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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: Ngs1022 on August 01, 2015, 01:58:04 pm
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Hello!
So Im wondering if a possible reason that my 83 doesnt blow cold air because it needs to be refilled with one of those air condition refill cans you can buy at Schucks or O'reilly's? I just got the truck recently so i dont know how long the AC hasnt worked. Blowers blow normal air OK. Would hate to spend $30 on those recharge cans and it end up not helping...
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Welcome to the site! Your truck would have had R-12 refrigerant in it when it was built. Manufacturing of R-12 was outlawed in the mid '90's & R-134a became the refrigerant used in the new vehicles from that point.
This leaves you with a couple problems that you will have to work through. 1) The cans you see in the local stores is R-134a. 2) Since you just bought the truck, you may not be able to tell FOR SURE what is in it now...many systems of that age have been converted to the 134 which could be good since it is available, however LOTS of "funny" stuff went on in the late '90's-early 2000's with other refrigerants being available...some were even highly flammable!
Look for Red & Blue caps with an Aluminum adapter on the charge ports & a Retrofit Decal on the rad.support or hood...these were to be used when the conversion was done, however I'm sure they didn't all get them
The oil for the R-12 & R-134a are different & shouldn't be mixed. I'm assuming by now you're getting the felling that this is a bum deal & no where near as simple as getting a little can at the local store.
Shops at the time often kept a spare, "junk only" tank to put all of the refrigerant/oil that was reclaimed from a vehicle. I bet there are many collecting dust in the back corner of a stock room.
The best you can hope for is that it has been converted & properly labeled. It would be best to take your truck to a licensed A/C repairman & ask for help. My Two Cents, Lorne
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Thanks Lorne!
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I would also like to add this to what you have learned so far.
your system had at one time , a charge of refrigerant in it. It no longer has a full charge
so for some reason, some or all of it has leaked out You will need to find out why it has leaked out and where the leak is.
If you were to get a can and try to put a charge into it , it would leak out to , also
what they dont tell you in those tv ads is that If you happen to find the right combination of fittings and tried to fill the system through the wrong placethat can will blow up like a bomb
some might say that cannot be done, but it can with the right fittings