Dash air where to find coolant service point?

[D. Wendal Attig]

Dash air on our 2002 Patriot Monticello  (400 hp Cat) seems a bit less efficient than it was at the beginning summer. I would like to service the coolant, but don't know how/where to find the service point. Help?  Thanks.

[Doug Allman]

We are in progress with our dash A/c recharging. The low point inlet we found up about 8 inches above the generator compartment door. You need to have the gen set come out about 4 inches so you can reach up and find it. We eventually took the gen set front off to be able to better access it. We still have found no high point inlet.

We are working on a 2004 Marquis and do not know if yours is same as ours. We also replaced the compressor and had to remove the condensor so we could get to the accumulator. The Accumulator/dryer was bolted to the firewall up near the wiper motor on drivers side. Found where several of the lines had oil residue on them so they were leaking. Also had to replace the core in the schrader valve as it was leaking after we installed the nitrogen to test the system. Will find out tomorrow if no leaks and can then purge.

[D. Wendal Attig]

We have a side mounted radiator, so it might be a different configuration. I am assuming you have a generator mounted between the frame rails in the front.

[David T. Richelderfer]

D.:  You mean side-mounted generator?

I am particularly interested in these air conditioning threads of late.  I also want to recharge my dash-air system.  It was charged right before I purchased the coach in August 2012.  After the first year it has not cooled well.  It shows a little life even yet, but only very little.

[Gerald Farris]

D,
The charging ports are located in three different locations on your vintage coach. Most of them are located between the front cap and firewall. The low side is usually located high up by the expansion valve and the high side is usually close to the front cross member between the frame rails. The next location is at the compressor, but most of the valves at this location are aftermarket add-ons unless your coach is a California 40. The last location is in the hose just before it exits the engine compartment heading forward. Have fun looking.

Gerald

[Doug Allman]

Gerald,
Found the low side by the expansion valve and will look for the high side now that I know where to. I am not even going to try to find one in the engine compartment, I know it is not by the compressor.
As usual, THANK YOU.

[Doug Allman]

Looked very thoroughly and the high side is not at the front cross member or anywhere close. Not at the compressor either, so we quit looking.

[Jerald Cate]

Doug,

I like to have never found my high side service port but finally located it behind the front cap, above the generator, not far from the low side port.  I had to resort to sticking my camera up in that area and just take some pictures in the blind and look at the results.  You can do this with an Iphone, GoPro, whatever you have.  Do this and I'll bet you find it.  I still say the engineer that designed the chassis air conditioning system should be slapped, how stupid to put the service ports where they did.

Bruce

[Doug Allman]

We have had three of us trace the ac lines by hand to where they go up along the frame rail to the back of the chassis and no hi port. I believe as Gerald suggests that someone previous may have removed because there is 3 feet of extra hose in a large coil and anything else done on these coach's never gives you that much extra.

[William Ervin]

  I still say the engineer that designed the chassis air conditioning system should be slapped, how stupid to put the service ports where they did.

In my experience all a lot of Engineers do is engineer, they don't use, maintain or repair the products they design.  Sometimes they design based on manufacturing process (making it easier to build on the line) with little thought to use or maintenance.

I'd love to slap a few of them myself.....

[Doug Allman]

I am not sure if it is enginering at fault or the guy on the line that just gets a chuckle at putting these access points and parts that are changed when serviced in a very difficult place just because it will make life difficult and costly for anyone that can afford a coach. His way of getting even, he thinks.

[Gerald Farris]

The dash A/C system was installed and charged before the front cap was installed on the coach. Therefore, the service port location that is now under the front cap, was probably located there for convenience in assembly as well as moving the charge ports out of the hostile environment in the engine compartment. On the California 40 that is 2 feet shorter than the other 40 foot coaches the charge ports were usually installed in the engine compartment because the front cap is 6 inches narrower on those coaches, and the ports are almost inaccessible if located there.   

Gerald