleaner through the condenser, tubing and connections finally blowing all of it out with compressed air.
That Sensor in front of the rad is most likely the outside temp sensor.
Bingo! You got it!😊
That vacuum gauge would be a nice tool to use on first dates to see if she is worth your time...When you find a girl that can max out the vacuum gauge she's a keeper...great video
You're FAR better off taking the front off the car and the radiators out. Once you've done that a PT is a dream to work on - it's all there in front of you. Rad's out when your aircon is empty you're looking 30-45 mins max. The lazy mans way really is the hard way on a PT 😊
Yes. I see that now. Hindsight is my super power.
That’s a good idea. I’ve always said if the engineers had to actually repair a car they would design them differently.
I hated working on PT Cruisers when I owned my shop! I swear almost every repair instructions started with, “drain and remove the radiator.” I used to replace the receiver/dryer every time but after a while (and a few customers complaining about the added cost) I found putting it under vacuum for 1hr it never cased an issue.
We do it nice, because we do it twice!
Somebody else watches Paul Cox @FabRats 😮😂🎉
@@IconicSpitters I have no idea who that is. I did hear that phrase on youtube for the first time quite a while ago, but I'm pretty sure it's a really common and old phrase, and wasn't coined by anyone in particular on youtube.
@IconicSpitters I fix my own stuff , lately that's been my motto .. lol ..its good practice I guess ..
Everyone is like , can you fix mine ? "He'll no , mine was hard enough ..
Sometimes it's easier, and maybe even
FASTER to take half the vehicle apart than try to get at something without removing stuff.
I've seen people fill the system with propane just for testing a system to make sure everything works, then suck all the propane out and fill with real refrigerant.
2:20 I quite enjoyed the expression " [ ... ] and you can figure out how much _you_ *suck* [ ... ] " as it took me by surprise how long I have overlooked that pun. 😄😄
I'm currently in brazil, here they Macgyver things into a/c systems like lpg gas...thats like pure propane / butane, i've seen they use carburettor cleaner, just pop the entire aerosol can using a perforating pliers with a r-12 port straight into the system, same process with contact cleaner and brake parts cleaner....amazing thing is that with these " substitute" refrigerants they get ice cold air from the a/c system in the car...
Propane fridges are available here, often used in RVs and cabins and whatnot.
Duster can (like "compressed air" aerosol cans) used to be R134a, so it's complete BS that when used for air conditioning, it's "harmful to the ozone layer", but in "duster cans", the intended application is "spray it into the atmosphere". Regardless of whether it's actually bad for the ozone layer or the environment (aka greenhouse gas effect), which I'm sure it is, the f'ing laws make no sense. That said, a lot of propellants used in all aerosol cans are actually refrigerants too, propane, butane, etc etc. Commercial refrigeration also uses ammonia.
@@gorak9000 R12 was one of the"Ozone' effecting refrigerants that R-134a replaced. R134a/HFC134a is still sometimes used as a can propellant due it being mostly harmless, but it is being legislated out of usage in preference for other options. R134a was not the Ozone killer of the 60-70-80's AC ; that was the hairspray I used in the 80's ( All the blame on my hair metal friends).
@@donaldwrissler9059 But supposedly R134a has bad greehouse gas (global warming potential is the official term) effect - because it's phased out, and new automotive systems now are now R1234yf. I'm pretty sure they just keep phasing out refrigerants every few years so you have to keep replacing your AC system when the old refrigerant is now "illegal", or at the very least hard to get and thus too expensive. More so for residential AC's that cars - people don't keep cars very long anyway. Meanwhile tons of commercial AC still uses R22
Was looking into why the carburettor cleaner works well...prob cleans the inside of the heat transfer devices, and the NH3 . ... Ammonia works as the refrigerant, the contact cleaner and brake parts cleaner is probably R-141, a similar refrigerant to R-11.
Have manifold w/gauges, vacuum pump, and various incidentals for using 12oz R-340A cans and such. Used once to recharge system after replacing condenser and dryer. Will sell for $100 all inclusive for pickup in South Carolina and will ship at cost.
I was offered a PT cruiser some years ago at a an attractive price. I gave it a thorough inspection, & discovered bubbles in the cooling system. YES.....a leaking head gasket. I was told by mechanics that these cars are infamous for head gasket problems. I looked the thing over & d4ecided it was a poorly engineered POS & I am NOT surprised that they are long gone.
I had one that lasted 155,000 miles. I replaced the timing belt at 80k and put in a new clutch at about 105k. The brake pads and rear shoes were replaced once. The tie rod ends were replaced at about 95k. Of course there were some new tires and oil changes. I would say it was one of the best cars I have ever owned. My 16 year old kid totaled it. Sad ending for such a great car. I have a friend that had one for about ten years. It was his daily driver. He had a similar experience. Just regular maintenance.
Aas if the shittacular sohc ver or the far better (Mitsubishi design base) dohc version which did not suffer the same issues and were notnassy in the same plants
The sohc was both a pos design but the QC for assy was abysmal much like gm for their pathetic spitfire with forced induction.. so bad of qc they had to have those built in germany instead of the states lol
Pt Cruiser with a 6.4 Hemi
The usual old "I nearly bought a PT but" bollocks... boring.
I never understood how these cars got such a bad reputation. I guess it's good. It keeps them cheap. I should get a couple more of them before they are gone.
Talking about that engine swap, I saw a pt cruiser with 7.4 badges on it, big header primaries showing behind the front tires and one heck of an exhaust note. unfortunately I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner but i would have loved to seen what it took to fit a rwd 440 in one. Saw it just west of Edmonton, AB. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Should be a tag under the hood showing refrigerant type and amount for full charge. A small kitchen scale can be used to measure if you need a partial an.
Nice how to video . A quick tool tip , put electrical tape on the middle of your regular universal joints so they dont wobble too much .
Not that you would ever let your bottle of Never Seize dry out… I’ve found that adding some WD40 to the mix brings it back to the proper consistency. Just an FYI.
I use enough of it that it rarely dries out before it's gone, but I have heard the same thing. Haven't tried it yet.
Mine dries out from the hot shop. Just sitting with the lid on.
I use wd also.
Just a thought, sometimes you should run the bolts into the bolt holes prior to install. It cleans the threads a little.
Front crash sensor for the airbags maybe? It looks like the same place as in my F150.
Some have said it's the outside air temp sensor for the cabin.
Love your humor.. would love to see some outtakes at the end of your videos.. first time watcher.. subscribed.. 😊
I think a large number the Chrysler engineers are card carrying "Crack Smokers Union" with plugs & coils behind the intake and batteries behind the wheel. They need to develop a better "Punch Board" for completing builds that non-crack smokers can get to and fix. After all, they didn't design them to run for ever. A parts department buddy must have lost a bet and ended up working at a Chrysler dealer 20 years or so before anyone knew that FIAT meant "Fix Again Tony" and in my short visit, he pointed out automatic trans failures (Baby 906?) and shown me the pile of 43 transmissions outside the receiving door of parts. He told me that a large number of them (99%) were all under warranty and internal problems (Fragmentation Grenades) would not let them be rebuilt. To this day, I think Chuck Norris hung them on chains, then had a workout!
Awesome video! You made an aggravating job very enjoyable to watch.
All the env regulations just helps clearing our wallets better. And those certifications have to be renewed yearly!!
Few weeks back, replaced compressor+dryer and washed the evap (was really dirty). If i was to do (the repair part) on a certified ac guy, i would spend >5x more. Just went to vacuum tested+refill after repairing. And probably due to the legislation, gas is 2-3x more than it would.
Better than a mission impossible movie. Thanks. Q. When filling, should you hold can upright to fill with gas rather than liquid?
All refrigerates with an "A" after the number (such as 134A and most other refrigerates on the market today) is a blend of refrigerates and should always be added to a system as a liquid instead of a vapor. Which means that the container should be inverted (turned upside down) while adding refrigerate.
So I guess they do use AC in BC 😊
I live in Canada's desert. It's not like Raincouver down on the Wet Coast.
@@GregWellwood .... S-AB FTW. Former raincouverite here.
I'm SO pleased you talked about Celcius. It's the ONLY sensible measurment out there (Ha ha ha, my Murrican spell check doesn't recognise Celcius, lol 😀 I'm in Scotland, where we use metric for measuring things like wood and imperial for miles & MPH). as you pointed out, water freezes at 0 & boils at 100. Fart en shite is the WORST!! Murricans "Oh gosh. It's 110 degree's today!" I'm like WTF????? Anyway, my wife's engine & gearbox had to come out of her Citroen for a clutch, timing belt, timing chain (the DV6 engine has both) glow plugs (and I just KNEW a glow plug would break, so it was better with the engine on the bench) and so on. While engine was out, I tested her condenser with air pressure and found the pin hole that had been there for years. Charged the AC yesterday and it's blowing cold 🙂
Here in Canada, we use both, but it depends on what you're measuring. If you're cooking, °F. If it's outside temp, °C. If it's pool temp, it's °F. If you're measuring your own weight, it's in Lbs. If you're measuring something light, it's Kg, but if it's heavy it's Lbs. If you're measuring your own height, it's Feet and Inches. If it's a long distance, Km. If it's a short distance and work-related, Miles. If you're giving directions, distance is measured in travel time.
7:40 that's your outside temperature sensor and the sensor is probably working but the mount flange is broken and missing which explains the steel wire someone used to attach it to the bracket.
few tips while for dealing with a/c systems. You didn't elaborate while your were testing the compressor weather your did it before or after or while the system was under a vacuum. NEVER attempt to run the compressor while it is in a vacuum. In a vacuum the oil inside the compressor does not flow like a liquid in a vacuum and with no refigerant in the system no oil will be flowing to keep the compressor lubricated.
While filling the system with the cans you were using do not hold the can upside down and allow liquid refrigerant to enter the low side of the system. the line you were duping liquid refrigerant in goes directly to the compressor and if you attempt to put liquid refrigerant into the compressor you could hydro-lock the compressor and blow it up. Hold the can upright and allow the refrigerant to boil off and be sucked into the system as a vapor its safer.
I did not mention it, but I did NOT run the compressor under a vacuum. I didn't even think to. I believe the cans said to hold upside down for filling, so that's what I did. Assuming I read them correctly.
R12a is a blend and therefore must be charged as a liquid but you can adjust the valve so that it flows slowly out of the can and evaporates in the low pressure line.
@@ruben_balea thanks for that. I was assuming R134A.
Isn't it refreshing to see *not a hint* of cynicism, negativity or sarcasm, as he happily, joyfully, works on..... and I hope you appreciate the subtle hint (and relevance) of supertramp..
Unless you're going to do a lot of this type of work, it's not worth it to buy this maintenance equipment that you might use once every 20 years.
Every 20 years?
No wonder so many mechanics despise modern cars and hate their jobs. I should be much more thankful.
I feel your pain. This is why I changed my profession from mechanic to electrician.
I have a 2001 5-speed and I paid double for my compressor over an automatic one. My 2004 GT 5-speed compressor was even more. Crazy!
Great video. Reminded me of Eric the car guy. Interesting and enjoyable even though I will never do the same job.
I don't understand if you bought the Amazon Guage, why didn't you use the vacuum hose to put the refrigerant in?
The 12a cans have a different fitting than the R134a gauge set bottle adapter uses. I have since made an adapter to do so.
Each type of refrigerant for use in Mobile A/C systems has a different type of connector fitting to prevent cross-contamination.
No mention was made of Removing / Replacing compressor belt, bleeding recharge hose b4 recharging, maximum refill ozs. / pressure, positioning of can ..Upright for gas / inverted for liquid and the reasons to avoid pumping liquid into compressor .etc. etc..
Great Video! Thanks for the info. I have been troubleshooting my A/C for a couple of days now and found a massive hole in the line that feeds the rear A/C. I am getting ready to replace it but thought I would research next steps for when that's done. I think I'll check out a loaner vacuum from Autozone and see if it holds with the new line. How will I know if the system is free of moisture? I'll also jumper the low pressure switch and see if the compressor runs. The only other thing that is unknown to me is A/C oil. Is there a way to tell if I need to add oil since the car has been without A/C for over a year?
Oh autozone has an ac pump loaner? I would just add a bottle every other ac fill for my tacoma but now i may just replace the leaking compressor.
Love this!!! sounds like me doing a project!
Made my eyebrows rise when you talked about V8 PT Cruiser 👍🏻👍🏻
Check my channel for the V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint)
Check out alternative refrigerants.
I've been using R152a (computer keyboard duster) for 3 years. Mixes with all the oils and gases and reduces drag on the compressor.
Nice video, only thing I would say is that you're not supposed to invert the can because you're pouring the gas in its liquid form into the pump and liquids are non compressible so it will in theory damage it, you have to keep it upright and just agitate the can, thats what i did when i topped up my system last time, takes longer but it does work and is supposed to be safer in theory !!!
I've been using silicone grease since 1970 to stop steel bolts and ally from rotting, it doesn't have the good looks of Never-Seez but is just as good if not better.
Used to use just motor oil on spark plug threads back in my apprenticeship days.
Your nature is extraordinary !!
Why are you unscrewing the line connections when putting them on ?
Every set of gauges i've ever used goes against that, you clip on the QDC and then tighten the top to make it open the schrader valve. How does your set of guages open the valve by loosening the top ?
Or did you just not show the part where you tighten the connections again ??
Thanks for the video, you took a different route altogether, might have tried pumping a little air if not nitrogen to see if clutch on compressor engaged, also to check for leaks with bubble solution if okay, evacuate and recharge but old habits die hard and you chose to run a long mile but it takes years to train to make a meal out of recharge or to make a life out of any profession. Good luck.