A/C Gas ?? Quantity ?

[Strangerover]

Hi

I am new to this forum and new to beat ownership...

I have a beat that has been off the road for about 7 years,

The AC doesnt work....

on the off chance it just needs a re-gas... anyone know how much gas it takes ?

thanks

[mikei]

Hi

I am new to this forum and new to beat ownership...

I have a beat that has been off the road for about 7 years,

The AC doesnt work....

on the off chance it just needs a re-gas... anyone know how much gas it takes ?

thanks

hi looks like you bought the red one that was just on ebay

regarding the a/c gas as yours is about a 1991 it will have the old type gas and connectors

my a/c guy bought a bottle of it in but it is much more expensive than the r134 that most cars now use

what we do if unsure on the cars is use a cheaper gas like they use in pubs to test the system and see if compressor cuts in any leaks etc

then it is vacuumed out and the right gas is used

its a r12 replacement but cant remember the name /code

although its a small car as the a/c pipes run front to back it will be similar amount to a clio

if anyone with an earlier type gas system needs it done he charges about £100/£120 depends on amount of gas used
but you have to come to london

most of the 1993 onwards beats can use r134a gas for about £50 but you can get that done anywhere
sometimes kwik fit do offers for about £40 online however i wouldnt let them near any of my cars

good luck with that beat

[stu g]

My local guy did mine and came round to do it, and charged £40. He did my wife's Renault at the same time. He used a different gas in mine and some special oil. Unfortunately although the system held the charge, there were issues with the compressor relay, and a block in either the expansion valve or dryer unit. Expect that after a number of years without being run that there may be blockages in the system.

Stu

[steveinjapan]

My local guy did mine and came round to do it, and charged £40. He did my wife's Renault at the same time. He used a different gas in mine and some special oil. Unfortunately although the system held the charge, there were issues with the compressor relay, and a block in either the expansion valve or dryer unit. Expect that after a number of years without being run that there may be blockages in the system.

Stu

If it had no gas that means it leaked out in the past, so unless a sniffer showed absolutely nothing you might still be in for more headaches once you fix the other problems. If it was just a barely detectable leak you can get by with yearly topups but it's just postponing the inevitable. Been there, done that.

Steve

[stu g]

Going back to the original op, i don't know how much gas he used, but he did weigh it going in.

[Strangerover]

Out of interest, I guess that with no or low pressure , pressing the AC button does nothing ??

[mikei]

other than put the light on and possibly a slight increase in revs no
the drop in gas that replaces r12 is known as rs24
on a related note after having one of the beats gassed up this year there is a definite loss of power when the compressor cuts in so might not be worth the hassle

[steveinjapan]

other than put the light on and possibly a slight increase in revs no
the drop in gas that replaces r12 is known as rs24
on a related note after having one of the beats gassed up this year there is a definite loss of power when the compressor cuts in so might not be worth the hassle

True, if you live in a cool climate like the UK you might not want to go to the expense of fixing it.

Like all automotive a/c on small cars, you can feel the power loss especially at low revs. Where the Beat engine might only be making 20 hp at 3000 rpm, the a/c is taking off perhaps 5 hp regardless of revs.

Over here where it is hot and humid 5 months of the year, it's definitely worthwhile.

Steve

[Strangerover]

I want it to aid with demisting, rather than for heat and humidity :-)

[steveinjapan]

I want it to aid with demisting, rather than for heat and humidity :-)

Right - forgot about that....

[Bruce]

One alternative to that, which should also help limit rust, is to leave one or two dessicant dehumidifying bags in the cockpit. They will need occasional recharging
in the oven or microwave to dry them out. Microwave is miles faster and efficient, but may or may not limit the dessicant's total lifetime. They're no more than £10.