AC Compressor

[GTSBoy]

12 minutes ago, soviet_merlin said:

I see some more modern setup being sold as an upgrade and I wonder whether it would make it drive like AC in a modern car. Where you don't really hear it or notice it.

Sadly, it won't happen. The AC controls in our cars are essentially on-off. Whereas the AC in new stuff is more a case of variable displacement compressors giving infinitely variable output.

[MBS206]

1 hour ago, GTSBoy said:

Sadly, it won't happen. The AC controls in our cars are essentially on-off. Whereas the AC in new stuff is more a case of variable displacement compressors giving infinitely variable output.

Lots of this, and in older cars, AC is generally controlled by the AC knobs and programming, and the ECU reacts to the load.

Modern cars, the ECU controls kicking the AC on/off at the AC systems request so it can be prepared for the engagement/disengagement.

[kevboost7]

17 hours ago, soviet_merlin said:

I went and got the aircon regassed in the Stagea today and asked the guy about the upgrade to the Toyota Echo compressor. He was saying it is likely not going to be as good. It is newer but smaller and not going to pump as strongly. And it would be better to try and get a new OEM compressor. He was saying that the improvements people are seeing may be more likely due to regassing the system. I thought it was interesting to hear.

Going by the sticker the system in my car was last checked in 2015. Gas was at 50% which is apparently beyond terrible. Under 80% is where efficiency already falls apart.

Anyways, with fresh gas the AC is now bloody freezing. I think it may be working a bit less hard as well. I need to drive it a bit more to try it properly. Previously on hill starts it would utterly bog down the car. I'm hoping this is a bit better now.

The frenchies kit looks great, but $1400 for the compressor upgrade alone makes it a bit of commitment. Very much so compared to a $150 regas.

I was thinking the same thing when i saw the size of the smaller Toyota Compressor, but i'm not an AC expert. Where did you take it to get re-gassed? 

[kevboost7]

16 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

I don't know if anyone was seriously suggesting a retrofit of an Echo compressor in place of a more-or-less working original comp. You'd have to change the hoses at the bare minimum to do so, and that will definitely add significant cost. I had to get my hoses modded when I did the engine transplant and chose to use the Neo's AC over the even older R32 comp. That was startlingly more expensive than expected for what looks like a simple welding job, and a massive pain in the arse when it turned to have a pinhole leak in the weld too.

The Frenchie's kit is for people who have next to nothing of the original system or have more than that but some of it is a bit shit and better off thrown away than salvaged. If you've got 90% of the system, you just patch it up. Mine is currently degassed because it apparently has a big leak somewhere. If I find it is the compressor, I will be looking to take my spare comp to a shop to assess and/or recondition, rather than contemplating a retrofit to anything off-brand.

After reading this and a few other comments, i'm starting to realize something...

Since i got the car, the AC belt was never put on. I installed the belt on a few months ago because i was tired of melting in the hot car. Once i installed the belt, i was troubleshooting the AC and was turning the red switch on/off while driving the car to see if anything was happening. 

The engine was rebuilt by shop before i purchased the car and the shop might not have re-gassed the AC. Which means i was running the AC without any gas/refrigerant inside the compressor. The AC compressor now acts as if its seized up. I'm starting to think, i caused this damage. 

[GTSBoy]

4 minutes ago, kevboost7 said:

Which means i was running the AC without any gas/refrigerant inside the compressor. The AC compressor now acts as if its seized up. I'm starting to think, i caused this damage. 

Yup. She's toast. You need refrigerant to carry the compressor oil to stop the thing from welding itself together.

[R3N3]

9 hours ago, kevboost7 said:

I was thinking the same thing when i saw the size of the smaller Toyota Compressor, but i'm not an AC expert. Where did you take it to get re-gassed? 

I have heard the frenchys kit (with the smaller toyota compressor) performs fantastic. i havent actually gassed my system yet, so cant confirm myself..

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

FWIW, I've always found Toyota A/Cs to be much colder than Nissan ones.

Even that 2024 Nissan X-Trail (that VW Australia lent to me), the A/C isn't as cold as other base model Toyota Corollas/Camrys, etc.

Maybe Toyota A/C compressors are superior? 

[soviet_merlin]

On 24/09/2024 at 7:49 AM, kevboost7 said:

Where did you take it to get re-gassed? 

I went to a local car aircon workshop: https://aceautoelectrical.com.au/

Took all of 30 minutes to get in, check, regas and leave again.

Might be a bit of a drive for you But I presume any shop specialising in aircon should do. And I guess they'd be able to confirm whether the compressor is stuffed or not.

[kevboost7]

15 hours ago, soviet_merlin said:

I went to a local car aircon workshop: https://aceautoelectrical.com.au/

Took all of 30 minutes to get in, check, regas and leave again.

Might be a bit of a drive for you But I presume any shop specialising in aircon should do. And I guess they'd be able to confirm whether the compressor is stuffed or not.

Thats the problem, this car in the states gets more attention than lamborghinis and ferarris. I have yet to take this car to any shop because i'm afraid they will take it for joyrides. I need to do an alignment but i've been holding off. 

[kevboost7]

On 9/23/2024 at 5:59 PM, GTSBoy said:

Yup. She's toast. You need refrigerant to carry the compressor oil to stop the thing from welding itself together.

f**k my life.. this whole time i thought the AC was just broken, but now realizing that i probably broke it myself is really hitting me

[Kinkstaah]

Welcome to modified Skyline ownership.

[soviet_merlin]

7 hours ago, kevboost7 said:

Thats the problem, this car in the states gets more attention than lamborghinis and ferarris. I have yet to take this car to any shop because i'm afraid they will take it for joyrides. I need to do an alignment but i've been holding off. 

It sounds like by avoiding maintenance you may be doing more damage than a hypothetical guy in a workshop taking it for a spin.

Not sure if you are just being paranoid or things are actually that bad in the US. Find a reputable shop not run by dickheads. Look for people that take pride in their work. Stick around for the day if you have to

[GTSBoy]

10 hours ago, kevboost7 said:

I need to do an alignment but i've been holding off. 

1 hour ago, soviet_merlin said:

Not sure if you are just being paranoid or things are actually that bad in the US. Find a reputable shop not run by dickheads.

Yes, well, wrt a wheel alignment, there are two types.

Either: You have very little added adjustables, in which case the alignment can be done by anyone in any tyre shop or equivalent, and will only take 30 minutes, and so there is no reason to even consider leaving the car there.

OR: The alignment is a major exercise because you have adjustables everywhere and so you will need to be taking it to a shop that is skilled and experienced at setting up race cars and the like, and you won't need to worry about leaving the car there.

[niZmO_Man]

On 26/09/2024 at 12:17 PM, GTSBoy said:

OR: The alignment is a major exercise because you have adjustables everywhere and so you will need to be taking it to a shop that is skilled and experienced at setting up race cars and the like, and you won't need to worry about leaving the car there.

100% this. Long ago, I had a guy from the R31 club who set my BNR32 up (adjustable arms all round). He did an awesome job, was an after-work kinda thing where I had to bring a slab of beer. My car never drove better, and I stupidly got a random tyre shop to check the toe angles when I changed tyres, and they ruined the alignment.

tl:dr- it takes a lot of skill to set up your car lowered from factory properly, and is worth paying the $200+ it takes.

[kevboost7]

On 9/25/2024 at 8:26 PM, soviet_merlin said:

It sounds like by avoiding maintenance you may be doing more damage than a hypothetical guy in a workshop taking it for a spin.

Not sure if you are just being paranoid or things are actually that bad in the US. Find a reputable shop not run by dickheads. Look for people that take pride in their work. Stick around for the day if you have to

I'm a bit paranoid, but i've caught a normal car dealership in which i bought my truck (Ford F-150). I dropped it off in the morning and when i returned, i found the car had 100 more miles on it. I know that alignments don't take 100 miles. 

[GTSBoy]

1 hour ago, kevboost7 said:

Find a reputable shop not run by dickheads.

1 hour ago, kevboost7 said:

normal car dealership

These are far from the same thing. They are, in fact, about as far apart, in this context, as it is possible to be.

[niZmO_Man]

From my experience, I would avoid any "manufacturer dealer" from touching my cars, so avoid them like the plague and take you car to a reputable independent workshop in your area.

[luke gtr]

Depends on the dealership and staff working there.

Have personally worked at 2 dealerships and have know great mechanics and bad ones.

The biggest issue is a good mechanic can normally get paid more through a private workshop, so will take that over dealership jobs. But sometimes theyre happy where they are doing what they're doing.

Dealerships deal with current cars due to warranty scare tactics and prices, so anything aging gets harder to find people who know the product (staff turnover) 

[GTSBoy]

AAAaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh!

Following on from OP's AC woes....mine got regassed last year and at some point I discovered it had lost enough gas to not switch on any more. It had dye in it, but we never saw any trace of dye, perhaps because it all fell out long enough before we looked that it washed away. (Or, shudder, it's under the dash in a hard to see/reach spot!). I almost never run the AC because I just drive with the windows down even when it's 40+ outside. Only occasionally want it when I just can't take the heat or if I need some defog.

So, got it gassed up again with more dye and oil so I could run it a bit to provoke the leak to show.

And the compressor is noisy.

So, now I am staring down the barrel of having to fit a rebuild kit to the compressor (or maybe the spare that is on the shelf).  And hope that the leak is at the comp, and not under the bloody dash.

[kevboost7]

On 10/21/2024 at 7:55 PM, GTSBoy said:

AAAaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh!

Following on from OP's AC woes....mine got regassed last year and at some point I discovered it had lost enough gas to not switch on any more. It had dye in it, but we never saw any trace of dye, perhaps because it all fell out long enough before we looked that it washed away. (Or, shudder, it's under the dash in a hard to see/reach spot!). I almost never run the AC because I just drive with the windows down even when it's 40+ outside. Only occasionally want it when I just can't take the heat or if I need some defog.

So, got it gassed up again with more dye and oil so I could run it a bit to provoke the leak to show.

And the compressor is noisy.

So, now I am staring down the barrel of having to fit a rebuild kit to the compressor (or maybe the spare that is on the shelf).  And hope that the leak is at the comp, and not under the bloody dash.

Did you re-gas yourself? And i'm not familiar with the leaking points. What if its leaking under the dash? I'm assuming this is a pain in the ass job to fix?