Since I had my brilliant re-call, I have cursed myself for keeping thinking about this.

My comment about the compressors being different between the 4th gen and 5th gen is correct based on the specs in the FSM. For some unknown reason, I decided to look at the Nissan part numbers. Oh my god, what a cluster ****. For the 1995 through the 2003 models, there are 11 different part numbers for the a/c compressor. However, Nissan has superseded the 7 part numbers that cover the 1997 through 2001 with the same one part number. The 95 & 96 still have their own number and the 2002 & 03 have their own.

So if you did end up with the compressor for my 2000, I guess it would be OK, maybe. I was searching the web trying to find out the Calsonic model number that Nissan used on our cars. I did not find the original model numbers anywhere, but on one re-builder's website, they list the Calsonic CWV-618 as the compressor for the 97 to 02 models.

The next challenge was to find out how and where Calsonic marks/labels their compressors. Turns out that Calsonic uses a foil stick on label, placed on the side that faces the radiator when mounted on the engine. I looked at my 97 and I can see a label there, but I couldn't read it by leaning over the radiator.

But don't get too excited by this. What I also found was that many (most?) re-builders remove the Calsonic tag. Some put their own tag on and some don't put any tag on, at least in the original Calsonic spot. What the re-builder's tag might say is unknown to me. Then we also have the situation where other manufacturers have made a compressor comparable to the Calsonic.

Maybe you don't have a Calsonic compressor or maybe you have a mis-labeled compressor. Then there is a by-pass valve that is screwed into the compressor. I don't know what it does, but could a bad/incorrect valve cause your problem? Last far out thought - if the pulley was a smaller diameter than specified, what would that do?

 

I think the valve you are referring to is a pressure valve that pops if the system gets over charged by a lot. The pulley is the same size on this one as the stock one.

I thank you for your help dennis. I think I'm just going to live with it though. I can't justify to keep dropping money at the shop on a guessing game since they can't point to and exact issue either.

 

I understand. To prove or disprove my theory would require you to put another compressor on. That wouldn't be cheap at all.

 

Yeah, there are no part numbers that make any sense stamped or labeled in this compressor anywhere. I know for the 97 there were 3 different compressors depending on the manufacture date. Mime being 11/96 takes 67453 of the four seasons brand which has 14mm stepped ports...whatever that means. Lol. Can't remember what the factory part number was though.

On another note, have you ever seen your breath inside a car when the ac was on? If it is night time and I have the ac on, it is so cold I can see my breath. Just an interesting little fact that makes me "buy" your ac compressor story ...still not gonna change it though

 

See my breath in the car from using the a/c??? I'd drive it off a cliff or something. I moved to Texas because I don't like cold. The 105 degrees we're having right now is fine by me.

According to part numbers, there were only 2 compressors used on the 97, those built in 96 and those built in 97. When the 98 production started in 97, the part number changed again. Maybe because of the 98 model production in 97, this might be why you say 3 compressors for the 97.

The original part number for the compressor assembly for your car was part # 27600-0L700, used 06/1996 to 12/1996 and now is superseded by 27600-2Y01C.

The compressor assembly consists of compressor, clutch assy and bypass valve assy.

The compressor itself was part # 27610-0L700, no longer sold separately, you must buy the whole assembly now.

 

This IS an interesting thread and I thought about it too. My first thought was that the wrong compressor was installed and after reading what Dennis wrote I agree completely.

If the compressor is bigger and thereby compressing more refrigerant, it stands to reason that the system would be passing more flow and thereby more colder, especially if the system has a proper charge pressure.

I think u can test Dennis's theory merely by removing some refrigerant (not the most eco friendly thing to do). By reducing the amount of refrigernat, the pressure should go down and thereby the air temp.

If the air temp goes down and lines stop freezing, then u know the compressor is too large cuz it sounds like everything else is in working order.

And yes, there were a bunch of compressors made. Nissan screwed around with the AC for many model years. When i had my AC problems, I found all this out.

2bro, where did u get the compressor from? If its straight from nissan then i find it weird that u would get the wrong compressor. That is what makes this all confusing.

 

damn you, Ryan. You've got me addicted to this.

The four seasons company is about 20 miles from me:

Standard Motor/four Seasons Div
500 Industrial Blvd.
Grapevine TX 76051
800.772.7824
http://www.4s.com/ROOT-Home1/Content.aspx

Found this out through the GTIN for the a/c compressor. Stands for Global Trade Identification Number. That took a while learning about this.

 

It is not a factory compressor from Nissan...it is a remanned one from RY AC Compressors in Florida.

To really throw everything off, I drove the same route this morning as I have before where the air flow diminished previously. However, when I drove it today, the air flow did not diminish. I have the manual climate control and drove the whole time with it on "1" and when I got to the point where it normally stops the air flow, I turned it to "4" and was blasted by the air flow (blew nice and strong). I am not sure, yet, if the fan speed setting has anything to do with the issue...i'll have to do a little more trial and error on that one. I just found it weird that the air flow did not diminish today like it did last week driving the exact same route.

I wish I could find a part number on the compressor but the only number i remember seeing stamped on there was "777". I have no idea what that that number means...I'm assuming it is something to do with the company that did the reman.

Is there any other way to tell by type if it is the "right" compressor? When I search for compressors, they ask for the manufacture date...5/97 ONLY, from 12/96 thru 4/97, and 11/96.

Mine, like i said before, was manufactured in 11/96. I just wonder if there are any tell-tale signs if the right one was sent...would compressors from other years even fit in mine? I have no idea what the 14mm stepped ports refers to, but supposidly that is what mine needed.

 

Good analogy, but not exactly correct. The compressor has to be able to keep up with the system demand for refrigerant flow at a specific design temperature for the given size of both the evaporator and condenser. The expansion valve or fixed orifice is what controls the flow of refrigerant. The pressures, both high and low based on external temperature will tell you exactly what's going on in the system and why it's freezing. It does sound like the Thermal Expansion Valve isn't doing it's job.

I'm pretty sure the evaporator and more importantly the condenser in all 4th gens are exactly the same size. I believe the 95's and maybe 96's used an on/off temp switch and fixed orifice expansion valve which would have cycled the compressor based on evaporator temperature. 97-99's used a different expansion valve (Similar to a TXV) which I believe did not cycle the compressor, (my 99 does not cycle) but just reduced refrigerant flow to maintain evaporator temperature.

What was your original issue with the system? Lack of cooling, failed compressor? Was the system flushed prior to the new components being installed? If the system was contaminated, the expansion valve should have been replaced.

 

Are you sure that the compressor has 777 on it and not 666? Because 666 would sure explain your problems!

Here is a place that sells the four seasons a/c compressors.
http://www.autopartsnerd.com/catalog...kits-and-parts

They only list 2 compressors for the 97. Their listing matches the Nissan parts listing. I think I understand the "5/97 ONLY" thing. For example, the part number (that would be for your car), is shown as

27600-0L700 1996/06-1996/07; the next item in the list is
27600-0L700 1996/07-1996/12

Then we get to another part number
27600-0L702 1997/05 -

The absence of a 2nd date means "from there on". It could apply to the 1997 model year IF they were still being made in May. I don't know for sure but I don't think so. Going into the 1998 parts listing, we find 27600-0L702 1997/05-1998/12.

Nissan's part listings are a bit confusing. I like to think I have a fair understanding of how Nissan organizes it, but there are parts of it where I just stare at it and wonder "What the f planet is this from?"

As far as the ports go, the compressor for your car is listed as "Stepped Ports; 14mm Discharge". The compressor for the cars made in 1997, the ports are listed as "Smooth Ports; 15.5mm Discharge". May port means connection? The hose connections are different? Don't know.

I thought you said earlier that you got the compressor from four seasons. Now you are saying R&Y in Miami, FL. I can't find a web address for them but they have videos on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd8k...?feature=watch

Doesn't really matter.

Thoughts on your last part about airflow being OK. Maybe you were driving in lower humidity, meaning less condensation to freeze up on the evaporator coil??? Were you using recirculate one time and not the other?

 

Original problem was weak compressor last summer. Had the system evaced and refilled and Ran it as was for the rest of the summer with less than cold air due to the weak compressor.

In feb 2013, I tried to start the car but the compressor had finally completely seized which caused the crank pulley to snap off...yes, crank pulley, not compressor pulley. So since it was winter, I just did the ac bypass belt and ran it til may 2013. Then had the reman compressor installed by a shop who did the correct evac and refill. That is when I noticed the system "freezing up" and is when I started th thread. Then the same shop hooked it up to their systemso and said. " whoops, we should have replaced the accumulator too". So they evaced and refilled again with a new accumulator. Problem of the line frosting over and air flow diminishing continues.

Haha @ 666. Sorry for the confusion, I ordered the compressor remanned at ry compressors from ebay. I gave them a 4 seasons part number of 67453 which said it was the 14mm stepped ports so supposidly, that is the one I received. As for the stepped ports, since mine has the stepped ports, that's why I was curious if a compressor from another manufacture date would even fit the lines of mine.

As for the use of recirculation, I honestly can't remember. I think, though, I used the recirc mode last week when the air flow diminished and used the other mode today when it did not diminish. I was thinking the same thing about humidity level as well since it was not very humid today.

This is the exact compressor I ordered from the exact place. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FOUR-SEASONS-67453-A-C-Compressor-/130906115607?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e7a9cce17&vxp=mtr
According to the 4 Seasons website http://www.4s.com/Online%20Catalogs-...g/Content.aspx (guess the link just brings you to the search page, but if you go to part number search and search 68453 and 67453, you'll see what I am talking about.)

68(eight)453 is the NEW compressor and 67(seven)453 is the REMANNED one, which was the one I ordered from EBay from RY Compressors. They both have the exact same specs, just one is NEW and one is REMANNED. Both say "to 12/96" (which means [prior to and including cars manufactured until 12/1996 which would include my car being manufactured 11/96) with stepped ports 14mm discharge.

The "FROM" 12/96 (Which means to me to be cars manufactured AFTER 12/96) has the 15.5 mm smooth ports and shows part number 68655 and 67424 for the NEW and remanned part numbers.

It would be my guess that if I was supposed to have the 15.5MM discharge with smooth ports, the compressor i ordered with 14mm discharge and STEPPED ports would not have gone on to the car and vice-versa.

So by what I see here, I DID in fact order the right compressor for my manufacture date...right

 

Nissan technician here. I have read through your post and it sounds like you may need an expansion valve. In a R-134 system the refrigerant oil does not mix with the refrigerant like an R-12 system. As a result, the AC must be run regularly to lubricate the moving parts in the system. It sounds like for a few months (not sure it was long enough to cause the TXV to bind, but possible) the expansion valve was not supplied with oil. Depending on the age of the component, it may be more or less sensitive to lack of lubrication. The AC system will be coldest at the point of restriction, if the expansion valve is stuck open, the evaporator will act as the restriction, causing super cold temps PAST the point they were designed to occur. It has been noted earlier, and I will confirm, that the evaporator freezing over will block the flow out of the vents.

The drier should always be replaced with a compressor (not that the customer always agrees), and to answer an earlier question, I only unplug the holes on the drier right before installation, it is designed to absorb moisture so why let it absorb moisture from atmospheric air? Not that 10 minutes unplugged will really do much harm but if you are paying for the longevity of a part, I try to keep as much of it intact for the customer as I can.

Feel free to PM me with any additional questions, I just joined the board tonight in preparation for my purchase of a 95 Max 5-speed. Look forward to seeing you guys around.

 

First, welcome to the org! I feel special that your first post was in my thread and was quite helpful. I'll have to call the shop and see how they want to proceed with replacing the expansion valve. I have thought that was the problem all along as well. Sucks that I'll have to replace the accumulator AGAIN if I replace the expansion valve though.

 

Pulled up the FSM at work this morning to double check. HA-34 at the bottom confirms. Thanks for the warm welcome. I wont be checking the "what body kit should I get" threads, just the technically difficult ones. Glad I could help.

 

Welcome Nismo_Pilot. You have an area of expertise that is definitely needed here.

 

welcome, and what a way to introduce yourself to the org

 

Thanks!! Just read it for myself and I see what you are talking about. I printed it off and will be taking it to the mechanic at some point to see what they have to say as to why they didn't suggest this in the first place since it clearly says "plates are sometimes covered in frost" IE, my exact problem . They claim that they found an obstruction in the accumulator which is why they replaced it...on top of the fact that they should have replaced it anyway after the system was open. Anywho...I'll be back with updates at some point.

 

Replaced my expansion valve and had the system recharged. Now, I can hear what sounds like water dripping when I am stopped, but the floor is not wet. I checked the drain and it is not plugged but I didn't see any water coming out when I used the AC today. The AC is also not blowing as cold as it was and it is still frosting the line and the air flow is still diminishing. Any thoughts on these issues?

 

WOW - You'e got a good issue here. It the lines are still frosting and the evaporator is freezing up (diminished air flow) then the air should still be ice cold.

Water dripping? Where's that coming from?

Are you sure the blower is operating correctly?

 

^^^ I'm pretty sure the blower is operating correctly. I mean it changes speeds when I turn the fan **** between 1 & 4. I wish I could tell where the dripping water sound was coming from. When I heard it this morning, I was in a place where I couldn't get out of the car to investigate more so i'll have to look further into it.

As for the coldness of the air, it was 93 here today so that may be why it didn't feel as cold as it had in the past. I think this was the first real hot day I've driven it in a while. Also, when I got to work tonight, I DID see a small amount of water on the ground so the drain is draining...maybe the humidity was just too low this morning so there was no water on the ground.

To summarize the issues:

1. Ac line frosts over after driving for 15-30 minutes
2. Air flow diminishes from vents after 20-30 minutes of driving but turning ac button off for a short time makes the air flow come back.
3. New accumulator and expansion valve.
4. Professional EVAC and Re-Charge
5. "NEW" Problem after expansion valve replacement - can hear a dripping water sound when stopped but floor is not getting wet at all.
6. "NEW" Problem After expansion valve replacement - it seems the air flow is not as cold as it was before the expansion valve replacement and car does not / did not cool down as quickly, but i'll have to drive a little more to verify if this is only due to it being so hot out today.

 

I'm sticking to my bad compressor claim

Do you have warranty on it?

 

Can't remember if it has a warranty...I'd have to look at the ebay sellers page. I just dont even know how I'd verify that it IS or IS NOT the correct compressor that I have now

Edit: 6 month warranty...but again I dont know how I'd even verify if it is or is not the correct one.

 

It should be easy to spot a faulty compressor by looking at both the high and low pressures. Keep in mind those values are temperature dependent. Those values should tell you exactly what's going on with the refrigerant.

 

Nothing was abnormal when they hooked it up to the machine. I don't know squat about how that thing works so I'm not sure...I do know they said the system was holding pressure at 31lbs and I think he said the high and low sides were 50 and 150??? Not sure if any of that makes sense Also, it seems that it IS blowing as cold as it was before the expansion valve change...If I have the AC on, then roll the windows down at night, I can see vapor coming from the vents which I think means it is cold