turbomar

A/c Needs To Be Topped Up

27 posts in this topic

The a/c needs to be topped up. From the a/c maintenance record on the vehicle, the a/c was last serviced in 2009 with R134a. I was wondering if I could top it up with 12a refrigerant since it's a more efficient refrigerant. Any input is greatly appreciated... Mario

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Yeah, my recently written off 2005 smart diesel had an Eskulab A/C update done for free in April 2013 at 225,000 km, so if you ask nicely, you might just get the same.

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Fill with propane. A/C becomes more efficient and no need for vacuum pump.

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1. NO! 12a is not compatible with the smart a/c system, which is designed for 134a.

2. If your car has not had smart's free a/c hoses upgrade, don't bother refilling until you get it done, as it will just leak out again.

3. Some of us have successfully experimented with the propane-based refrigerants that tolsen mentions - two commonly available brands are DuraCool and RedTek - they work very well.

CAUTION 1: do not mix refrigerants and refrigerant oils - you must evacuate the system thoroughly before refilling with these alternative gases!

CAUTION 2: do not do this yourself unless you have proper gauges and equipment and know what you are doing! If you can't find a pro shop who will touch your smart a/c (and most will not), see if you can rent a vacuum pump and gauge set, and get some instruction from someone who knows what's up.

HTH,

Bil :sun:

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I introduced a 6oz can of RedTek last night. On max a/c(2 lights on) it still kicks off for a brief moment every minute or so. The vent temp is 48F. What should be the vent temp?

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I just checked mine tonight on the ride into Nanaimo, with outside temp at about 18C, it was blowing at 6C after letting the small thermometer acclimate for a few minutes. The A/C in these cars is a bit weak at the best of times, but 6C is quite OK.

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I have been researching about AC problems and finally I decided to add some Redtek stuff from CT to my AC. It was always blowing warm air and read about leaking O-rings. Unfortunately MB won't replace them anymore or at least I couldn't get them to do it. I have to say it was a bit tricky to connect the hose that came in the package to the low pressure valve (slightly short). Anyhow after wasting one of the cans (don't even ask) I managed to properly connect the hose to the valve and add enough to increase the pressure to 30psi. Now I am driving the car for about 2 weeks and it's blowing cold air every time I turn it on. I also noticed that as RPM goes higher the air gets colder. The whole job took me about 45min and cost of the part was $54 +tax.Payam

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[Ever think of doing a step by step pictorial on how to charge a smart cdi a/c? Our 2005 cdi blows hot air andI don't know if MB ever upgraded it as got it used at 112,000km.

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Hi,

Could you tell me which is the low pressure port? I see two ports in the front of my car, one on the driver side of the rad, and one on the passenger side of the rad.

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Got the '05 done by Dave at MuflerMan on Wharncliffe Rd in London a few weeks ago (he owns a Smart and knows what he's doing).

I had the MB recall done years ago, and this was the first time I've had no AC since (maybe 7 or 8 years).

Refill was done fast and done right, with R134a. Works great !! I can hang beef in there on a 32C+ day !!

I took the unused R12a fill kit & gauges I'd bought back to Canadian Tire for a full refund.

Why do they sell this s**t ?? How many AC systems have they fowled up ??

Everyone..... do yourselves a favour.... get it done right by someone that knows what they're doing, with the right equipment.

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True, but you have the updated lines. To replace them is cost prohibitive for most people and that's why they opt for the 12a

I know someone who was quoted $2000 by the dealer to replace the lines.

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On June 7th, I paid an independent garage $152.55 to recharge my system with R134a (it was empty). Yesterday, on July 26th, the system was inoperative again. Hardly any driving was done in the interim. I plan to review my invoices from M-B Oakville to determine the last date the system was upgraded. I'll then ask the service rep. whether the last modification that the manufacturer came up with was done at that time. If not, I'll request an estimate of the cost to have it done now. My wife won't set foot inside the car now that she knows that the a/c doesn't work (again)!

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Don't rule out a plain ol' leak.

I've had a couple of compressor leaks in trucks I've owned over the years, requiring replacement.

Also had a simple loose fitting once.

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My Canada 1 had dead A/C when I bought it in 2010 despite being recharged at M-B Midtown two months earlier. Three Point Motors replaced the lines in March 2010 and since then the A/C has been cold (as cold as it ever gets in any 450). I had it checked this spring and it was very nearly as full as it had been 6 years earlier. The new lines are a must.

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I took my smart into M-B Oakville on Thursday August 4th to have the A/C fixed and also for a long-delayed "A" service. The odometer reading was 97020 km. I picked it up today, Monday, August 8th.The cost of the A/C repairs came to $1212.46 before tax. I have attached a copy of the relevant portion of the invoice so that the details are available if you're interested (5 hours labour @ $120/hr and the rest was for parts). The A/C is now as up-to-date as it can be. I went through my old invoices and found that major A/C parts had been replaced under warranty twice in the past. A summary of those replacements follows:

pressure pipe (part# 0001655V010000000) was replaced on July 3, 2007 at 48412 km, and again on April 21, 2008 at 64906 km; suction pipe (part# 0002816011000000) was replaced at the same time as the pressure pipe, on July 3, 2007.

I think I left a "V" out of the second part # above, but I found it notable that the pipes replaced earlier, were not in the list of parts replaced this time. One part is described as a pressure line, but the part # doesn't match that of the pressure pipe shown above.

I decided to "bite the bullet" and get it fixed right. I only drive the car in fair weather now, and with the temperatures we get in the summer A/C is a must if I am to make use of it. A working A/C will also help when I eventually decide to sell it.

post-145-0-38715400-1470710077_thumb.jpg

Edited by smart65

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Ooh, expensive! My 2005 had a "free" - ESKULAB - A/C fix in 2012 at 225,000 km....but sadly the car was written off in the fall of that same year at just under 250K km.

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they broke the intake manifold?

edit:; nvm it looks like they call the suction line an intake manifold (that company is weird)

Edited by LooseLugNuts

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