i have recently installed a underdash a/c system from hot rod air, and am having some issues. when the unit is turned on the clutch engages and disengages quickly for a min or so before it stays engaged. i have byp***ed the binary saftey switch and it still does it so it is not a low pressure problem. i am reciving 13.4 volts at the compressor, so that should bnot be a issue. What could be causing this? high pressure (did i over fill it)? low amps? how would i test that? (sandens say 11 volts 4 amps are required)
The best thing you should do is contact Hot Rod Air before you take outside advice here,you made a sizeable investment in their product and no doubt have a warranty so they should be your first stop.Let us know how they handled your problem after you contact them.
i would love to but all of their phone numbers say no longer in service and no one responds to their tech email
Is it cold? How much freon did you put in? Vintage Air is very helpful. Call their techline. I have installed three Vintage Air systems and now have my 4th and 5th to do. These are well engineered systems and it really doesn't pay to try to save a penny on systems that won't work. Be sure your condensor is installed in front of your radiator with the tubes running in the correct direction. I have seen this cause all sorts of problems..
So much for their customer service! This link may help, a guy was making parts for them,www.hotrodders.com/forum/hot-rod-air-directions-168750.html
yes it runs cold, but just switches on and off at first. i wished i would have went with vintage air system. i have the lines running horizontal does it matter which line is on top?
First thought seems it would be low on freon. Need to determine what p.s.i. the pressure switches are, then hook up some gauges and verify the switches are working properly. Second thought was a restriction somewhere keeping pressure high, but you say its blowing cold, so keep that in the back of your mind for later. One more thing-is the cooling fan at the condenser/radiator coming on during operation? If not, the pressure rises real fast, hitting the high side switch very quickly. Just a few thoughts.
I actually have two sets of brand new vintage air systems what car or truck are you putting the ac/heat on?
For what it's worth, I've been doing A/C for years (as a tech) and if I can get the compressor to come on by jumping the low pressure switch or whatever, I always, always hook up a set of gauges next. Pressure readings tell you what's going on in the system. Obviously your compressor works. System uses an orifice tube, I ***ume? If so, then yes, it matters how your lines are hooked up depending on where the orifice tube is in the system. Got gauges?
okay i had sketched up a diagrahm of the electrical system but due to scanner error i can not post it. the electrical has a 12v input going into a 3 way switch that controls the fan speed. from the back of this a blue wire goes to a thermostat. then the blue wire goes to a binary saftey switch on the drier, then on to the compressor. heres the tests i did: 1: put a jumper on the binary saftey switch on the drier. i still got the clicking clutch. 2: checked voltage at the clutch 13.4 volts ? amps(i dont know how to test amps) 3: checks coil resistance 4.2 ohms - Okay 4: place jumper to remove thermosat... Still got the clicking 5: placed guages on high and low with car off... My guages have a outer ring of number labled R134a and a inner ring labled psi both of mine read 25(r134a) or 85 psi. 6: with the car running the guages read low side -7(r134a) or 19 psi. High side reads 75(r134a) or 325psi what do i need to check now? it does not look like the clutch is slipping it looks like it is just switching on and off. would a low amp situation cause this. A Sanden tech emailed me that i need to check that but i dont know how.
I'll cut to the chase. (did i over fill it)? tells me all I want to know. A new system and you didn't even follow the instructions or hook up gauges when servicing it? and.......... It's not too late, hopefully, to service it correctly.
cycling off and on quick is low refrigerant usually,, to bad your not closer, i have gauges i could hoook up and check
Some of the systems use a switch mounted near the unit that sets the cycle temp. This may make the compressor cycle at the wrong time. Old Air for one has this mounted on the unit. Should be stated in the corrections.
Your gauge readings will also vary depending on outside ambient temperature,it is advised not to charge at 65 or less degrees.When you posted the readings above,what was the outside temp?
...I did follow instruction and i did use the guages. but before hot rod air shut down i was told by them that since i was having to use longer runs of lines than what was normal i would probaly need to use a little more refrigerant. also it calls for 1.8 lbs the stuff comes 12 oz cans. i would like to see you dispense 1/2 a can without a digital scale.... ... i have not seen a switch like this could it be built into the compressor.... ...it was 85 to 90 and i was at idle... when i filled it it was mid 70's and i held the idle to about 1200rpm
newfalconowner. how does the readings im getting look to you? I thought the low side number was a little low isnt it supposed to be in the 30's-40's? wouldnt that raise the high side also? are they not dependant on each other? isnt the highside correct?
Don't they call a can a pound, that was always my understanding. so if they call for 1.8lb then that's 1 and 3/4 cans, sounds to me like you might have over charged it. BUT I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will tell the NFG if I am.
usually high side sits around 50lbs, low side (depending on switch,orifice tube,etc) cycles from 10-40/50),, under 30lbs on the low side is low refrigerant. place some scales on it again, and let it cycle afew times,, might jsut need 1/2lb or so 16oz in a pound.
static without running, just gauges on,, usally 50 or so,,,with it running it could go up to 150 or so.depends on the ambient temp,etc.. low side not that high.
Am I correct to ***ume you didn't pull a vacuum on the system to charge it? It serves 2 purposes: it allows the freon to be "drawn in", but more importantly, it boils the moisture out of the system. Moisture(for any d.i.y. fellas), when combined with refrigerant turns into a corrosive acid inside your a/c system and can eat it from the inside out-so ALWAYS cap the components if it's sitting around open to the atmosphere. Secondly, R134 systems use much less charge of freon, so it is even more critical to get the right amount in i.e., down to the 1/10th of a pound! Don't believe me? Most average size (we'll say compact to midsize)cars use about 1 to 1.5 pounds of freon in these systems. You get it wrong by .2-.3 lbs and it won't perform properly. So before you go any further, take it somewhere that has the capability to vacuum the system and draw in the correct amount of R134. I think you'd be doing yourself(and that compressor) a favor if you start from here and then work forward. Good luck. Just my $.02- hope this helps
well i did pull a vac*** before i charged it. Last night i found the problem it was the factory supplied curcuit breaker. i switched it out with a new one as a alast ditch effort and that solved my problem.
Holy ****-a quick and easy fix. Gotta like that, that's good news. Quick-go buy a lotto ticket while your luck is still for the good. Glad to hear you got it fixed up.
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