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Thread: General Air Conditioning Question

  1. #1
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    General Air Conditioning Question

    Hello everyone,

    I need some general guidance on getting my Air Conditioning fixed in my 1987 BMW 325i Convertible, E30.

    Just to cut to the chase... I just got done replacing my cracked dashboard with an new used one this last weekend. For me it was a very difficult operation and I swore I would NEVER do it again. However, after getting the car back together.. I discovered that the AC was no longer cooling. So I took it to my local AC shop.... and the technician called me later and told me that the leak was somewhere BEHIND the firewall, inside the vehicle. He said that I would need to REMOVE the DASHBOARD in order for him to change the AC lines! That car sat for 3 full weekends with the dash out when I could have taken it in for repairs!.

    I have not had any experience with the AC system ( I did have the thing converted to R134 many years ago) .... and this was such a hard job that I am asking the group here for confirmation.

    Do I HAVE to take the entire dashboard out again to change the AC lines? Or is this a partial thing where I can take out the glove box and maybe the right side panels on the left side of the foot well? I realize that if the evaporator has a crack or some kind of leak ... then yeah, the dash has to come out.... but if there is any other way around pulling the whole dash I would like to hear it.

    After all the trouble I had getting that dash out... I am afraid that I will end up having a mental break down if I have to do it again.

    Thank you for any encouragement.

    And if anybody out there needs guidance on getting their dashboard out.... I know how to do it.

    Clark

  2. #2
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    No. That technician is a moron and didn't even look.

    You only need to remove the glovebox to get full access to the AC lines. From there, you can swap out the evaporator and expansion valve as well. The tech is probably used to a lot of modern cars, where you really do have to do that.
    2011 M3 Sedan
    2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD LBZ
    1999 323i GTS2
    1995 M3 - S50B32/S6S420G/3.91
    1990 325is
    1989 M3 - S54B32/GS6-37BZ

    Hers: 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo
    Hers: 1989 325iX


  3. #3
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    Thank you SO MUCH Nick.... I am really glad I asked first. I looked in the Bentley Manual and checked around on the internet and could find nothing about it. Working on that dash really turned me into a monster... Nothing seemed to easily line up with the new dash.... I am a big guy and between the heat and sweat and practically standing on my head to get under the dash to put the various bolts in... I was toast. It was a miracle that everything worked right (except for the AC!) once I got done.

    Thank you again! I would have pulled the entire dash this weekend if you had not stopped me.

  4. #4
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    Back when I used to take my car elsewhere for AC repairs I was also told the dash had to come out and that it was 10 hrs flat rate just for that. Needless to say that never happened.

    Now back to your OP. Go to HF and get a sniffer since a) you do not want to use a spray bubble detector inside your car and b) you will never test a likely source of the leak otherwise (keep reading). I did a complete system replacement on my 87 Cabrio and it worked great except it had a slow leak. Long story short is, it was leaking THROUGH the 2 hoses behind the glove box. I had replaced all the others but these were the original non barrier hoses. What happens on r134a converted cars is that the system gets flushed of the old mineral oil since it doesnt mix w 134. However, the hoses are impregnated with the mineral oil so it works as a sort of barrier hose....for a while. As the mineral oil leeches out those hoses become porous and will leak along their length which is exactly where my leak was. In speaking to Aeroquip, who made them, they gave me the specs for leakage which is xx grams/sq in/minute or something to that effect and the non barrier hoses basically allow several times more leakage of 134 as a non barrier hose due to the smaller molecules.

    The problem is that one of those hoses is NLA and the other is mucho dinaro...SO....assuming your system is reasonably clean, send those hoses to a shop who KNOWS they can update them to barrier hoses. They will cut the tubes, sweat on new fittings to accommodate the barrier hose and reassemble it with the proper fitting orientation. Not all shops can work with the metric tubing but I found a hydraulic shop who did a perfect job for about $75 after I sent them my NOS hoses (that I had shipped from Israel of all places). No more leaks and my dash never moved :-)

    My 2c
    Last edited by Jeffnhiscars; 08-11-2017 at 12:02 PM.
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  5. #5
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    Hi Jeff, very nice to meet you.

    Thank you for that! The A/C guy did tell me he would be pulling the hoses and getting them rebuilt.... So I am assuming (from what you have said about R134) that this is his intent.
    This certainly lines up with what you are saying.... I had the system changed to R134 years ago when I could no longer get R12 (my compressor died) ... but it seemed to me that the system petered out WAY too soon after the new stuff was installed.... Car was never REALLY cool.... and I ended up adding freon at the start the summer every year it seemed. this time I added the STOP LEAK freon.. and that lasted a month.... The car had sat for about 5 years when I decided to restore it after an catastrophic engine event. So... now that I have swapped out the engine (with an ETA engine - learning now about those!) and had the leather seats all redone, and replaced the dash... now I will become and A/C expert the hard way.

    Anyhow.... I called the A/C guy today... and he is skeptical that only pulling the glove box (and I will probably pull out the lower center console too) will let him get access to what he needs to, BUT ... I told him to try his best... and IF he cannot do it... I will just bite the bullet and pull the rest of it out....

    So AFTER all this is done.... I had the 325i head from my original overhauled... and skimmed down .020" .... and I will change out the ETA head ... and hope my little 325i Convertible will be able to keep up with the crazy drivers here in Orlando again.

    Thanks again guys.... I am really glad I have some other folks to ask questions to now.

    Clark

  6. #6
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    Do not let him pull your dash under any circumstance. He's obviously never done an e30. I've changed hoses and expansion valve just by removing th glove box and related pieces. I don't think the console has to come out unless you are doing the evaporator too. Take the box out go see him, show him the access and get his commitment to do the job with the dash in place before you release your car to him. otherwise find someone else
    87 Zinno Cabrio 98k Barn Find. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=268987
    87 Lachsilber ETA Time Capsule. bought w 125k from 87yo original owner

    Cabrio deck lid & hinge struts (w sleeves) now for sale. See the link below for more info

    New "made in Europe" seat shocks. PM for details
    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ot-Seat-Shocks

  7. #7
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    Yeah Roger that Jeff.

    I pulled the glove box and "glove box roof" (and the center console too for good measure).... The evaporator fittings are right there in plain view..... I never even noticed them when I was replacing the dash last weekend... I would have noticed them before I went to far with my disassembly. You guys really eased my mind though... I just do not need more setbacks with this car....

    My next thing will be to go back in and replace the ETA head with my original rebuilt head so I can have a 2.7 engine. Hopefully that will not be TOO much work again.... Is is just so hot this time of year I really hate working on anything in the garage when I do not have to.

    Thanks guys.

  8. #8
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    From there, replacing those hoses is easy & the shop that did mine is in JAX so you may want to DYI this job. You can get gauges and a vacuum pump from Advance (or Autozone) on their free rental program or just buy them at HF. Throw in a case of r134a ($48 in Amazon) and you are in for $200 which is less than your shop would charge you to look at the car. Like so many things, they want you to think its a great mystery but with a little homework (like the kind you are doing here) & a few $$ you can do all your own AC stuff....something about giving a man a fish VS teaching him to catch his own

    10-4 on this FL heat !!
    87 Zinno Cabrio 98k Barn Find. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=268987
    87 Lachsilber ETA Time Capsule. bought w 125k from 87yo original owner

    Cabrio deck lid & hinge struts (w sleeves) now for sale. See the link below for more info

    New "made in Europe" seat shocks. PM for details
    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ot-Seat-Shocks

  9. #9
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    Hi Everybody,

    I took my car into the repair shop last week. I took the glove box out and the techs were able to pull the AC compressor hoses and get them rebuilt. They pulled a vacuum for over an hour with no leakdown.... and filled her up with compressor oil nad R134a freon... for The car has never cooled better! I drove it around this weekend and it kept up with our Florida humid heat just fine (even on the lower blower settings).. So thank you again for you expert advice....

    So the new dash is in..... and all lights and electrics work..... and I will be able to take my wife on some nice trips this fall.

    Clark out.

  10. #10
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    Look at that....5 posts and you're making ice cubes. I love these internets !!!
    87 Zinno Cabrio 98k Barn Find. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=268987
    87 Lachsilber ETA Time Capsule. bought w 125k from 87yo original owner

    Cabrio deck lid & hinge struts (w sleeves) now for sale. See the link below for more info

    New "made in Europe" seat shocks. PM for details
    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ot-Seat-Shocks

  11. #11
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    How to recharge the AC in your E30 without converting to R134a and how to use AC manifold gauges and pull vacuum.

    Use Duracool or RedTek R12a refrigerant it works better than R134a

    http://www.rtsauto.com/how-to-rechar...d-pull-vacuum/


    How to recharge the AC in your car (Eg. used will be E30) and how to use AC manifold gauges and pull vacuum

    December 15, 2016
    By admin
    Recharging your own Air conditioning system is one of those things that seems difficult, but really is rather simple as long as you have all the correct tools and follow the correct steps.
    I will as in depth as I can describe how to properly pull a vacuum on your car, how to check it for leaks, how to refill the system and which refrigerant to use.
    But first, lets get some misconceptions/misinformation out of the way that you will find else where.

    First: R-12 is illegal now in most countries; once it was discovered that CFC’s (like R-12) caused damage to the ozone it was outlawed. R-12 still exists and can be bought second hand by anyone with the proper certifications. However, because new R-12 can not be manufactured, it is both hard to find and has substantially increased in price.
    If you have a R12 refrigerant system like the one found on the E30, your best course of action is NOT to convert to R134a. Rather it is best to use a hydrocarbon based refrigerant which is a direct replacement in R12 systems.
    These hydrocarbon based refrigerants are sold under the Duracool 12a, Red Tek R12a, Freeze 12 or similar brands.

    R134a is far less efficient than R12, and has a much smaller molecule size. Because of the former, to successfully achieve R12 temperature levels you need to change major AC components. Because after the latter, even if you do change major components, you still need to change all o-rings in the system, otherwise the R134a will leak out.
    Switching R12 to R134a is a terrible industry practice that rakes in big money for retrofit shops.
    R12A which is the legal hydrocarbon replacement for R12 actually has a significantly larger molecule size than R12 or R134a, and therefore not only cools better, but significantly decreases leaks in the system. In a native R12 system, no o-rings need to be changed.


    You will read in some places that R12a is flammable, and it is as all hydrocarbons are, however the below sums up that it is a none-issue for an AC application:

    Second: You will also hear of R-414B also known as “Hotshot” as an acceptable replacement for R12. R-414b is a blend of R-22/R-124/R-600a/R-142b (50%±2%/39%±2%/1.5%±.5%/9.5%+.5,–1%). With the major component being 50% R-22. Even though it is advertised as a direct replacement for R-12 (and R-134a, R-401A, R-401B, R-409A, R-416A, R-420A, and R-500) it is not.
    R-22 is incompatible with R-12 automotive compressors and will slowly destroy the seals inside of the R-12 compressor.
    It also has a molecule size similar to that of R-134a, and will similarly leak.

    Third: A “retro-fit” kit is not needed for an R-12 system to recharge the system with any kind of refrigerant, in fact the OEM shrader valve caps (valves used to recharge AC system) have rubber seals on them which seal far better than any retrofit kit I have ever seen.
    The below adapters are unnecessary if your ac manifold kit is able to connect to R-12; and most are able to connect to R-12, as the R-134a style connectors (which connect to the below adapters) are adapted to the R-12 connector on the AC manifold. So cut out the middle-man and just connect the R-12 connectors from the ac manifolds to the r-12 connectors on your car!

    Fourth: All AC systems leak. It may take decades, but most AC systems leak and at one point or another will need to be topped up or recharged.

    Before we start, let me be clear that in most jurisdictions it is illegal to discharge ac systems into open air. This does not apply to you if you are just topping up, but if you are doing a full recharge, please have your car professionally evacuated by a shop with the appropriate equipment. Evacuating your system professionally shouldn’t cost very much; the shop hooks up a machine, it pull the old refrigerant out so you are left with an empty system.
    Wear glasses and gloves, refrigerant is very cold and you don’t want to get frost bite on your hands or eyes.
    The tools:
    You can get a kit like the below for about $100-120 from ebay/amazon that will have almost everything you need to recharge your system minus a couple parts I will note below.
    The kit contains:
    Ac manifolds and associated R-12 hoses
    R-134a connector adapters
    Vacuum pump


    To connect the ac manifold gauges to a recharge can, you will also need a AC can tap and associated adapter to adapt the can tap to the ac manifold hose (yellow hose).
    FJC 6030:

    FJC 6015:



    To recharge the system:
    Step 1: Connect the ac manifold hoses to your car, in this example we will use an E30:
    Connect the Blue hose to the low-side shrader valve and the red hose to the high-side shrader valve.
    Hand tighten the hoses, no need to use tools.

    Step 2: Connect the yellow hose to your vacuum pump.
    In the pump below the hose connects from the side, some pumps connect at the same spot but from the top.
    Hand tighten this hose, do not use tools.

    Step 3:
    Turn both the high and low knobs to the open position (counter clockwise):


    Step 4: Turn on the vacuum pump and watch the pressure go down on the gauge inHg (inches of mercury):

    Step 5: confirm on the label found on your vacuum, how much vacuum it is able to pull. Lower cost vacuum pumps will not pull a high vacuum (15-20 inHg).
    The reason we are pulling a vacuum is two fold:
    First to remove any air and air born contaminants.
    Second to lower the boiling point of any moisture inside the ac system. Moisture is very damaging in AC systems.
    As per the below chart you will see the more vacuum we pull the lower the boiling temperature gets.
    Generally speaking at sea level an absolute vacuum is -30 inches of mercury. At which point any water would boil instantly.

    With the moisture boiling, the vacuum will be sucking it all out.
    Remember, I said sea level. However as per the below chart an absolute vacuum changes relative to your elevation.
    In the below level, you will find that at a 5000ft (1524m) elevation an absolute vacuum is not -30 inHg, rather closer to 25 inHg.
    Use the chart accordingly to your elevation. To find your elevation you can search in google, “*mycity* elevation”.


    Step 6: After 15min, with the vacuum pump still on, close both low and high pressure knobs on your AC manifold. Then turn off the vacuum.
    This will lock in the vacuum in your system.
    Make note, of what the inHg measurement is showing on the gauge.
    Come back in 2 hours and confirm that the needle has not moved.
    If the needle has moved, that means you have lost vacuum and thus have a leak in your AC system.
    Resolve any of the leaks and repeat the above steps until your system is holding consistent vacuum.

    Step 7: Turn the vacuum back on, and reopen both low and high side taps on the AC manifold. Pull vacuum for another 2 hours to make sure everything is vacuumed out.
    Step 8: Confirm how much refrigerant you need to add to your system, every refrigerant type has a different density and properties.
    The can will note the equivalences. For Red Tek R12a for example, 1 can of 6oz refrigerant is equal to 1lb 2oz of traditional R12.

    Most cars have stickers similar to the below somewhere in the engine bay noting how much of a specific type of refrigerant is needed for that vehicle.

    For an E30 when filling with R12a we need between 11-12 oz or 2 cans of 6oz:

    For a vehicle that needs an amount that requires a portion of a can, you can use a kitchen scale to measure the weight of the can as it fills. When the vehicle has reached its needed amount you can close off the AC manifold taps.
    Step 9: Close low and high side taps again (holding vacuum), turn off vacuum, detach yellow hose from vacuum and connect your can and tap to the yellow hose:
    While assembling ensure the can tap handle is unscrewed all the way as to retract the pin that will puncture the can.


    Step 10: Puncture the can by screwing in the handle on the can tap all the way, then backing off 1 turn (to allow space for the refrigerant to flow).

    Step 11: There is a shrader valve located here on the manifold. Press the shrader value pin briefly with a screw driver to purge any air out of the line. Wear gloves, refrigerant is very cold.

    Step 12: Open the low side knob only (blue knob) on the ac manifold and turn the ac can upside down.
    Wait 10 min for the refrigerant to flow in. Periodically shake the can to assist the flow.
    Step 13: The ac compressor will not switch on without pressure in the system, and this initial can charge will be enough now for the compressor to activate.
    Turn the car on, select the AC to be on, and set the ac fan speed to high.
    Once the compressor has kicked on you will notice the low side pressure start to drop and the high side start to build.
    Step 14: Wait for 5 more min and continue to periodically shake the can.
    Once you feel the can is empty. Close the low side ac manifold knob, unscrew the can tap handle and detach the can and connect another to the can tap.
    Puncture the new can, and repeat step 11 to purge the yellow line and reopen the low side ac manifold knob.
    Step 15: Wait another 15 min while periodically shaking the second can (keep can upside down).
    Once the can is empty close the low side AC manifold knob (and confirm that the high side red knob is still closed).
    Confirm low side pressure is in the ~30psi range and high side is in the ~300 psi range with the car and compressor running (refer to ac specs in step 8).
    Step 16: Turn off the car and disconnect all ac manifold lines.
    Step 17: You are done, put back on the low and high side shrader valve covers.
    This entry was posted on December 15, 2016 at 11:28 pm and is filed under Do it Yourself. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  12. #12
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    Guys,

    I have been using my A/C system that I mentioned earlier that I had the repair place fix my leaky old R12 hoses. From what I remember from years ago... I had a new R134 Compressor installed.... but it never really worked that well.... And of course after all these years the leaky hose did not help either...

    I have been driving the car in our high heat days of September here in Orlando... and I gotta tell you .... the system just cannot keep up wth 95 degrees.. My dad put the gages on the system .. and from what he could tell.. the "high" side pressure was around 150... I was told it should be around 175 to 200....... SO ... I took it back to my repair shop today... and had them look at it.... I thought maybe the compressor was just getting old and needed a refresh..... The shop evaluated it and said that even through the high pressure was a bit low.... and the low side was a bit high.... they could not recommend that a new compressor (and maybe a new evaporator and expansion valve) could really help.

    Seeing the post above about the R-12A Duracool.... I am wondering if I should try replacing my R134 with this? Would this help my "running" system to do a better job? And since I did an R134 conversion... can I still go back to this R12 variant?

    Also... one more question.... I noticed that one of my original BMW A/C hoses ( the one I replaced) ... had a kind of metal "shield" around it..... Kind of looked like a "radiant barrier" ... The new hose does not have this metal shield on the outside.... I have found a source for radiant barrier used to cover hoses..... Would installing this keep the engine heat from affecting the A/C lines?.... and keep them cooler so the A/C system would not have to work so hard in the heat of the engine compartment combined with the outside ambient air of 95 plus degrees?

    Just trying to see what I can do to help this little car out.

    Thanks in advance for suggestions on how to proceed.... The shop said if they did replace all the components.. it would cost around $1500 .... and I really don' have this dough right now.... AND winter is almost upon us.... so I will probably put off major

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clark Morris View Post
    Guys,

    I have been using my A/C system that I mentioned earlier that I had the repair place fix my leaky old R12 hoses. From what I remember from years ago... I had a new R134 Compressor installed.... but it never really worked that well.... And of course after all these years the leaky hose did not help either...

    I have been driving the car in our high heat days of September here in Orlando... and I gotta tell you .... the system just cannot keep up wth 95 degrees.. My dad put the gages on the system .. and from what he could tell.. the "high" side pressure was around 150... I was told it should be around 175 to 200....... SO ... I took it back to my repair shop today... and had them look at it.... I thought maybe the compressor was just getting old and needed a refresh..... The shop evaluated it and said that even through the high pressure was a bit low.... and the low side was a bit high.... they could not recommend that a new compressor (and maybe a new evaporator and expansion valve) could really help.

    Seeing the post above about the R-12A Duracool.... I am wondering if I should try replacing my R134 with this? Would this help my "running" system to do a better job? And since I did an R134 conversion... can I still go back to this R12 variant?

    Also... one more question.... I noticed that one of my original BMW A/C hoses ( the one I replaced) ... had a kind of metal "shield" around it..... Kind of looked like a "radiant barrier" ... The new hose does not have this metal shield on the outside.... I have found a source for radiant barrier used to cover hoses..... Would installing this keep the engine heat from affecting the A/C lines?.... and keep them cooler so the A/C system would not have to work so hard in the heat of the engine compartment combined with the outside ambient air of 95 plus degrees?

    Just trying to see what I can do to help this little car out.

    Thanks in advance for suggestions on how to proceed.... The shop said if they did replace all the components.. it would cost around $1500 .... and I really don' have this dough right now.... AND winter is almost upon us.... so I will probably put off major
    Have you replaced the stock serpentine flow condenser with a parallel flow unit? That would improve the system's efficiency.

    I use envirosafe HC-12 in my e21 and get vent temps ranging from 48 to 60 degrees depending on my speed, rpms, and outside temperature.

  14. #14
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    Have you bypassed the aux fan resistor?
    2011 M3 Sedan
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    1995 M3 - S50B32/S6S420G/3.91
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    Hers: 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo
    Hers: 1989 325iX


  15. #15
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    No e30s, again :(
    Nick, what are you talking about, willis?

    What aux fan resistor? My vent temps are the same, 46 to 60.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thecatmilton View Post
    Have you replaced the stock serpentine flow condenser with a parallel flow unit? That would improve the system's efficiency.

    I use envirosafe HC-12 in my e21 and get vent temps ranging from 48 to 60 degrees depending on my speed, rpms, and outside temperature.
    Negative sir.... I think the condenser is the original BMW version. I may just try the R-12A first to see if it helps before I get into new hardware. Right now it is just barely making it in 95 degree heat... but if it were just a little better... it might just be ok.

    Anybody else wanna comment on my "Radiant Barrier" Question? Using the radiant barrier sleeving to keep the lines away from engine heat? Here is a link to an example product that I would use to isolate the AC lines : https://www.summitracing.com/parts/h...hoCo-wQAvD_BwE

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by superj View Post
    Nick, what are you talking about, willis?

    What aux fan resistor? My vent temps are the same, 46 to 60.
    On the aux fan, there is a resistor that slows the fan down. This is the mode that it uses when you kick the AC on. Bypass the resistor and the fan spins way faster and makes the AC a fair bit more effective at idle/low speeds. Note, however, that this can reduce aux fan life.
    2011 M3 Sedan
    2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD LBZ
    1999 323i GTS2
    1995 M3 - S50B32/S6S420G/3.91
    1990 325is
    1989 M3 - S54B32/GS6-37BZ

    Hers: 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo
    Hers: 1989 325iX


  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clark Morris View Post
    Negative sir.... I think the condenser is the original BMW version. I may just try the R-12A first to see if it helps before I get into new hardware. Right now it is just barely making it in 95 degree heat... but if it were just a little better... it might just be ok.

    Anybody else wanna comment on my "Radiant Barrier" Question? Using the radiant barrier sleeving to keep the lines away from engine heat? Here is a link to an example product that I would use to isolate the AC lines : https://www.summitracing.com/parts/h...hoCo-wQAvD_BwE
    You need to replace the condenser then. Don't waste time with alternative refrigerants yet. Your system efficiency will improve dramatically. They are available on rockauto for $73.99

    condenser.PNG

    I don't think you will see very much improvement by insulating the hoses. I tried it in my 320i and noticed no changes in regards to my vent temps.
    Last edited by Thecatmilton; 10-10-2017 at 08:55 PM.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Mount Plymouth, FL, USA
    Posts
    24
    My Cars
    1987 BMW 325i, 1997 BMW
    Ok ... thanks.... I just remembered seeing the loose metal covering on the original coolant line... and thought maybe the new hose should be similarly protected.
    I did just order the Duracool prior to reading this..... So I will try it.... I am just tired of taking my glove box and center console apart ( I took it out to help keep costs down at the shop in case they needed access to the expansion valve again.).
    I am getting real good at it though... between the dash replacement ... and working the AC problem I have lots of experience.

    I will see how things go..... and if I cannot get the temp down to a decent level... I will order the condenser.... and put THAT in.

    Thank you all for the advice.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    DFW TX USA
    Posts
    1,447
    My Cars
    1983 320I, 1986 325E
    Stick a meat thermometer in your vents and let me know your vent temps.

    This chart is what your A/C pressures and vent temps should be based upon outside temperature and humidity.
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6q...a3c/view?pli=1

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    nick: thanks for the tip on the aux fan. I will do that later today or tomorrow after work.
    No e30s again.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Mount Plymouth, FL, USA
    Posts
    24
    My Cars
    1987 BMW 325i, 1997 BMW
    Quote Originally Posted by Thecatmilton View Post
    Stick a meat thermometer in your vents and let me know your vent temps.

    This chart is what your A/C pressures and vent temps should be based upon outside temperature and humidity.
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6q...a3c/view?pli=1
    Ok.... Got the thermometer this afternoon..... The ambient temperature on the way home from work was 84 degrees this evening. The center vent readings in stop and go traffic was 80-82..... at 35 to 40 mph was around 70.... and at highway speed was down to no lower than 64 or so.

    So, I did order the parallel flow condenser you recommended (and a new Dryer), and the Duracool kit is on order also.

    So, where do we go from here?

    Clark

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Mount Plymouth, FL, USA
    Posts
    24
    My Cars
    1987 BMW 325i, 1997 BMW
    Oh.... also today .... I have been looking at fault codes.... The car, usually once or so on a trip.... will just lose power.... briefly ... like the ignition quits..... I was getting a code 1d .... so I cleaned my Crankshaft Position Sensor plug ... and that code does not show up.... BUT.... I still had a brief stalling event... and when I read the code it was a 28 - "Compressor" .... So maybe somebody wants to comment on this.

    Clark

  24. #24
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Officially in Tampa
    Posts
    2,137
    My Cars
    87 Cabrio & 87 ETA
    For the line near the exhaust I used "DEI Heat Shroud". It has a velcro strip so you can put it over the hose while its installed. WHen replacing components you also need to add PAG (correct grade for your system). For the drier add 10cc and for the condensor add 40cc
    87 Zinno Cabrio 98k Barn Find. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=268987
    87 Lachsilber ETA Time Capsule. bought w 125k from 87yo original owner

    Cabrio deck lid & hinge struts (w sleeves) now for sale. See the link below for more info

    New "made in Europe" seat shocks. PM for details
    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ot-Seat-Shocks

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    DFW TX USA
    Posts
    1,447
    My Cars
    1983 320I, 1986 325E
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffnhiscars View Post
    For the line near the exhaust I used "DEI Heat Shroud". It has a velcro strip so you can put it over the hose while its installed. WHen replacing components you also need to add PAG (correct grade for your system). For the drier add 10cc and for the condensor add 40cc

    I wouldn't use PAG oil if r12 has been ran in the system. It gets quite corrosive when it comes into contact with r12 mineral oil.

    I would personally use Ester oil as it doesn't have this issue. It doesn't react badly when it comes into contact with the mineral oil. It's also compatible with r12, r134a, and other refrigerants.

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