I too think this thread should ease closer to the ac subject but I want to agree with the statement that Autozen made about voting....

" If your'e going to vote, take the many hours required to go over the ballot issues and review the candidates running for office."

All the time I see the media telling people to go out and vote, lamenting over questions being decided on very small turnouts, etc... I never hear them say what Autozen just mentioned... Many people have turned Democracy into a religion in their heads instead of a rational process.... They think that the "number" of voters being large will make an election 'good' or 'right' and it takes something different than just bodies pulling levers... Lots of informed bodies pulling levers is good. The USSR used to have right at 100% turn out in elections ... now that I have had my turn, back to the ac questions... LOL... Greg

Mike,

I was referring to other leading countries views of the US. You are right though; this thread is getting way out there. We should end it unless someone has a comment on air conditioning. I've enjoyed the dialogue. I can tell my views are pretty left compared to the rest of the group. I've spent half my life living two towns away from Berkeley, Ca. That may have some bearing.

See ya,
Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

I also agree with autozen that if you are going to vote just so you can truthfully say that you voted, you are probably not going to contribute very much. The key is to do your research and let your vote represent the effort that it deserves, regardless of your political leanings.

To comply with the request to move the thread back to air conditioning, the a/c on my 300E is still working quite well.

Have a great day,

PS: One of the most conservative guys that I ever knew was a good friend of mine when I was in the Army. He grew up in Berkley, and in spite of the turbulence of the time (1969 - 1971) he was quite the conservative. Just because an area has a reputation for leaning one way or the other politically, does not mean that EVERYONE in that area represents the pervasive thinking of the area. LB.

I think the University there is a lot more to blame for the reputation than the town itself.

So many damn college professors think that becuase they excel in one particular field, they have the whole world figured out. I had a few heated debates with out-of-touch faculty when I was in college. They are so quick to look down their noses at the "capitalist society'" point of view...How easily they forget that the "capitalist society'" tax $$$$ keeps them EMPLOYED!

Obligatory AC content: My damn AC still does not work.

Mike

__________________
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1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
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1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
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1985 300TD
270,000 miles
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1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
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mikemover,

Yes, many of the professors most definitely do NOT live in the real world. Some of them need a few years in industry EARNING a living, then they would be better prepared to give our kids a jump start on the world.

Some of them, however, figure out how important it is to encourage their students to analyze and think on their own, rather than merely believe whatever a professor or anyone else tells them that they should believe.


The manifold on the R4 compressor in my daughters 300D is leaking. I hope to fix it this weekend.


Have a great day,

I am reading this thread with great interest because I am about to perform this with the death kit on my 1987 300TD. The AC system has a leak and it has not worked for the last couple years. I do not care if the death kit messes up the system or not as this is the final try to get some cool air. If it fails, then this car will not have cool air for the rest of its life.

So I went to K-Mart and bought the kit. Three 15 oz cans with refringent and ester oil pre-mixed (12 oz and 3 oz). Before I do it, I have a couple questions and appreciate answers from those who have done it.

1. How long does it take, on average, for a can of refringent to go into the system?

2. Once the quick connecter is connected, do I still have to push on it during the charge phase?

3. Once the system has enough pressure, the compressor (if it works) should kick in by itself, right? I seemed to remember reading somewhere that a wire has to be jumped to get it going.

loubapache,

I know nothing about the connector on the death kit and how it works, but maybe I can offer a little help on the other two questions although not in order.

You will not need to jump anything when charging, once there is enough refrigerant in the system, the pressure will increase to the point that will actuate the pressure switch and turn on the compressor.

The first can will go in very fast, maybe a minute or two. Each successive can will take a little longer due to a decreasing pressure differential.

I would still urge you to find a friend with a vacuum pump, and pump down the system before charging, but regardless of your method, I wish you the best of luck.

Have a great day,

Thanks, Larry.

Going out to try now and will report back.

Well, I am back and I failed the first time. It was taking way too long for the first can of refrigent to go in so I shaked the can. Then the supplied charging hose came loose in a little connecter and some refrigent escaped from the can. I managed to push the hose back in but the refrigent was still going in very slowly. I then tried the second can and it was also very slow. So basically the kit is ruined (the hose) and it is hard to know how much refrigent I got into the system. The system does have some pressure now because once I connected the hose I can hear some refrigent escaping. The compressor does not come on.

I may wait a few days and then get another charging hose and try again.

Bo,

Did you bleed the system first?

Good luck,

Mike,

You never stated the symptoms of your a/c. Are you out of gas or what? That ACC system in your 300SD was a piece of garbage that MB bought from Chrysler in the early days in an effort to attract the attention of the buyers of luxury American cars. MB also bought a cruise control system from Ford that never really worked well. At any rate I just repaired the ACC on a 1980 300SD I own. The heater stayed on, and there was no a/c. I moved the temp dial(same system you have) from limit to limit and listened under the hood for the servo to drive. It didn't. You can do voltage checks, but I cheated and plugged the 2 electrical plugs into another servo. The servo drove limit to limit, so
I installed it.I now had heat control but no a/c. I hooked up my charging station and sucked it down to a vacuum for 45 minutes. It held the vacuum indicating no major leak. I put in a kilo of r-12. I too have been trying to figure which way to go. R-134 just doesn't work as well as R-12 and probably will only be around a few more years if the rest of the world has its way. I'm still looking at the feasability of drop ins also. For now I'm sticking with R-12 because I think market forces will bring the price down. There is plenty of R-12 available and as soon as the suppliers see that the amount of R-12 cars is dwindling, they will be forced to compete in the market place. At least that is the economic model should work under laisez-faire economics. If the public sector (government) enters the market things could be different. Assuming R-12 is harmful to the atmosphere this whole madness could have been avoided by making it available by license to professionals ONLY to be handled under strict regulation. The same story goes for asbestos removal. The government spent millions of tax dollars removing it from schools and public buildings. The stuff isn't much of a hazard until it becomes friable, which is what happens when you remove it. When I bought my house I questioned the material in the textured ceiling, so I took a sample to a friend at a lab in Berkeley. Sure enough the sample contained Crisatile(sp) asbestos. After doing more research I was advised that the practical approach was to paint it again and seal it in.Maybe in years to come, more research grants will determine asbestos is safe again or they will have developed a shot for asbestosis. At any rate back to a/c.

Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

<<
Bo,

Did you bleed the system first?
>>

Good question, Larry.

My inexperience in AC system really showed today. The previous owner told me that the system has a slow leak. There was one service sheet saying that the system should be checked for leaks. So I took that for granted and was thinking the system was empty al the way. Thinking back, that might have not been the case.

No, I did not bleed the system.

Now it looks like either the compressor or the pressure switch is the problem. Or it could be something else like the push button controller.

The system has plenty of pressure now.

Well, I think this car will have no cold air for the rest of its life.

Bo

Go to any auto parts store buy yourself an auto a/c R134a pressure gauge(about $20). With engine on and air conditioner turn on to maximun cool, measure the low side service port . The gauge should read 35 to 45 psi @ 75 degree F ambient temp.
(25-35 psi @ 65 degree F ambient temp) You do not want to over charge the system.

I started this thread about 2 weeks ago after I converted my a/c to R134a with this "death" kit. It still working fine like a charm.
May be this is the "resurrection" kit to me.


David

__________________
1985 300D

Bo,

There is an additional issue here. When you DON'T draw a vacuum, there is air at atmospheric pressure, or thereabouts, in the system. This air being present makes less room for the refrigerant.

If you had a friend with a vacuum pump and manifold guages, it would probably be relatively easy to troubleshoot the system and find the problem.

Actually if there is pressure at some level in the system, that is a good indication. The biggest problem is usually that there is a nasty, expensive to repair leak somewhere. If it has pressure then there is probably not a serious leak.

I don't know where on your particular model you would find the low pressure switch so that you could jump it and see if the compressor will kick in. Also have you checked your fuses?

I wish I were nearer to you so I could offer a little more help.

Best of luck,

David:

Yes, I will get the gauge just to make sure the problem is not refrigent pressure related.

If the pressure measures OK, then I will look into the pressure switch.

<<
I don't know where on your particular model you would find the low pressure switch so that you could jump it and see if the compressor will kick in.
>>
It looks like the switch is near the sight glass. I cleaned the contacts first (but have not started the engine yet). I will wait for a week to see if the system holds pressure. One thing at a time, I guess.

<<
Also have you checked your fuses?
>>
Will do that too.

<<
I wish I were nearer to you so I could offer a little more help.
>>
I really appreciate this, Larry.