Greetings from Australia, where it is just starting to get HOT outside.

MY darling 1987 W124 300D ... oh where do I start - nothing ever goes wrong with her ... but ...

I spent $1300 (ripped off by Hahn Auto - Botany Road - Sydney) on a reconditioned compressor and re-gas, which did not fix the problem, which is...



If I first start the air-conditioner up while she is idling- good for a few seconds then kaput- lukewarm air.
BUT If I first start it up when I am roaring along with the revs over 2000, then it works ok! I can start and stop, and it still works (USUALLY - sometimes it still dies).
It seems crucial to turn aircond on FIRST TIME when the engine is going hard.

It is the aircond/ heater system which has the 2 wheels - one for each side of the car.
Of course it is running on the R134 juice, but designed for the R12 in 1987 (I presume).

Any clues will be very much appreciated!