Help Chick! Are you there!?

jmoffo on Mon June 16, 2014 11:48 AM

Year: 1976
Make: Cadillac
Engine Size: 500
Refrigerant Type: r-12

Hi Chick,
I am curious if you are still providing AC type work in North Bergen. I recently purchased my 2nd 1976 Cadillac with its r-12 system still in place. Unfortunately, it is not working. When I bought the car, the thermal limiter was out, so I suspect the obvious: low refrigerant....leak someplace ... and the switch popping to protect the compressor. I did not jump the switch to see if the compressor works because I was going to hold off until next year...
Thanks,
Jeff

Dougflas on Mon June 16, 2014 2:05 PM

I am not Chick but sometimes the thermal limiter failed for no reason. They also failed if the POA was sticking. I remember a 73 Caprice that used one each year. I still have some if the site sponser doesn't have them anymore.

jmoffo on Mon June 16, 2014 2:22 PM

I seem to be putting the horse before the cart as I never even tried to see what was going on with the AC/compressor. I was told by the previous owner, who I was able to contact briefly, that the AC was not working "correctly" when he had the car in Florida. The car is originally from Philadelphia. I have receipts that show the car's AC had been worked on MANY years ago...back around 1992. A total evacuation, some new seals...
That's all I have...so I assumed...maybe too soon...the AC was "dead". I refuse to convert the system to R134a and want to keep the R-12 and finding places in NJ that still have their old R-12 equipment is not se wasy anymore. I used to own a 73 Cadillac whose system was converted, and the AC worked terribly. That's another story.

Dougflas on Mon June 16, 2014 2:46 PM

SInce a have over 100lbs of r12, I refuse to convert vehicles to r134 especially the ones with the POA valves and VIRS. They were a proven better system. One of the most common problems was the condensers and not getting enough air to flow over the condenser.

jmoffo on Mon June 16, 2014 8:34 PM

My 76 has a VIR not a POA. Hopefully I could get someone to figure it out to restore the r12

Olds442 on Tue June 17, 2014 2:28 AM