Well after dealing with no A/C last summer I want to get it fixed this year. But I don't know where to start..... I have already put R134a in last year but it never got cold the compressor does come on but the air never gets cold.

If there is a leak whats the best way to track it down?

 

If the drier isn't replaced and all the moisture isn't vacuumed from the system, the A/C will never get cold. The best way to track down the leak is with an electronic leak detector, but those are pricey. Otherwise, you can introduce some dye (you can buy it already in cans with R134a), then snoop around with your UV light/glasses.

When you find your leak, fix that line/o-ring/whatever (also keep in mind old/bad compressors can leak), put on your new drier, vacuum it, then charge it

 

Try removing the lower evap housing. Clean the evap housing with a soft bristle brush. This might help with how cold it gets

 

check the R134a charge...it can't be too low or too high.

 

I just had my a/c repaired on my truck and watched my uncle closely so I'm no expert but this is what he did. He relieved pressure, replaced the orifice tube filter, then vacuumed the H-E-double hockey sticks out of it. (while the machine was vacuuming) we went to the store to buy freon, I picked up 7 cans and he all but slapped me, he told me to buy the big can (looks like a propane tank) to eliminate air getting into the system when you fill it up. He said sometimes the small cans have air in them. He hooked up the gauges (use a quality set) turned the big can upside down and and opened the valve while the engine was running with the a/c on max. He did this till his gauge read between 35 and 40psi. On the gauges there were two hoses hooked up with one left off to bleed the system of any left over air, to do that he would open the 3rd valve until freon was beginning to shoot out, closed it up and sent me on my chilly way.

 

Yep, this is very, very, very important. Many times people merely vacuum it for 20 minutes or so, but a very long, deep vacuum (powerful pump) is imperative for maximum cooling ability. Then you should also let it sit for a couple hours to make sure it doesn't lose the vacuum (i.e., leaks).

That's my main qualm about most repair shops. They just stick it on the vacuum for maybe 10-15 minutes, then only let it sit for about 20 minutes or so to make sure it holds the vacuum

 

The oil in the R12 compressor may not be compatible with R134a.

 

free fix for j00

 

guess i was "lucky" with my r 143 conversion (bought at napa in 2004)for @ $40

my 91 se came with a\c working very well which should have been originaly
r-12

but the people who stole it by towing somehow backed into the front
when they ditched it halfway into a bush
which dented my a\c condensor and made a leak
well, it sat with the leak for a few days and i just swapped in a condensor from a clean parts car
ran the a\c and bleed what i could from the valve(not much was left)
then i followed instructions of the r-134 retro oil and charge kit
and its worked the same every summer for the last 4-5 years and counting
the compressor definitly engages,the air is definitly cold and was defintly worth the $40 kit $20 condensor and 30 minutes

i have a 92 se ve that came with good working a\c as well and that has been
very cold for 2006,2007,2008 but this year its seems less colder than my 91 with the r-134 but still works enough to keep windows up(maybe someone let some r-12 out of my condensor..i do think someones messing with my cars
especially tie rods\alignment)drove home ,wheel striaght ,leave next day,wheel crooked?but i used the standard length to get it back straight on the 91 and the truck

my 93 nissan truck came what i guess is factory r-134 which was very cold in 2004-2008 but this year just like the 92 ve its less cold but still good enough (agian like someone let some out from the condensor)

they love messing with my rod and nuts (tierod and condensor)

also i like our cars manual control of the a\c by way of a\c button
and the recirculate air feature (been in cars with no recirculate ,and or no way to close fresh vents)that sucks when your behind a school bus or huge truck or oil burners or dust

 

Yep sounds like you definitely got lucky. Getting 5 years out of a $40 "kit" is definitely surprising but sadly probably not the norm. Many times they'll work for a summer or two then finally seize up the compressor and go out

For some reason, some cars take better to conversions than others. From what I gather on here the 3rd gen. takes decently well to it (although all mine are original working r12 thankfully). My '89 Civic, on the other hand, I did a complete full out r134a conversion on it and the thing just wouldn't cool good enough (by Texas a/c standards at least). My buddy spent nearly $1,300 on a full conversion with all new parts from a reputable shop on his '90 Civic and it's the same story on it. I ended up reverting back to r12 on mine

 

make sure your buddy uses a R134a condenser. the R12 is not as efficient...i think they make dual pass/parallel flow condensers which would be even better.

 

Well, unfortunately, there's no aftermarket r134a-specific condensers available for EF Civics. I ended up using high output aftermarket electric fans on the condenser but it only helped a minimal amount. After way too much money and consulting several bona fide a/c guys, the consensus was that the a/c systems on the 88-91 Civics are basically considered almost 'toy' systems to begin with, and they're just flat not capable of cooling all that great when converted, considering they barely cut it to begin with.

 

the fan helps...but the condenser is key. if the condenser is crap you can have a hurricane in front of your hood and it'll never be cold....or cool enough.

can your buddy toss on an universal condenser?

 

Since we're on the topic of a/c, my 1990 Maxima suddenly stopped working one day. I notice however that the AC button lights up green when on but I look under the hood and the compressor clutch isn't spinning thus no cold air. It leaves me to assume that no juice is getting to the clutch, but all fuses check out fine. Am I missing something?

 

Nice threadjack

If your compressor doesn't come on it's most likely one of two things. Either the compressor is toast, or there's not enough refrigerant in the system to turn the compressor on.

If it were me and my a/c was working fine and then suddenly stopped working and the compressor isn't engaging, then I'd most likely assume it was the compressor itself. Not sure why you're assuming it's simply an electrical issue

 

jump the relay to trigger the compressor clutch and make sure it engages.
it could be (and very likely is) low on coolant as james mentioned.
easy check is to take off one of the charging caps and use a screwdriver to depress the schrader valve, if it blows out anything then there is something in the system (very good thing) if nothing comes out then you are empty and will at the very least need a recharge. My money would be on a leak if the system is empty.