w201 A/C help please
 

Hi guys, I just bought a w201 a few weeks ago. I had the A/C recovered and I pulled vacuum on it today for a little over an hour, and it held vacuum for 30 minutes no problem.

I filled with r12 (two 18oz cans, pretty close to 2.2lbs, I'm tired and the math eludes me). It was about 88* and I was at ~35psi Low and 250ish High but the aux fans weren't on. I was only getting about 15* reduction from ambient temp at the center vents, 20* max at 55mph.

What am I missing? Even without the aux fans, it should be more efficient at idle. Also, the high side seem high, but again I'm not sure if that's due to the aux fans not working. It doesn't seem high enough for TXV issues, but I'm not an expert.

Any ideas?

Thanks guys!

vstech is the A/C diagnostician.
 

BUT,Even I know,"Pressure Test" is the definitive Test for A/C systems.
[ Pressurized NITROGEN with a Touch of R-12 for diagnosis.]

When you "Added" the Refrigerant did you make absolutely sure NO Ambient Air
could be introduced into the system? [Ambient Air has a lot more moisture in it
than you think.]

Was the System EVER "Broached" without replacing the Receiver/Dryer?
What's the Lubricant level like?
How Clean are the fins on the Condenser,Radiator and Evaporator?

It's working,just not as well as it should.

It had pressure before it was recovered and I pulled vacuum, just not much. The condensor looks ok. I know I didn't introduce an atmosphere, but I didn't replace the reciever drier.

I dont know how the evaporator looks, but I think its accessible from the outside, under the cowl?

Also, I'd like to get the auxiliary fans going and see what that does.

I always replace the receiver/drier if I open the system.

Also, without the aux. fans running, the high side will get too high and the pressure switch on the drier will do its job and shut off the compressor.

Here's a link to some pressures you should be seeing:
http://www.ackits.com/aacf/ptchart.cfm

At 90F, you should be seeing 190-230 on the high side, which you seem to be getting. The low side, they say, is about 22 psi.

When you noted your numbers was this at idle or at higher rpm like 1500 rpms?

When I charged up my 420SEL (R12) I tripped the auxiliary fan, and disconnected the idle control system so that the car idled at 1500 rpms, then met the numbers in the chart appropriate for my ambient temp. You might want to try that..

W201's center vents are directly attached to the evaporator you should be getting rather low numbers from them compared to a w126. My 190E, last time I checked, gave me high 30's when it was high 70, low 80s outside. I don't have R12, but rather ES-12A.

Thanks for the input!

The numbers were at actual idle, and my idle was stumbling a bit. I just replaced the spark plugs with the correct NGK ones and it idles smoothly now.

Should my reading by taken at ~1500rpm? If so then I'm probably undercharged.

With domestics, I'll usually raise the rpm on small cars but I wasn't sure if I should on the w201. Domestics tend to be more forgiving with their large accumulators taking up a lot of slop.

Thanks again.

(P.S. Who decided to put the high side port where it is? Geeze?)

the pressures you are reporting make me think bad fan clutch, and contaminated system.
vacuum holding for 30 minutes how? do you have a micron gauge to see pressure change?
the rubber hoses, and leaky compressor in mobile a/c systems are NOT designed to have extended vacuum done on them. nitrogen flush, and quick high cfm vacuum, is needed in automotive applications.

the 30psi low is fine, but the 250 high is out of range... at idle. most likely, you have air in the system from the vacuum, and changing cans during the charge.
if it were me, I'd dump it all, and change the dryer, and purge everything with Nitro, then leak test under pressure with a splash of R22, then evacuate that and charge from a 30LB cylinder of 12... but I've got all that stuff.

put a jumper on the pressure switch leads, so the aux fans stick on, and bump the idle up to 1500 or so, and tell us what you have.