2004 Montana loosing Air Conditioning
radio123
07-19-2011, 09:32 AM
Help needed to solve a problem with A/C disappearing. I just dropped off the van for the 4th time to have the A/C checked. After each repair the A/C seems to work fine driving around the city. On long trips ( approx. 200 miles )
the A/C is ok on the trip up, but is non existing on the drive home. I have had valves replaced, leaks repaired and the last one was the condenser. Still not solving the problem........any ideas?????
the A/C is ok on the trip up, but is non existing on the drive home. I have had valves replaced, leaks repaired and the last one was the condenser. Still not solving the problem........any ideas?????
1999montana
07-30-2011, 12:54 PM
Help needed to solve a problem with A/C disappearing. I just dropped off the van for the 4th time to have the A/C checked. After each repair the A/C seems to work fine driving around the city. On long trips ( approx. 200 miles )
the A/C is ok on the trip up, but is non existing on the drive home. I have had valves replaced, leaks repaired and the last one was the condenser. Still not solving the problem........any ideas?????
Have you got rear air?
Mine started leaking about 5 years ago, bled down to zilch. Dealer wanted $800+ to fix it with new rear lines. Fixed it myself for the cost of $175 in new lines to convert it from rear to front air only.
Turned out the lines that run to the back evaporator are located immediately under the brake booster attached to the firewall and snake around the frame rail to the rear. The leak was in one of the pipes (don't remember whether it was a suction line or return line).
the A/C is ok on the trip up, but is non existing on the drive home. I have had valves replaced, leaks repaired and the last one was the condenser. Still not solving the problem........any ideas?????
Have you got rear air?
Mine started leaking about 5 years ago, bled down to zilch. Dealer wanted $800+ to fix it with new rear lines. Fixed it myself for the cost of $175 in new lines to convert it from rear to front air only.
Turned out the lines that run to the back evaporator are located immediately under the brake booster attached to the firewall and snake around the frame rail to the rear. The leak was in one of the pipes (don't remember whether it was a suction line or return line).
JabbaTHutt
11-06-2011, 02:46 PM
Well my 03 ext with rear air started to act up a few years ago. Turns out a connector back there right near the air pump and the rear air got the salt and snow on it here in Ontario Canada, with power running through it it caused a hole in the high side. We managed to repair it with some epoxy that they used to use to connect the lines on fridges. Filled it up and it seemed fine for a ling while. Then it started to stop working, turns out there was a small hole on the low side. So we replaced the tubing there, 6 feet worth, again it was fine for quite a while and yet again it started to not work, it was right where the line curved up at the back to heads towards the rear air, so it has been replaced Now we found that there is a leak where the lines come down the firewall.
Of course we had used the machine to check lines and left it hooked up looking to see if it holds and it always did. We only found leaks once the system was used for a bit.
One thing you need to do is get under there and pull off all the insulation off the lines, With all the salt here in the winter time or whatever else they use, it penetrates under that foam and starts to corrode the aluminum lines, so any time I made a repair it would then go after a thin spot in the covered lines where it was corroded.
If you wish to disconnect it from the rear all you really need to do is hope the lines are fine coming down the firewall and just cap them, shouldn't cost over than about 100 bucks as you need 4 caps as you may want to try a repair in the future and you will want to keep the road crap out of the rear system.
Of course we had used the machine to check lines and left it hooked up looking to see if it holds and it always did. We only found leaks once the system was used for a bit.
One thing you need to do is get under there and pull off all the insulation off the lines, With all the salt here in the winter time or whatever else they use, it penetrates under that foam and starts to corrode the aluminum lines, so any time I made a repair it would then go after a thin spot in the covered lines where it was corroded.
If you wish to disconnect it from the rear all you really need to do is hope the lines are fine coming down the firewall and just cap them, shouldn't cost over than about 100 bucks as you need 4 caps as you may want to try a repair in the future and you will want to keep the road crap out of the rear system.
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