Have you checked the evaporator and condenser coils? They may need cleaned, especially the condenser coils. I can't say for sure that's your problem, though, because the cooling efficiency would've gradually gotten worse as the coils got dirtier, rather than a sudden cooling loss.
Does the airflow output seem reduced at all? Perhaps you're looking at an air leak instead of a refrigerant leak. When last was the cabin air filter replaced? Does your GTI have climate control with a temperature setting?
If so, maybe the sensor in the thermostat went bad.
Another thought I just had would be to check the belt to the compressor.
The belt or the pully might have worn to the point that the compressor isn't getting enough power, though, again, I'd expect that to be either a gradual decrease in cooling, or a complete compressor failure.
Another stoopid question: Is it possible the airflow selectors are stuck?
Maybe it's sending air to the footwells or defroster vents when it's not supposed to be.
Or maybe even the controls. Are they mechanical sliders? Knobs? Electronic controls? Those might be worth checking.
A/C Binder
Mon Aug 22 2011 08:05:20 EDT from zooer @ Uncensored
Mon Aug 22 2011 01:35:42 EDT from Sig @ UncensoredI took some pics today:
https://picasaweb.google.com/114397753400901688127/FirstDay?authuser=0&authkey =Gv1sRgCJ_EgPGG0rueVQ&feat=directlinkERROR: "Oops... there's nothing to see here. Either you do not have access to these photos, or they don't exist at this web address. Please contact the owner directly to gain access."
https://picasaweb.google.com/114397753400901688127/FirstDay?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Maybe that one?
So maybe a leak somewhere. The computer won't know about that. No
sensors.
I'd agree with a leak that's the problem 99% of the time, but I put more coolant in and it didn't get better, but apparetly it doesn't leak enough out to trip the switch to disble the compressor.
I'm giving up and bringing it to somebody who has a degreee in compressed gasses.
That car should have rusted through decades ago unless it was born and raised in california.
Those pictures brough back some fond memories. Cars so simple you could actually see how they worked.
LOOK DADDY! A distributer cap.
I was just marvelling the other day, I saw an ad for a timing light. when was the last time you had a car that you could adjust the timing with a timing light?
Well for you, today obviously, but I mean wasn't it 1996 or so that everything was electronic ignition and fuel injectors?
Another thought I just had would be to check the belt to the
compressor.
all your points are reasonable, but I agree, it would be gradual, not an all or nothing.
I have one serpentine belt, so if it wasn't grabbing the compressor, nothing else would be working either. Belt probably needs to be replaced, but last time I looked at it, it was taught.
The control system is called a climatronic. It was vw's first foray into broken-by-design.
But I can tell it's working because it has a special setting for "low" which forces the ac on at it's lowest possible temperature. And it acts differently when in that mode and it's showing all the signs of being in that mode.
And I feel the humidity too, it's not just the temperature.
Bingo. I reordered the photos and added a quick history on the main page, but basically it was purchased and driven (lightly) in CA for a few decades, and then boxed up and stored from 1995 to 2004. The guy's nephew trailered it up in 2004, replaced all of the stuff that was dead, and put another 7k miles on it between then and now. His kids drove it some, but it was still garage-stored until pretty recently. They don't have a garage slot for it any longer, and decided it was too nice to leave parked under a cover on the side of the street, so they put an ad on Craigslist.
I think they could have gotten more than $3500 if they'd marketed it a bit better in the ad and been willing to wait, but I'm surely not complaining.
The guy at the body shop who is finishing up Mom's Capri is going to take a look at the pictures I posted and give me a recommendation for triage on the body. I was upfront about not being able to afford much until next year at the earliest, and that I want to stop the corrosion and make it driveable until such time as I can do it right.
Also registered on the long-running Capri mailing lists and forum so I can tap into the collective experience.
Insurance was annoying. I had to call and talk to someone (rather than doing it online) because their computers did not recognize the existence of a Ford or Mercury Capri in 1973. She had to override the system and manually add it, which makes me wonder how they could possibly determine how much to charge me...
Now I need to get it to the local shop to have them give it a good once over and change the oil (only 1k miles, but over a year old), and then new mufflers.
This probably won't be done before drill weekend, alas...
Actually, I thought all Christians looked more like Dana Carvey in
drag. (Did you notice "in a hot rod" was a link?)
My mistake, you are correct --- The Church Lady was Dana Carvey, not Mike Myers.
Well isn't that special.
someone offered to buy it from me in the parking lot.
I brought it now and now months ago when the inspection expired because I didn't think it would pass.
And the reason it wouldn't pass is because the rear brake light doesn't go on.
As I never use the rear brake, I could care less, but it's required for inspection. So I did without.
A few weeks ago I thought to look in my handy dandy motorcycle repair book and it said "try spraying some wd40 on it"
It being the switch. So I did. At that time I also noticed that my front brake light switch was sticking on.
So I just went crazy with the wd40 and after 10 minutes or so, both brake lights were working swimmingly.
So I went soon after to get in inspected before the magic wore off.
When The guy was doing the inspection, the front brake light didn't go off, and the rear didn't go on.
So I played with it alittle while he was standing there. At one point I got the front switch to go off, and then I got the back to flicker on.
"Good!" he says "it passes."
I like shops like that. :-)
I drove it once to work last week to get an oil change/look-see on the way home; someone offered to buy it from me in the parking lot.
I really wanted somebody a little more knowledgeable looking at it before I drove it much. The guys who did the oil change and checked the fluids didn't note anything in particular (aside from "it leaks"). I then realized I wanted somebody a LOT more knowledgeable looking at it before I drove it much, so I took it to a local chain shop with a good reputation. It's a good sign when the techs are arguing over who gets to look at your car, isn't it?
The verdict: "Yup, it leaks. Drive, but check fluids." It was quite a bit more detailed than that, but that was the summary. They recommended services to fix the leaks (valve covers, rear differential, and ?), but didn't seem to think it was particularly urgent. Even the obnoxiously loud (to me) exhaust was "fine, looks pretty new," so I guess it's supposed to be like that.
It's running a little rich (and they recommended a place for a carb rebuild down the line), and the temperature gauge is merely decorative, but they didn't see any reason not to drive it.
I bought the first upgrade: a very retro-looking beaded seat cover and equally retro leathery steering wheel wrap. The latter because the wheel feels way too skinny to me, and the former because one of the UNpleasant Capri memories from my childhood was the vinyl seats in August.
I'm kinda proud of myself. I was searching around for a cheap truck that I can fix up and use as a daily driver because my old car is dying. I need a truck because I plan to move soon and pulling trailers is easier in a truck than a car.
Anyways.
I was searching around for a few days, and I ran across an advertisement on craigslist for a 1996 dodge ram 1500 2wd ext cab for $1000. I called the guy to get the story and unfortunatly this truck needs a lot of work. After a few conversations and some careful looking around at it, i found that the repairs would be, at most, another $1000. I figured it would be worth the investment. For the many things wrong with it, he knocked another $100 off of the price. So I got a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 for $900 flat-out, no trade, no gimmicks, just cash and sign. After all of the repairs, I will have spent a grand total of $1900 on a truck that is now worth $5000, or more, on the open market.
Here are the specs:
1996
Dodge
Ram 1500
V8 5.9L Lariat Magnum
Ext Cab - Full bench rear seat.
Regular box
Box Rails
"rag" box cover
"Hopper" bars on side of cab (for climbing into box from side)
25,000mi old WildTrak tires
Magnum straight-pipe exhaust
Blue/Black two-tone
Minimal body damage/rust/paint issues
What I've bought for it so far:
(1) used CD/AM/FM Deck
(2) new 6"X9" 4ohm door speakers
(2) new 5.25" 4ohm back panel speakers
(2) new WildTrak all-terrain tires on rear
(1) new front u-joint
(2) new bucket-style racing inspired seat covers
(1) new steering-wheel cover
(1) new 10CD sleeve (visor style)
Maint:
Sparks checked
Oil changed
Trans checked
radiator flushed
ToDo: ($600 max)
New thermostat for radiator system
Re-seal transmission (it leaks right now.. just a torn seal)
replace steering column
re-wire speaker system
fix headlight wiring and switch
so, what do you guys think? good deal?
--
Stephen D King
skpacman8629@gmail.com
My brother finally drove my car; since I'm in MD for the week, I swapped vehicles with him so he could get a first-person perspective on it. His verdict: I got really lucky with this one. He also suggested a possible course of action for the roof, from which the original vinyl cover is 90% missing (resulting in icky adhesive, and the worst rust on the vehicle (but still on the surface only)). He suggested that I might consider rather than replacing it or removing it (and then having to refinish the roof, patch the mounting holes, etc), I could actually refinish it with spray in bedliner material. That sounds a little odd, but I could get the semi-gloss finish, it would seal up the roof nicely, and it would keep a pretty close approximation to the original look of the car. He has done it for his offroad vehicle in strategic places, and it actually looks pretty cool, and is very durable.
The fact that this would be signficantly cheaper is also a huge bonus. It's the difference between getting something done in the next few months or the next few years.
A few weeks ago I thought to look in my handy dandy motorcycle repair
book and it said "try spraying some wd40 on it"
That sounds suspiciously like "try spraying some Windex on it"
(Hey, who knows, maybe it works)
so, what do you guys think? good deal?
Did you buy the truck to drive it yourself or to flip it?
Whether it's a good deal depends on whether you have the expertise to fix it, and what your time is worth. Sounds like you're making it work, though.
It's worth checking out and at the very least making sure whoever put the trailer wiring harness in did so at an appropriate spot and not where it was merely convenient.
you've got.
Been real happy with both of them. Traded my 95 in with 199,997mi on
the clock for the '99 that now has 204k-ish on it. The 95 saw a fair
amount of oilfield miles, so it was definitely on its last legs. The
one I've got now was my commuter vehicle, so it was mostly in-town, the
past few years it's been my long-haul/mountain-driving/tow rig since I
have the bike.
Mileage isn't that great. Not a worry to me since I need the motor for
pulling, not fuel economy. Bike gets 70+.
Get yourself a programmer, or at minimum a code reader. Makes
diagnosing problems way easier.
Stay on top of the usual stuff; diff fluid, spark plugs/wires, oil
changes, trans service, etc.
Honestly don't know if I'd recommend it as a daily driver, with as much
as it sucks fuel... but as a tow/hauling vehicle, it's great.
I'm not terribly worried about fuel economy since I only travel about 2 miles to work and back each day. I'm more worried about getting through snow and hauling stuff. the daily driving equates to about 60 miles a week, if that. It's not any worse on fuel than my 1990 oldsmobile cutlass, which is what this truck is replacing. The way I see it, i'm upgrading to more room, more towing, and better grip in snow, for about the same gas milage and a little work on the vehicle.
--
Stephen D King
skpacman8629@gmail.com