Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting A/C Repair Questions

My A/C stopped working some time ago so I took it to the local dealership and, of course, they told me I needed $1200 worth of work to have it fixed. I passed. The accumulator has rusted through (big surprise).

I've got a new accumulator and picked up a used compressor from eBay. I see no reason why the compressor already in the car should be bad, but I got a backup just in case.

Ok, so I know I need to put in the new accumulator and replace the orifice tube (maybe), purge, charge, etc. What I'm wondering is that the service manual says that you must use a filter kit when the system has been opened. Is this really necessary? It requires a purge and fill, running the system, then removing the filters and purging and filling again.

Also, is it necessary or prudent to clean out the two lines running into the accumulator? It has been rusted out for about two years, so I'm afraid of what may have happened in there...

Finally, I haven't yet removed the dead accumulator, but if all the oil is gone, how much should I add to the system? Ford says 60 mL more than what was in it, but there is no spec in the service manual otherwise.

BTW, I'm not planning on doing all of this work by myself, so, yes, there will be a professional doing the appropriate parts. I'd just like to save on labor as much as possible.

Thanks for your help!

1. Remove old accumulator
2. Remove old compressor
3. remove orfice tube
4. Buy 2 cans of compressed flush cleaner, spray it into all lines.
5. Use air compressor with mosture filter on it, and blow out the lines. Wait an hour and blow them out again.
6. Install new orfice filter
7. Use revised larger orings from Ford - I can get you the part numbers if you want them - I just purchased them.
8 Install compressor.
9. Install new low and high side ports - they tend to leak. and are not that expensive.
10 Add oil to system, it is a fair amount I don't recall off hand.
11 Install new accumlator.
12. Install new clutch switch that is on accumulator.
12 Rent vacuum pump and pump down system for 30 minutes. If it doesn't pump down you have a leak somewhere. find it and fix it and then pump down again for another 30 minutes.
13. Charge system, I think it takes around 24 to 26 oz of freon.

Find a friend that's does A/C everyday, useless your an HVAC guru and have all the tools?
something new and different procedures in the A/C, plus if you can find someone like I have they can tell from experience what's the best bang for the buck thing to do or not to do.
I realize this connection isn't always possible.
I do know from talking over the years that anytime one part of the system goes bad, contamination of the entire system is very possible. unfortunately!
One other tid-bit I just learned R-134a is being taken off the market in 2007 or 2009, that's word from the produces of Freon.
Guess I missed that somehow about studies have showed it's worst that R-12.
One good thing got my old 89 Probe A/C back to is old meat locker self. I still think this whole thing had to due with money. R-12 costs $45.40 a lb. A 30 lb. can cost him $678. I know that 22.60 a lb.,but they have other costs EPA wise that brings up to the $45.40.
I haven't asked as to what it we take to convert my 98 Mystique back to R-12. But it's still working just fine, other than the fact it never came close to the cooling ability it would have had with R-12.
It's all a racket and my buddy is even more frustrated over all the high dollar equipment the EPA keeps requiring them to use.

Paul
Say what's the enrollment size of OU nowadays?