Hey guys, I havent posted here in quite sometime.. I live in the Bahamas and I guess you can imagine how hot this damned place must get.. Im having a bit of trouble with my a/c.. When I first got this car May 2000 the a/c worked fine and then one day I was making 70mph through a shortcut and it was raining before that so I dropped in this amazing, glorious and magnificent pothole filled with water and I felt like I was gonna die cuz I thought I was in hell that day.. hehe.. The a/c was on during that but when I got home(that was a friday), I didnt use my car again until sunday and I noticed the a/c wasnt cooling anymore.. I carried the car to an a/c specialist and he just added more gas and told me to call him if it leaks out again.. It lasted a few days but eventually leaked out again.. So he did it again and and this time it lasted a few hours..

This all happened sometime last year and I had my a/c checked out by a different guy.. He added gas to it and as he was doing it we noticed it was cooling the car but then eventually while we were waiting the gas leaked out yet again.. He used his electronic tool thingy(for lack of better words) and it started beeping when he placed it near the compressor and he told me that my compressor was bad and that I should replace it.. My question is, if the compressor is bad then why does it cool when its gassed up? Wouldnt a bad compressor just not work at all? Could this just be a line leak or something like that? I would really like to get this problem sorted out and im kinda short on cash at the moment so getting a new compressor is not an option just yet.. Anyone have any suggestions? :/



j0e-

 

well.. I was kinda hoping id get some response before I left today but I had the a/c checked out once more by a different guy who checked for leaks, couldnt find any anywhere.. He used soap/water to check for bubbles I guess and he used a propane tank to see if the gas would change the color of the flame but we found nothing.. So, we added gas and ill know by tomorrow morning whats going on with it.. Its working pretty damn good now so if it lasts till then well I guess theres nothing wrong with it but if it leaks out again then ill carry it back to those guys :/


j0e-

 

Does the car make any type of noise when the a/c is turned on? If so, then chances are your compressor is shot. But if not, I would have the lines checked. From what I am gathering, it seems there may have been a damaged line.

 

When the a/c is on the car runs fine.. If I turn it up to 4 the vents make an odd heavy sound, 1, 2 and 3 are fine.. If I switch from 2 to 3 it turns off, if I go to 4 and then back to 3 it works.. Its always done this though, even when it was working fine so I assume its just the normal operation or whatever.. Today I checked out the car again and it seems that the gas leaked out yet again.. I start my first day of work tomorrow so I dont think ill be able to make it back to those guys who originally put the gas in but I believe there is another a/c specialist around the corner from where I work.. Im gonna have them check out the lines and stuff tomorrow.. On my lunch hour or something.



j0e-

 

Another possibility is the seals have gone bad. I just had mine repaired yesterday and found that one of the O rings on a line had worn out. Does it make an unusual whining sound with the a/c on?

 

Its not a whining sound.. Its a heavy sound as if its overworking or something like that? I dunno how to explain it up its pretty loud when the gas leaks out, when its working and gassed up its not that loud.. I think I had someone check the seals and washers in it but I dont know.. Ill have someone else check all that out tomorrow..


j0e-

 

More than likely, the compressor is going bad and you will have to replace it. What usually happens with a/c compressors is that the clutch wears out over time and it makes the sound you are describing. Also, have them inspect the lines and the seals to ensure there are no other leaks.

 

I have had a/c problems this year as well. First, how many 3rd gen's have the R134a systems? I know mine does, but is that a factory system, or did the previous owner do the upgrade?

Last summer, it worked fine, and this year nothin'. The pump doesn't even kick on, telling me there is no pressure: all the liquid and gas leaked out. I had 2 estimates: one from a Mazda dealership (nearest Nissan is 60 miles away) for $600 including labor. And one from an independant cooling company for $550. They both concluded that the condenser and dryer basically rusted apart. How can this be possible?

I guess I'll have to believe them. I'm getting the work done next week. This really sucks! That $550 would have got me rims finally!

 

You have to start by checking the hi and low pressures of your compressor. Only then will you know how well it's pumping and that there isn't an obstruction. External compressor leaks are uncommon on 3rd gen, forget soapy water and halide flames, you have to have an electronic leak detector. Just have someone w/ an A/C machine pressure test the system (I know y'all have them down there, international regs demand it). The continuous discharge of refrigerant you describe is pretty irresponsible....

Best of Luck

Dan Heard
Manager
usedmaximaparts.com
P.O. Box 2207
Newnan, GA 30264
678-378-4694
Fax 775-599-1906

 

Well they finally did a diagnostic check and found out that the evaporator is causing the leak.. They told me I need to replace it but I checked online for them and theyre $250 new at carparts.. He is trying to sell me a re-cored evaporator for about the same price and says he can have it in like 3 days. I dont know which to get though or if I can find a better price anywhere? I also need to get an o2 sensor and a fuel injector as well so I should probably get all those all at once from somewhere.


j0e-

 

my 92 gxe max makes a low whinning sound when the AC is on. Do u think I need a new compressor?? fyi-i have the auto climate control if this helps.

 

Can you tell where the noise is coming from? It's OK if it's whining as refrigerant cycles thru the expansion valve. Most compressor noises don't come from the compressor themselves, but rather the clutch. The clutch bearings may be worn, in which case it will fail eventually. The belt may ne slipping, too, that's real common. Keep in mind that clutch failure is often secondary to compressor failure- the resistance becomes too great and the clutch can't take it. If the compressor is going bad, you'll lose cooling and it will be quite noticeable. If it's cooling properly, I wouldn't worry about it.