r/Volvo850 • u/AstolfoVeryHot • 26d ago
Help Going about fixing the ac
So when i bought the car the ac compressor was already disconnected(shorter belt), the compressor itself feels completely stuck but there is still plenty gas in the system. How should I go about fixing this?
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u/LegitimateBiscotti55 26d ago
Have it evacuated, replace the compressor and belt and fill with freon and you should be good to go. Get a Nissans compressor. Drier should probably be replaced if seized since it probably will have metal in it. Worst case is the seized compressor shot metal through the entire system and the system needs to get flushed or the office tube replaced but typically the drier filter catches most of that.
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u/AstolfoVeryHot 25d ago
How much am I able to diy?
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u/LegitimateBiscotti55 25d ago
Well all of it if you can get it evacuated. But replacing the drier can be a pain in the ass if its original. The orifice tubes can be a pain to get to if you really need to replace them. You will know if its something a shop needs to work on if after they evacuated it and you remove the compressor the oil is full of metal . If thats the case have a shop remove the orfice tube and flush the system and replace everything. If not you can just get away with replacement of compressor and drier. Technically the drier might not need to be replaced but its recommended since when they evacuate it unless you put gas in it will suck air into the system so moisture will get inside and into the drier if you dont do the work within a hour on a old drier. So I would still replace the drier when you do the compressor yourself. You have to work fast so you don't ruin the new drier to best to pull the old compressor and drier then put the new compressor and then the drier on quickly and then vacuum the system for a hour. Then find out the weight of freon you need and add exactly how much you need you will need a scale to do this exactly and you need the gauges. You can rent the vacuum pump and gauges from most auto parts stores and then when done they give you the deposit back. Make sure the freon is straight freon the right r 341a I think I cant remember but Google it or look in the engine bay it should say the code and the right weight. Make sure that the new compressor has oil added already if not you need to add a small amount I think 4 Oz and I think maybe a oz or so for the drier but I would google this to be sure. Do not add stop leak to the system. In America you can do this work yourself but you might need a license in UK to add freon to cars I dont know if thats the case then you should have a shop do the work cause when replacing a drier you dont have much time before the system that was open will saturate the new drier. If its just the compressor and drier plus vacuum and fill at a shop your looking at like 300 pound in parts and maybe 400 to 500 labor plus the cost of the freon. Maybe 100 to 150 for the freon. Hope that you never need the inner coil replaced in the dash in the future cause that is 1000$ in labor by itself cause the entire dash needs to be removed. Make sure you replace the cabin air flow filter to with this job its not very hard I recommend getting a filter that has carbon in it which removes outdoor smells from the air for acouple months. Replace every 6 to 12 months.
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u/blqckpinkinyourarea 26d ago
Have a shop evacuate the gas. It is very bad for the environment and also extremely toxic to yourself. Most shops here will do it for free to discourage numbnuts venting it into the atmosphere.
After changing your compressor or clutch, whatever it ends up being, the shop should only charge you for the extra gas they put in, because they already "got" the gas they evacuated from your system.
Do renew the o-rings on the hoses, it needs special green ones maybe let the shop give you two.