80 Series Air Con Question?

Hi Flywest,
You've describe the same thing I just went through.
On the firewall, where the tap is. that changes the flow of water to heat up the cab, pull the ring off the tap handle/arm,it will just slip down, unclip the cable clamp and push the tap to the off position and then re-clamp the cable.
Making sure it can't slip through the clamp.
To un clip it you'll need to stick your finger up in behind the little plate that the clamp is attached to.

There is also plug connection that is usually zip tied to the Power sterring hose near the Steering box.
Some times this may have dirt or no be making proper contact. Try that.

When the light flickers, can you hear the compressor cut in and out? Eg; the rpm drops down or raises.

My 80 air con played up a couple of years ago now... got it fixed and then it played up again and didn't seem too cold.

I got the air con guy out and he simply adjusted the thermostat on it again and it is nice and icy cold now.

I would hazard a guess that after 16 years the contacts on the light are just a bit dodgy to cause the flicker and it is coincidence.

Try contacting the guy who regassed it a year ago and ask him to recheck it.... should have done the upgrade to the new gas then too so he should be happy enough to check his work for you.

Hi Flywest. Under the bonnet on the passenger side just below the mudguard edge you should see an alloy pipe with a glass "eye" fitted to it. It should be towards the front of the vehicle. With your air conditioner operating you should see a clear to opaque liquid in the glass. If it is frothy or really bubbly then the system is low on refrigerant. If it was done 12 months ago and it is low then it probably means their is a leak somewhere which will need to be repaired before it can be regassed again.Regards,Bob.

you will have bubbles in the sight glass the new gasses eg R134a go in by weight not volume. your a/c does not have self diagnosis for a slipping belt. the flickerimg light is the globe in the switch failing.that can be replaced. at the last service was the service done according to the ARC specs? was the drier changed? if not if you are in the perth area call 0418945847 and i will help you sort it out

Thanks for that guys.

I'm still looking at it - hopefully this weekend.

Something I have noticed is a type of slight belt slipping noise at start up for say 30 seconds or so....

Maybe there is some slippage or maybe there is low gas or a bit of both - I'll get it looked at.

I don't think it is timing belt making the noise as it's just had a new timing belt and tensioner kit at 300,000 Km's, within the last 2 months!

It dumped it's gas last summer when parked out in the sun in the Pilbara on a day the temp went to 48C

It was regassd down here in Perth about 2 days later - with the new refrigerant gas & dryer and worked great thereafter.

It is a 16 years old air con so who knows maybe it needs some kinda overhaul or something, I just don't want to get ripped when I take it somewhere if it is something simple or stupid like a bad earth connnection.

If it is something that needs to be repaired properly then I'd sooner know about it and get it done right first time even if it is a rebuild.

Thanks heaps for the advice!

Cheers

Same symtoms on my 80 this summer as well. (1993 diesel). Got it regassed last summer and it only lasted a month before it lost the gas. This summer got it checked and it was the TX valve behind the glovebox leaking through the o-rings.
Exactly the same thing happened last year to my dad's 1992 80. Maybe common problem for the age.
The auto sparky that did it last summer checked the UV dye after regassing under the bonnet but not behind the glovebox, so did not pick it up at the time. About $80-100 for the valve and a bit of labour and regass. So about $300-400 all up.


Anyway, worth every cent to have the aircon back !!
Good luck.

Wazza.