It's the little things:

[Sir Sam]

I flip vehicles(Jeeps mainly), and the latest one I got has been fighting me on the AC system.

 

When I get the vehicle it is a collision repair, no big deal, I buy the vehicle sight unseen knowing exactly what to expect out of it. Seen so many before I can counts all the expected variables.

 

What I got that I was counting on was the AC system not working prior to the accident.

 

I fix the collision, that all goes smoothly and takes a few days of work, spray new paint and buff, fairly straight forward.

 

The accident left the condensor intact(saves me a few bucks), but the system was discharged when I got it. So I pull a vacuum, it holds fine, I fill it with one can of refridgerant. Compressor kicks on and off a few times like it should and then stops. After switching out the various pressure switches with known good units I decide its time to test the clutch.

 

Test power lead to AC clutch, its getting power, jump 12V directly to clutch, still not working. Call it a night. Next morning get going on compressor replacement, replace compressor with a used unit(luckily I had a spare here), pull vacuum, seems to hold fine. Fill it up, blows cold, get 48*F out of the vents when ambient temp is 95*F.

 

Week later I finally get title and plates done, go to drive the vehicle around, no AC.

 

Replace compressor to lines o-rings(most likely suspect). Pull vacuum, lt sit for a couple of hours, check vacuum again, seems to be holding fine. Evacuate and recharge with UV dye and stop leak.

 

4 days later drive the vehicle to visit family 2 hours away. On the drive home I notice AC doesn't seem as cold as it should be, get home and check pressure, dropped to half of what it should be.

 

Evacuate system again, remove header panel etc to replace condensor with known good unit. Replace every o-rings I can get to. Buy bottle of UV dye and refill with dye and another charge.

 

After trying to get the AC to drip some condensate(very dry here), I finally get some to leak out, I blot it up with a paper towel and go inside to a darkend garage to check, sure enough I see faint traces of the UV dripping from the evaporator.

 

Great it needs a evaporator replacement, this means a dash pull.

 

So I go get a new used unit from a parts vehicle of mine(located at a friends house an hour away), fight the waps and weeds, pull that dash, and get the box out.

 

Go home get my dash pulled, old one out, and new one in, start putting dash back in, at some point laying on my back on the floor reaching up fighting some random bits of wiring I accidently touched the power door locks while trying to gain leverage.

 

They just make an annoying click. That was at 6pm. I spent the next 3 hours trying to track down what wiring I might have inadvertently damaged during the pull. Finally at 9pm after checking every loom and connector I could think up I give up when 2 attempts to lock the door result in the hazard lights flashing. The second two attempts(separated by mere seconds) result in the horn honking.

 

Needless to say I ended the day very frustrated.

 

Next morning I get back out at it and start checking for continuity between every pin that I can find, everything checked out.

 

I then notice that on this plastic dash assembly all grounds are attached to a metal substructure which grounds out through the two main dash support bolts.

 

So on a hunch I put everything back together(again) tighten down the main bolts, and viola, everything works.

 

So because I hit the door locks part way through the procedure when the dash wasn't completely grounded I ended up wasting many many hours of time trying to find an issue which didn't exist.

 

But at least now it seems like the AC system is holding a charge and not leaking......I hope.

[terrawombat]

Seesh - talk about dedication to fixing the problem. Kudos to you and hope the problem is fixed. I think a lot of people would have just sold the thing with no A/C and would have claimed, 'just needs to be recharged.' Thanks for being honest :cheers:

[Sir Sam]

I considered selling it without working AC, but with it being the summer that would just kill my resale value. Really didn't have any choice but to fix it.