a/c doesn't blow enough air...

[Roadster90]

I am sorry but I tried the search function with a dozen + variations of low a/c air volumn etc and was unsuccessful.

Several months back there was a discussion on smelly and low air volumn a/c. Discussed was instructions on cleaning the evaporator and the materials (soaps) used. I went to ackits.com and they want 40.00 + shipping for a cleaner. I basically have cool air, but not enough volumn or force to get the cold air into the cockpit as well as it should.....Can we revisit this topic please????

Thanks,

Nic

[Mr Mott]

Check inlet air supply area by wiper motor area. Does the air volume increase when the heater is engaged? If so, the problem would not be outside air supply but maybe a buildup in the air conditoning box on the firewall. Dave

[Guest imported_daddy3jr8]

Nic, Remove the AC module on top of AC box on firewall ( rectangular and 3 screws). Have some good degreaser - good smelling- and hot water. Have front of car slopped downhill. Soak condenser with degreaser and let sit, then rinse with hot water. Make sure the drain hole below the condenser is not clogged. Mine was so bad I had to remove blower motor and use toothbrush with long handle attached to remove gunk. Before it wouldn't keep us cool at 85*, now it will run you out at 95* + It looked like ther might have been thin foam cover on condenser and is a little noisier on high now. It sure is worth the work-about 2 hrs. Hope it works for you!

[harry yarnell]

Just to nit-pick; it's the evaporator in the dash unit that gets clogged with lint; the condenser is in front of the radiator.

[Roadster90]

Thanks daddy....this is somewhat more in line as to what I was looking for (I just can't get anything out of the search function...have even tried quotes""). Someone had a cleaner that was absolutely perfect for this and I wish that I had written it down. I do have some "purple power" industrial cleaner that I can use that should do the job. Also would have never thought of parking on a slope either >>>> Thanks.....

Nic

[Roadster90]

Daddy,

Just went out and did a look see. I found what I this is the module...about 4 1/2" x 2 " plate with a red and purple wire going to a switch of some sort mounted in it. Does have 3 screws...Kind of a small hole to soak the condensor with....do I just pour degreaser/industrial soap down that hole or spray it in or ?????

let it sit how long...5 minutes would suffice???

thanks,

Nic

[Rawja]

I did mine last weekend.

My driveway is fairly steep, and I parked her nose down. Removed the module and the blower motor. Module hole is ok for spray access and viewing what you're doing, but I found that sticking my arm in through the blower hole with a brush and later a garden hose did the trick. I also got my shop vac hose in through the blower hole to suck up debris that weren't readily draining out.

I would clean it multiple times as I would think all was clear, and for the heck of it I would force spray through the evaporator and flood the box. Once drained there would be more debris, which I vacuumed. I ended up repeating this four or five times 'till there didn't seem to be much left to remove after flooding.

I placed a large towel on the floor of the passenger seat side, but no water infiltrated the passenger compartment, though I'm pretty sure that that is an inherant risk of this proceedure.

Good Luck (especially re-installing the lower blower motor screws).

[Roadster90]

Thanks for the reply Roger....question, how big is your shop vac hose (is it like a 16 gallon Sears Shop Vac with a 2-3" hose?)? I am not sure I look forward to the lower fan motor screws from your comment .

Thanks,

Nic

[Guest EDBS0]

this is what you are cleaning

[Rawja]

Nah, used a mini hose, plus I pulled the end off. You'll have a decent amount of room in there, just a little awkward to get to.

[jonlabree]

Gentlemen: what year are we talking about, Re: cleaning the evaporator.

And is there a difference between years?

In the middle of the firewall on my 90, I have a blower motor. Above it is the relay holder w/ two relays. But I can find no "module" as you speak of in the posts.

Could someone help out a blind old man and try to explain this to me in a very simple way?

JON...

[Rawja]

The "module" is loacted on the passenger side of the engine compartment firewall.

You'll want to remove the plastic cowling above the strut brace, which is held on by two plastic wingnut thingies for access and easier viewing of what you're doing through the module hole.

Here:

At the module, you'll want to remove the 2 electrical connectors on top by pulling out the whitish/beige locking tabs, then disconnecting the connectors from the module, then remove the screws. I also disengaged the three firewall relays from their brackets without disconnecting them to give me room to work and to create slack on the harnesses to get all the wiring out of the way. The blower is held in by hex head screws, and has a small rubber "elbow" hose that connects the motor casing to the plenum comes out easily enough, but I did have difficulty re-installing the bottom two screws, but eventually got it in (lost three *&%*&%* screws in the process, but had spares).

By the time I was done, I had gotten the electrical connectors wet, so I vacuumed them and gave them a shot of WD-40 to remove any moisture before re-connecting.

I didn't have a air volume problem, and my evaporator was not terribly dirty, but volume nonetheless did improve, and as a huge bonus, I lost the musty smell when initially turning on the AC.

I used a heavy-duty degreaser called "Greased Lightning" It worked pretty well, but caused me to have the damned song Greased Lightning running in a continous loop in my head for the entire job. Otherwise its a great product.

Good Luck!

[BP]

Thanks for all the information! I have been dragging my feet performing this maintenance. My Air Flow seems too low too. But I'm curious, how much improvement in flow did you gain? 2X, 3X ??? any idea?? - thanks

[jonlabree]

One more question before I attempt this procedure. After removing the evaporator

can it be seen so as to determine if it needs to be cleaned?

[jonlabree]

One more question before I attempt this procedure. After removing the evaporator

can it be seen well enough so as to determine if it needs to be cleaned?

[Guest EDBS0]

Thing # 1 You can barely see it through the AC module on top of AC box on firewall.

Thing # 2 By removing the electric blower motor you can reach in with your hand and pull large pieces of rotting smelly <span style="font-style: italic">gunk</span> (technical term).

Thing # 3 Flush with lots of water and cleaner. I like Simple Green (nice stink to it)

Thing #4 There are evil mouldy stinky things growing in there! I like to use a garden sprayer with a weak solution of bleach to kill all of the evil smellies. You can switch between bleach and Simple Green.

( speaking of green see joke at end of post. )

Thing 5 Flush with too much water and you will flood the carpet on the passenger's side.

Think #6 A tip from Barney. He made an adaptor from 1/2" copper plumbing stuff to thread onto a hose then there is 8 or 10" of pipe followed by 1 90 degree turn that has been flattened to create a spray. I think Barned also put a bulb on some wires and put it down the hole to provide light.

Thing #7 stop and let the water drain out occasionally and have a beer.

<span style="font-style: italic"> Joke A new immigrant from India presents himself to the Verizon help desk offices for the position of "Telephone Customer Service" They are concerned about his language abilities so they test him by asking him to make a sentence using the words green, pink and yellow.

After a short pause where he composes himself he announces that he is ready. The following is his sentence.

"The telephone goes green, green, green and I pink it up and say yellow Mujibar here.

Mujibar is now working on the Verizon help desk, call him anytime.

</span>

[Rawja]

You won't be removing the evaporator, you'll be able to see it through the module hole with a flashlight.

I think a lot of the crap will be on the side you cant see as there wasn't much visible on mine when I started, yet a fair amont of junk was dislodged.

I used a garden hose running about half-pressure and my thumb over the end to create pressure with less volume, and let it drain when the water level was I dunno, an inch or two?

After the water would drain I Vacuumed debris and repeated 'till no more debris remaied after flushing.

Took me about an hour and a half start to finish.

[jonlabree]

Would a low pressure washer(less than 1000lbs) be advisable to use or do you think it might damage the evaporator?

[Guest EDBS0]

Well "Tim the Tool Man" I would be concerned that you would bend the fins closed.

[jonlabree]

Are they that fragile?

[jonlabree]

Well, Mr "Al Borland" The pressure washer works so well that I only took me

45 minutes to clean my Evaporator. And guess what? NO DAMAGED FINS.

[Roadster90]

rOBERT,,,

continuance please on # 6 >>>>>>> is a diagram of the high pressure copper tube pipe available please????

[Guest EDBS0]

Mujibar would just bend a piece of pipe and hammer the end mostly closed. Barney told me about it in Syracuse. perhaps he can provide details.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well... And guess what? NO DAMAGED FINS. </div></div> R U certain?

I won't even think of doing it.

[jonlabree]

Yes, AL I certain...

I only used 50lbs of pressue. A garden hose is almost that strong.

I also used a wet n dry shop vac to suck it dry.

[jonlabree]

No guts, No glory.

[Guest EDBS0]

R U saying Al is Fat?

Nope not me I wouldn't think of it either. firehose is more my style you really want some power.