Author Topic: Dash AC  (Read 5156 times)

Andrew Bruemmer

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Thanked: 2 times
Dash AC
« on: June 10, 2017, 11:50:12 PM »
We have a new to us 2002 Contessa. One item for repair will be dash AC, it doesn't blow cold.  This is my first diesel and motor home.  Where does the dash AC come from?  Is it like a car where I could try and recharge it?
2002 Beaver Contessa 40 Tuscany - 3 slides
Cummins ISL 370
2012 Chevy Equinox Toad
Blue OX Avail tow bar
SMI Air Force One

David T. Richelderfer

  • David, Leslie, Jasper, & JoJo
  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1684
  • Thanked: 498 times
  • OSU, Class of 1971, RVing nearly 50 years
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2017, 01:33:05 AM »
Assuming yours is almost like mine...

On mine the valve to attach the bottle of refrigerant to is accessed from over the generator behind the front of the coach.  My generator slides out front.  I am guessing your generator is placed elsewhere - like behind the street side steering wheel - I am not sure.  Anyways, I slide my generator out about 12" and reach up about the length of my forearm with my elbow resting on the top of the generator.  I think I have read here that if you get under the front of the coach and look up you will see it along with the other a/c equipment.  Also, some have a valve placed near the a/c pump on the diesel engine.  I topped-off mine this past Winter while in Yuma.
2004 Beaver Marquis Sapphire

I had a dream... then I lived it!
The following users thanked this post: Andrew Bruemmer

Bart Mix

  • Guest
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2017, 03:48:18 AM »
Andrew,
I just serviced my dash AC last month. Finding the low pressure port to add 134A was a little time consuming. Not sure about yours but mine was located up front above my generator but difficult if not impossible to see much less easily access from outside. What I was able to do was to jack up the front end & stabilize. Crawl under the front passenger side in the opening right behind the headlights. At 6'1" I could still stand up (in the space behind the passenger headlight) where I could see the black plastic condensing housing. The low pressure port was just below the black housing & right above the slide out generator. Using a standard fill kit with stop leak I checked the pressure reading & slowly (over 15 min) added a full 18 oz can. Still not fully charged so I added an additional 4 oz can of pure AC stop leak. I then added about 8 oz of a 12 oz can of 134A (about another 15 min) & the pressure finally came up to spec. A long distance (with 2 hoses) from the compressor at the rear of the coach to the condensing unit up front, so with your dash AC running on Max. take your time & watch the pressure gradually build up. It will NOT respond rapidly like on a car - so just be patient with filling. Be very careful to "NOT OVERFILL or OVER PRESSURIZE - a little less is far better than a little in excess! Now that I have done it once, it will be very easy to add more 134A in the future if needed.

Bart from VA
2003 Beaver
Towing a 2007 GMC 2500 HD 4x4
The following users thanked this post: Jim Nichols, Andrew Bruemmer

Keith Moffett

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1124
  • Thanked: 395 times
  • Every day is a blessing!
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2017, 06:10:42 AM »
Bart, for comparison it is better if we know the year and model of your coach when you post.
Our 02 Marquis dash AC did the same thing and after a year of adding  coolant I stepped up and had it fixed. The problem had been the drier.  The desiccant bag had exploded .  This spread desiccant beads throughout the system.  The high pressure valve was packed full of them.  We saved the lines and compressor, flushed the lines with brake fluid and air several times.  Replaced the evaporated unit and high pressure valve.  We added new coolant and it was great.  Our new coach needs the same treatment.
Good luck!
2007 Patriot Thunder
45' C-13
2006 Explorer Ltd.
DW is Carol
Safe travels and
May God bless!
The following users thanked this post: Andrew Bruemmer

Andrew Bruemmer

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Thanked: 2 times
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2017, 11:09:13 AM »
Ok thanks for the help.  I'll start by looking around the generator.  I want to replace the headlight fixtures due to moisture in one so I need to see if I can fit up in there anyway.

Is the dessicant bag something I can find myself (assuming my coach has one)?
2002 Beaver Contessa 40 Tuscany - 3 slides
Cummins ISL 370
2012 Chevy Equinox Toad
Blue OX Avail tow bar
SMI Air Force One

Bart Mix

  • Guest
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2017, 02:32:48 PM »
Keith - RATS! I posted the year, but in my rush to post I only typed Beaver instead of Monterey. I participate on several forums & I need to set up a consistent signature line. Thanks for the reminder!

Bart from VA
2003 Monterey
350 ISC, 3 slides, 6 solar
Toad - 07 GMC 2500 HD 4x4

Gerald Farris

  • Guest
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2017, 03:00:22 PM »
Andrew,
Your coach does have a desiccant bag. It is located inside the dryer that is probably located on your front cross member, but you should just add a little i34A refrigerant to your system to start with to evaluate its cooling capacity before replacing any parts. Desiccant bag failures are not common, but most of these teenage coaches have very small leaks in the dash A/C, so it is fairly common to have a coach that just needs a can or two of refrigerant added every year to keep it cooling to your expectations. If your coach has not had the dash A/C serviced for several years, you may need 3 or 4 of the 12oz. cans to git it cooling properly.

After you get the dash A/C cooling, if you only need to add one or two 12oz. cans a year to keep it operating properly, there is nothing else that needs to be done to the system. Trying to fix all of the leaks on a 15 year old dash A/C system could easily run in excess of a $1000. So just adding $10 of 134A a year is a much better choice.

Your charging ports will be located in one of three places. Either at the compressor, under the front cap, or inline just before the refrigerant hoses leave the engine compartment. First look at the compressor if you have a side radiator, then under the front of the coach, then if no success yet try the hoses as they leave the engine compartment (mostly on rear radiator coaches).

Gerald
       
The following users thanked this post: Jim Murray, Andrew Bruemmer

Edward Buker

  • Guest
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2017, 04:40:06 PM »
Andrew,

When you recharge there is that question about how much added refrigerant is enough. This article contains a table of temperature vs pressure for R134A. When you are done and the coach high side a low side pressures have equalized (takes 1-2 hrs) and the system has returned to ambient air temp ( I would wait about 8hrs) you can verify how you did at getting the pressure to the right charge level. I would try and have it be within a couple pounds for a given temperature and would adjust a second time if needed.

http://www.rvtechmag.com/tech/51_r134.php

In this link there is a photo of a plaque I made for the engine compartment that gives the high side pressure range while charging vs ambient temperature that should get you close to the final result that you are looking for in the table of ambient vs R134A pressure in the above link.

http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,2508.msg18638.html#msg18638

Hope this helps.

Later Ed
The following users thanked this post: Andrew Bruemmer

Dave Atherton

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1015
  • Thanked: 877 times
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2017, 05:08:43 PM »
Andrew, like Gerald said older AC systems will have minor leaks. Just want to pass on
Thought about adding cans of 134a into AC systems. If you add too much 134a you
can lock up the compressor. If that happens will need to bleed off pressure on the high
side ( red connection ) into a recovery tank. Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic
The following users thanked this post: Andrew Bruemmer

Andrew Bruemmer

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Thanked: 2 times
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2017, 11:26:53 PM »
I have a rear radiator.  I stuck my head under the front and found a possible candidate for the port.  It's a bit high up so I'm not yet sure about reaching it, but gives me a starting point.  Thank you for all the additional information!!
2002 Beaver Contessa 40 Tuscany - 3 slides
Cummins ISL 370
2012 Chevy Equinox Toad
Blue OX Avail tow bar
SMI Air Force One

Bart Mix

  • Guest
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2017, 04:26:13 AM »
Andrew - My coach has two ports up front behind the cap. The ports are two different sizes. You only want to use the small low pressure port for recharging, which on my coach is located up high above the slide out generator & forward from the black plastic AC cooling unit assembly. On my coach the larger high pressure port is located somewhat lower closer to the cooling fan assembly. The cap on the 134A refill kit only fits on the small port, so if you try to install the cap & it doesn't fit then that port is the high pressure port. Some of the port caps are color coded. I believe my low pressure port cap was blue & the high pressure port cap was black. Good luck looking for the correct port!
The following users thanked this post: Andrew Bruemmer

Andrew Bruemmer

  • BAC Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Thanked: 2 times
Re: Dash AC
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2017, 05:09:32 AM »
I'm going to take a closer look tomorrow.  I'll be crawling up in there (trying) change out the front headlights due to moisture in one of them. 
2002 Beaver Contessa 40 Tuscany - 3 slides
Cummins ISL 370
2012 Chevy Equinox Toad
Blue OX Avail tow bar
SMI Air Force One