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I’ll be posting part 2 here as well when it’s released. For now, here’s Part 1 of the second installment of A Day At The Shop With EricTheCarGuy 2nd Installment. Both videos really stand on their own. This first one is more about the general work, the second part is actually a FiF with Barbara’s van. Yes, Barbara’s van, the bane of my existence. One day I’ll run out of things to fix on that thing.
FYI there’s a full version of this video available to Premium Members of the website: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/premium-content-web/13-premium-content-videos/1292-a-day-at-the-shop-with-ericthecarguy-2nd-installment-extended-full-version
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Are there issues with the extended version of this video?
For whatever the reason i am unable to access it as i keep getting sent to the “Why become a Premium ETCG Member? ” page, even though i am already a member and logged in.
This happens regardless of web browser used or device.[quote=”chomerly” post=146435]Are there issues with the extended version of this video?
For whatever the reason i am unable to access it as i keep getting sent to the “Why become a Premium ETCG Member? ” page, even though i am already a member and logged in.
This happens regardless of web browser used or device.[/quote]Contact support@ericthecarguy.com and they should be able to get you squared away.
On Barbara’s Town & Country, the refrigerant capacity is 46 ounces for vehicles with front and rear AC. For vehicle with only front AC the capacity is 34 ounces. You did not have enough refrigerant to handle the load, which is why the system was not cooling properly when both were operating. When you shut off the rear, then the system was able to do its job because of less demand.
Eric, I’m glad to see you recognize the value in those “emergency” or “universal” battery cable terminals. Maybe you can remind folks that they should only be used until a new battery cable can be purchased or a new terminal swaged onto the old cable. if you’ve already covered that in one of your videos, please ignore this comment.
[quote=”NFortin198″ post=146488]On Barbara’s Town & Country, the refrigerant capacity is 46 ounces for vehicles with front and rear AC. For vehicle with only front AC the capacity is 34 ounces. You did not have enough refrigerant to handle the load, which is why the system was not cooling properly when both were operating. When you shut off the rear, then the system was able to do its job because of less demand.[/quote]
Incorrect. The system worked BETTER when the rear AC was on, not the other way around. The high side psi should be higher. Not sure why it was dropping when the fans came one. Once the high side drops, the cooling ability drops with it.
[quote=”T-Rex in H-Town” post=146490]Eric, I’m glad to see you recognize the value in those “emergency” or “universal” battery cable terminals. Maybe you can remind folks that they should only be used until a new battery cable can be purchased or a new terminal swaged onto the old cable. if you’ve already covered that in one of your videos, please ignore this comment.[/quote]
As a matter of fact..
I’m very interested on what repairs the A/C on the Van. I watched the video and the gauge readings looked good to me,(what I saw.. Low side 30-35 psi -High side 185-190 psi at idle; at 1500 RPM’s suction side 20 psi and high side 175-180 psi)…but I’m not Chrysler prudent.
I wonder if, perhaps, the expansion valve in the front is sticking but the rear one is still good. Thus, you get minimal cooling in the front with just the front unit running, but when you turn on the rear, the refrigerant can flow throughout and thus provide some cooling. It seems to happen in Toyotas from time to time, albeit this is coming from very minimal experience. I’d probably see if it holds the charge for a little while first but I thought I’d throw the idea out there just for the heck of it. It’d suck for you to have to recover and recharge that thing again, but it’d make an awesome video for the rest of us to watch in the comfort of our climate controlled homes! 🙂 And, you’d get to try out yet another new toy (as if you need more) once you get a recovery machine. I’ll donate the valve for Barbara!
[quote=”ScubaCat3″ post=146653]I wonder if, perhaps, the expansion valve in the front is sticking but the rear one is still good. Thus, you get minimal cooling in the front with just the front unit running, but when you turn on the rear, the refrigerant can flow throughout and thus provide some cooling. It seems to happen in Toyotas from time to time, albeit this is coming from very minimal experience. I’d probably see if it holds the charge for a little while first but I thought I’d throw the idea out there just for the heck of it. It’d suck for you to have to recover and recharge that thing again, but it’d make an awesome video for the rest of us to watch in the comfort of our climate controlled homes! 🙂 And, you’d get to try out yet another new toy (as if you need more) once you get a recovery machine. I’ll donate the valve for Barbara![/quote]
I’m wondering the same thing. I’ll need to get hold of an AC recovery machine to find out. Don’t worry, I’ll be making videos when that time comes.
“Seriously, all you had to do was put a schrader valve in it. Instead, you have to make this Rube Goldberg set up that is completely unserviceable. Well done. You made your vans disposable.”
Senior mechanical engineering student here looking to get into the automotive engineering field with my degree.
I can only look at set ups like these and shake my head. It makes me think that the bean counters are the ones designing these vehicles, and not the actual engineers.
Your complaints about this aren’t going unnoticed by me (I’m sure I’m not the only engineering student at this community), and hopefully when I’m in the field I can design things with such frustrations in mind.
Is there a point where you could have pulled a vacuum test before you re-assembled the entire van?
I totally can relate to your frustrations but you have to remember that you are speaking to a large audience who looks up to you.
I can tell your not in the “Flat rate rat race” anymore.
I would be all over that job with a 3/8 impact and air rachhhet.
Keep the faith and the good work.
Thank You!For everyone that insists the valve was replaceable, I can tell you it was not. Perhaps where was an updated design at some point, but I tried for over 2 hours to remove it without success. In fact, I ended up damaging the line in the end. I would not have went through all that trouble, nor would I have spent $150 of my own money to replace the line if I didn’t have to.
Thank you for your input.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=146493] Not sure why it was dropping when the fans came one. Once the high side drops, the cooling ability drops with it.[/quote]
Basic physics. Remove heat and pressure drops in a closed system. When the fans came on the high temperature gas coming into the condenser is cooled to its liquid phase at high pressure (a subcooled liquid) at which point it is in a condition to have work done upon it (being throttled to lower pressure via the orifice tube or expansion valve). If there isn’t enough working fluid to maintain the proper conditions (in this case the fans coming on removed enough heat to lower the pressure to the point that the R134a was exiting the condenser as a saturated mixture) then you would see a decrease in cooling ability as the accumulator and evaporator are receiving a mixture that has too much vapor when they should be getting almost 100% liquid. Vapor doesn’t absorb as much heat like a liquid would.
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