A/C Dying
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Joined: Aug 2007
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A/C Dying
I posted this in General Discussion first, but moved it here.
I bought a 1998 V70 wagon earlier this year. The only major problem has been the A/C. I took it to a local mechanic who added a little refridgerant and dye to check for leaks. It worked after that but just barely. About a week later it started working fine and continued to for about a month. It then started taking longer and longer to cool down until now when the air coming out of the vents is barely cool. The clutch for the compressor kicks in for a second or so, then shuts back off for a few seconds. It does this continuously. One of the lines into the passenger compartment gets cold. I have stopped using it until I can figure out what is going on. Any suggestions?!
I bought a 1998 V70 wagon earlier this year. The only major problem has been the A/C. I took it to a local mechanic who added a little refridgerant and dye to check for leaks. It worked after that but just barely. About a week later it started working fine and continued to for about a month. It then started taking longer and longer to cool down until now when the air coming out of the vents is barely cool. The clutch for the compressor kicks in for a second or so, then shuts back off for a few seconds. It does this continuously. One of the lines into the passenger compartment gets cold. I have stopped using it until I can figure out what is going on. Any suggestions?!
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 684
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From: Columbus, OH
RE: A/C Dying
You have a leak somewhere, and it's likely the evaporator. have the mechanic actually check for leaks, by using his UV light. If he doesn't see anything under the hood, then it's probably the evaporator, which is a common problem on the 98-00 70 series.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 16
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RE: A/C Dying
Right you are! I added a can of R134 and I once again had cold air. I have read every post for the 850s and V70s for A/C. I may buy the tools and attempt repairs myself. Are the aftermarket evaporators any better than the originals (assuming that is the problem)?
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Joined: Aug 2007
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RE: A/C Dying
Thanks to all who responded! I wanted to wrap up this thread with two points:
First, the symptom that I assumed held the key was that the clutch for the A/C was constantly cycling on and off. I did not find any entries in the forum which directly associated this with low refridgerant. I assumed I had enough because the gauge on the re-charge can showed 25lbs as being OK. Seeing an entry saying that normal for my car was closer to 40 is what made me decide to try adding some.
Second, I assumed based on my inexperience and lack of direct info, that I was looking for a complex problem. What I had was a simple leak, which looking back, caused everything else (and a few mistakes I'm too embarrased to share). It has been said in industrial maintenance circles that 95% of problems in high tech systems are caused by low tech failures. This is likely equally true with Volvos.
First, the symptom that I assumed held the key was that the clutch for the A/C was constantly cycling on and off. I did not find any entries in the forum which directly associated this with low refridgerant. I assumed I had enough because the gauge on the re-charge can showed 25lbs as being OK. Seeing an entry saying that normal for my car was closer to 40 is what made me decide to try adding some.
Second, I assumed based on my inexperience and lack of direct info, that I was looking for a complex problem. What I had was a simple leak, which looking back, caused everything else (and a few mistakes I'm too embarrased to share). It has been said in industrial maintenance circles that 95% of problems in high tech systems are caused by low tech failures. This is likely equally true with Volvos.
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