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Purging A/C

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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 08:05 AM
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Purging A/C

How can I purge my A/C so i can remove the compressor and drier today, ill removed condensor when i flush the colent system hopully soon
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 08:35 AM
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With no help thers a good chance im going to hurt my self
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:03 AM
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Take it to a shop to do it.
Seriously, this is the only way I would do it.
But, you could just press on the valves with a screwdriver.... Not a great amount of pressure in there.
But it will get messy.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:09 AM
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Take it to a shop if you don't know.. It should be desposed of anyways..


-Zach
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:16 AM
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Yes, R12 really is quite bad for the ozone, and not too great for the skin. Shops will charge about $80 for a devac and recharge, so don't skimp out on it. Aswell, they will vacuum the entire system to allow you to work on the system a lot better, and allow better insepction of parts.
But you can do it yourself (just don't!).
Sean Cathcart
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:44 AM
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i dont want a recharge, i just want to beable to remove it
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:52 AM
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I agree, take it in.

I had a friend that got 2nd degree frostbite by just trying to loosen a couple of fittings so he could dump to air.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 09:55 AM
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Theres a little valve on the AC compressor. Theres also one on the black pipe that runs outta the back of the ac. Its over near the passenger side strut tower somewhere.

Just uncap those and use a screwdriver or something to relieve the pressure. If you want theres also one up in front by the passenger headlight on that canister (dunno what its called).

Thats all I had to do for mine, im not sure if thats how it should be done though.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:30 AM
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Use the shop to remove the freon

The Feds consider venting to the atmosphere a serious crime. They prosecute.
One of their inspectors told me they even monitor chat boards like this looking for people to prosecute.
Anyone posting on this board can be identified by the Feds.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:33 AM
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it's aagainst federal law to vent a/c into the atmosphere!! best to take it to a shop or vent at your own risk and wallets risk. it's like 10,000.00 dollar fine if you get caught

james
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:36 AM
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See I dunno what you guys are talking about though. When I did mine its not like a ton of **** came out or anything. It like vented for 2 seconds or so, and it wasn't even under much pressure. So maybe I did it wrong, but I ended up with my A/C compresser out of my car with no freezing my hands or anything.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:41 AM
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Originally posted by AreExSeven
See I dunno what you guys are talking about though. When I did mine its not like a ton of **** came out or anything. It like vented for 2 seconds or so, and it wasn't even under much pressure. So maybe I did it wrong, but I ended up with my A/C compresser out of my car with no freezing my hands or anything.
I can hear them on your door knocking right now.

BTW: thanks for F#@king up the planet more than it is already.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:50 AM
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Under my hood it says it was converted to R134 in 89.. my ac doesnt come on, all other logicon buttons work but ac wont engate, if it was last recharged in 89 would it even have ne pressure in it, is there a way to tell if there is? ill have it purged professonaly if there is, but if thers noting in there, why waste the money
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 11:56 AM
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CRACKHEAD////// The a/c won't work if there is not enough pressure in the system, ORRRRRR, if the pressure switch has its leads off. The pressure switch is up front of the radiator next to the drier. TAke the plug off the switch and ohm out the two blades. If there is no continuity, then the system is too low for the a/c to work. If you want to destroy the a/c compressor, jumper the two wires together and turn the a/c on and see if the compressor is engaging. If it engages with the plug jumpered, then the system most likely is down on pressure. If the clutch does not engage, then some other thing is kaput. You won't destroy the compressor if you jumper for just enough time to see if the compressor is engaging. Bye.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 12:21 PM
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Well, I am an environmental retard, and I just disconnected my dreier, and let it vent into the atmosphere. I just used a crescent wrench, loosened one of the lines going into the drier, and stood back. It hissed for like 2 minutes, then I just unbolted the system. Man, those A/C lines are a bitch to get out of there!!
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 12:42 PM
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Originally posted by CrackHeadMel
Under my hood it says it was converted to R134 in 89.. my ac doesnt come on, all other logicon buttons work but ac wont engate, if it was last recharged in 89 would it even have ne pressure in it, is there a way to tell if there is? ill have it purged professonaly if there is, but if thers noting in there, why waste the money
Oh, Then if you have 134A then just go ahead and vent it in one of the ways like 'AreExSeven' said. R134A is not hazerdous to the environment, and there is no law against venting it.

As far as regular R-12 goes, no one to this day has been able to explain to me how a gas that is heavier than air, and breaks down into inert substances with in a couple of hours can make it up into the ozone layer. Other chemicals reaching the ozone yes, but R-12, not. Its a load, but hey its the law, whatcha gonna do.

Later
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 12:52 PM
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Sweet, alrighty then thx
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 03:30 PM
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Originally posted by Salguod
As far as regular R-12 goes, no one to this day has been able to explain to me how a gas that is heavier than air, and breaks down into inert substances with in a couple of hours can make it up into the ozone layer. Other chemicals reaching the ozone yes, but R-12, not. Its a load, but hey its the law, whatcha gonna do.
Its lighter when warm. It’s only heavier when compressed.

My understanding is that it interacts with the sunlight breaking down further to fluorine gas (very much like chlorine). Liquid Chlorine as everyone knows is a powerful caustic agent used as a cleaner.

Well that Fluorine gas goes up into the upper atmosphere and eats away at the Ozone layer, just like liquid chlorine eats up those organic molecules when used for cleaning.

Since the world is rotating, the Ozone that gets first eaten up is the stuff above us, but the Ozone layer tries to cover everything. To balance out the layer based on spin. So it pulls the stuff from the poles to help cover the middle of the planet.

Since gravity is lessened the above the poles and high altitude, the Ozone disappears at the poles first, slowly working its way towards the equator.

The Upper ozone layer is what protects the earth from dangerous UV radiation.

Most of Europe, North America and certainly South America and Australia are already showing major signs of increased skin cancers and flora and fauna mutations from the increased amount of radiation.

So when you vent R12 or R22 into the environment you are literally destroying the planet.

At current levels it will take over 50 years to repair the damage that R12 and R22 just did in the 60’s and 70’s to the Ozone layer. So by the time your kids are having kids they may not be able to go outside without a100 SPF sun block. They can thank you for helping make the problem worse.

“gee grandpa, did you really help destroy the ozone layer?”
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 05:54 PM
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But then again, how many of us run with gutted cats and racepipes??? Owning a sports car = hurting the ozone.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 06:29 PM
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Originally posted by Salguod


Oh, Then if you have 134A then just go ahead and vent it in one of the ways like 'AreExSeven' said. R134A is not hazerdous to the environment, and there is no law against venting it.

Later
Ok, mine is 134A, so Im safe
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 07:11 PM
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Originally posted by rico05
But then again, how many of us run with gutted cats and racepipes???
Actually cats make as much smog with as with out, and has no effect on the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Using a cat just means the air will be cleaner to breath where you drive.

However to make the cat dumps just as much junk in the air as does driving without one.

It just most OEM cats are made overseas in poor third world nations. So the smog is heavier there (because of making them-including digging up the rare earth metals used in them) instead of here.

Ralph Nader screwed the world with cats.

And there should be no reason why your statment of:
Owning a sports car = hurting the ozone.
You can have a great sports car and have all the emissions and factory equipment running fine. Look at the Miata or the RX-8 or the Boxster, or the Z3. Great cars from the factory meeting all the emissions and safety requirements with good power, handling and mileage.

It’s the people who want short cuts or cost savings, instead of doing it right that **** me off. Dumping R12 into the air is one of those short cuts. Dumping coolant or oil or brake fluid down the storm drain is in the same boat.

But pulling or gutting the cats and not putting back in a high flow cat, is just a bad neighbor.

Last edited by Icemark; Apr 12, 2002 at 07:13 PM.
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Old Apr 13, 2002 | 12:18 AM
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Originally posted by Salguod


Oh, Then if you have 134A then just go ahead and vent it in one of the ways like 'AreExSeven' said. R134A is not hazerdous to the environment, and there is no law against venting it.
.

Later
WRONG!
It is a Federal Crime to vent ANY Motor Vehicle refrigerant to the atmosphere.
I quote; "Since November 15, 1995, it is illegal to vent substitutes for CFC and HCFC refrigerants."
It is a minimum $10,000 fine, AND there is a reward for turning anyone in.
Be cool guys.
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Old Apr 13, 2002 | 12:48 AM
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How 'bout junk cars that go into wreckyards, are they purged before they get crushed? or purged before they let you get in to pick your part?
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Old Apr 13, 2002 | 09:31 AM
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Originally posted by ka8legend
How 'bout junk cars that go into wreckyards, are they purged before they get crushed? or purged before they let you get in to pick your part?
Federal law, which is enforced, requires a wrecking yard to use al licensed technician to recover the refrigerant, Or, have a end user certificate from the seller of the vehicle, that the refrigerant has been removed and recovered.
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Old Apr 15, 2002 | 03:25 PM
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Sounds like too much trouble and $$ to convert. Just buy some R12 at $75/lb then... Your car only need 1-2 lbs tops.
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