When i turn my AC on its not cold or cool but colder than the air outside. Im assuming its the orginal system not upgraded at all or replaced. Is it possible it just needs a recharge or am i SOL as far as getting some cold Air into the cabin. Also what would be the signs of it not being able to recharge at all and its just gone?

 

Try looking at the compressor in the engine bay when the engine is running and the AC is switched on. Look at the front of the compressor pulley and see if it is turning. Not just the pulley but the front of the pulley. If it is not turning then you are low on freon. The only way to find out what is wrong is to put a set of AC gages on the system and see what you have. If you have lost your freon then you'll need to find the leak first before you recharge the system. If you are not a DIY type and the system is empty you're looking at between $300-$1000 to fix it. It depends on what is bad.

 

Hoping I don't hijack this thread schwalbe, maybe what I have to say/ask will be of some importance to you as well.

Last summer I found out that my 88 245 had been converted to r134a. The previous owner told me that the AC hadn't worked for some time and I got a kit for refilling the r134a through the low port. The kit also came with a gauge. I filled up the car and the AC was working pretty well the rest of that summer.

Today, I was having the same issues as you. The AC is cool, but not much colder than the air outside. So I thought I would just refill the system again since it lasted a few months last year. I hooked up the gauge and indeed the low port reading was low. So I proceeded to add r134a. But after adding a few ounces (not much though), the reading on the gauge was suddenly reading about 100??? I'm wondering if the clutch wasn't engaging for some reason, but I had the AC on max cooling and the fan on 4. Any ideas?

 

I don't recall how the older 240 system is designed but I believe it has a receiver/dryer and an expansion valve compared to the 740 accumulator and orifice valve arrangement. If so the expansion valve could be the problem with not opening causing the pressure to rise. The low side pressure with the engine running and the compressor on should be around 35psi and no more the 45psi. Also the compressor has a delay on start so it does not come on when you turn on the AC switch. Throw a set of AC gages on the system and go through the diagnosis to see what the problem is.