Hi Rob,
thanks 4 the quick reply; is your ability to get HEAT and DEFROST tied at
all to the 'new A/C compressor and a fresh charge of R12'? That's my
current top priority.
Can you turn on your fan withOUT the engine running; if so how? (I just
want to test the fan itself)
Without special equipment, can I myself test whether/not i need a new
compressor or R12 charge? (or do you think my symptoms have already
confirmed the need for one or both?)
thanks PS: my vehicle is NOT a turbo...
John Gibb
jgibb1@earthlink.net
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
John,
The A/C compressor clutch failed a few days before I bought my 88 505S Turbo
from list member Martin Karo. He supplied a new compressor and discounted
his price enough to cover installation and a fresh R12 charge. I drove the
car 1,000 miles back from Philly to Louisiana without the compressor. Heat
and defrost worked fine. Flow through vents and vent fan worked fine.
In the 86-&-later 505 the A/C compressor is ALWAYS engaged, I think. I'm not
sure I understand the function of the "ECO" button... this is supposed to
disengage the compressor but, for some unknown reason, the mechanic who
installed my compressor told me NEVER to engage the "ECO" button as it would
cause the car to overheat... this is all a mystery to me, but I doubt I will
want to disengage the A/C during a Louisiana summer! My 86 Porshe 928 --
lots of windows and black leather interior! -- had a stuck-open heater valve
buried deeply & expensively in the dash, which made for a lot of sweaty
driving despite TWO air conditioners operating full noise.
If you are getting very little flow from your vents I would check what is
causing that before assuming that the A/C or blower are not working properly
or that you need a refrigerant recharge. The fan should funtion with the
ignition key in the "accessory" position without the engine (& A/C
compressor) turned on. Basic check: The vertical thumbwheels beside each
dash vent are in the open (up) position? Basic check: The air-distribution
button for the dash vents is engaged? (There should be a quiet motor flap
hissing noise when you push the various air-distribution buttons.)
I don't believe there is a difference in the blower unit between Turbo and
non-Turbo 505s, but the heat shielding between the rear of the turbo and
front of the blower unit makes accessing the blower unit more difficult on
the turbos. The PCNA archives indicates that some Turbo owners have either
pulled back or cut this shielding to allow easier access to the blower unit.
Rob Gold
P.S.
My 88 505S Turbo (79k miles) shows zero signs of overheating, running just
above the lower mark for most driving and barely at the upper mark during
high-speed or heavy traffic driving in hot weather. The radiator fan is
pretty quiet but appears fairly active, switching itself on and off
frequently.