civicvx1992

Hi guys, first post for me, today I picked up very clean and unmolested 1992 civic vx . It will be used to commute mostly on the freeway 60 miles a day. I live in cali so AC equipped vx was must for me. So my vx equipped with one, and previous owner said that it just needs a recharge, so i bought a can of freon and tried to refill it. As soon as I started the process ive heard major leak in the area of drier located on the left side, I inspected the area and it all the freon coming out from side bolt by the sight glass. I was wondering what is the purpose of that hole in the side bolt? Does it suppose to have some pressure valve to release extra pressure if ac system get overcharged?

civicvx1992

Oh and one more question, I couldnt find no ac info sticker under the hood, does 1992 model come with r12 system or 134? Tnx

heres the pic of the vx

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

Yikes.

You're doing it wrong.

I'm going to call you out on this because it needs saying: You are doing **** backwards if you're asking what refrigerant to use after first trying to recharge it. STOP NOW before you do real damage.

Next thing I'm going to say is that if there is no refrigerant, there is probably a leak. If there's a leak, do you think there's a vacuum? If there's no vacuum and the dryer is exposed to air, do you think it's going to function as a dryer anymore? If you don't know the answers to these questions and/or why they might be relevant then you need to STOP fixing what you *think* is the problem, and start troubleshooting what is *actually* the problem(s).

People will tell you any story to get you to buy their car from them, eg.: "It just needs a recharge of refrigerant." While this may be true, if you have not informed yourself of the correct process to put in refrigerant in and recharge properly, then you're not going to fix it.

At this point, I suspect you have two options, given the information (and lack thereof) that you have presented here: 1. Read and research the proper way to diagnose mobile A/C problems, purchase the necessary tools, then fix it yourself, or, 2. Take it to an A/C shop.

#1 might be cheapest, even after picking up all the required tools. Plus you learn about your car, and teach yourself new skills. Satisfying from a personal growth perspective. Success may not be something you can achieve quickly, however.

#2 is fast and gets the job done. Pricier, though.

civicvx1992

Yeah Ive made a mistake by assuming it runs o 134 since everythingi owned ran on 134, never came to mind that it might be r12 system, after reading some more i realized that its probably r12. But my question was : What is that bolt on the side of the sight glass on the dryer? The bolt has a hole and that is where freon leaking from. Tnx

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

There are two bolts on the dryer: one for an IN and one for an OUT hose. I can't picture anything else that you could be referring to. A picture might help.

civicvx1992

Ive made a trip to a junk yard to find the same line. Basically found 4 civics, some had just 2 bolts but 1 had the same set up as mine, had 3 bolts, 1 per each line and 1 extra bolt on the side of the bigger bracket with a sight glass, so the one I found on junk yard doesnt have a hole in it so I picked up whole line and installed it. I will vacuum the system before adding the freon.
And question: How do I know if I have a R134 or R12 system? Car is 1992 civic so now I know they came with R12 ac's, but I dont know if previous owner updated the ac.
Tnx

strategy400

It sounds like you have contaminated an R12 system with R134a.
You should buy new parts not junkyard.
You need to flush the system with solvent and start over.
A/C is very unforgiving. It has to be next to perfect for it to work.
You need to charge the system with the exact amoun/type of oil and exact amount/type of refrigerant.
Where in Cali?

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

The type of fittings should be the giveaway if it's had a R134a conversion. In theory, the R12 fitting should not have fit the R134a can if it was still R12. So, you might be OK. Otherwise, like the poster above said, you might be up **** creek without a means of propulsion. It's worth repeating that A/C is very unforgiving.

You should also be putting a new dryer into that system since it has been exposed for an unknown though likely lengthy amount of time. I suspect you're still woefully unprepared for this repair and have not done enough research.

civicvx1992

Im in san fernando valley.
It does look like ac components were replaced at some point, and freon can I got from the store has connector that fitted over the low pressure line fitting without problem. Ill take some pictures today and post here. I sprayed less than 5% of the freon into the system before I found the leak.
Also i inspected the drier inside with a light, it looks very clean with no corrosion on the inside or anything that looks out of the ordinary.

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

You need to read about dryers and why they need to be replaced. Do this **** right, or be prepared for disappointment.

Please post some pics when you get the chance!

civicvx1992

found new drier for 10 bux online so ill get one. Yeah Ill post some pictures today, have to store the vx at my parents house until i get brake and wheel locks, since they get stolen fast around here.

civicvx1992

here are the pictures of the ac system, can someone tell just by looking at them if its r12 or 134? tnx

strategy400

My understanding is pre 1994 were R12. If someone converted the car to R134a the question is did they do it right (hard question to answer). Screwing $5 R134a valves onto an R12 system doesn't make an R134a-ready system. At the minimum you have to (have to!) flush the sytem with solvent to get ALL traces of R12 oil/refrigerant out. I would also change the condenser and receiver/dryer as these don't flush well.
Best is to leave it R12 because all the people that hoarded R12 are realizing they want that old dusty case of R12 out of their garage now and you can find it on ebay.

civicvx1992

yeah ill do the flush, but my question is: Can it be identified just by looking at the pictures I provided if I have R12 or R134 system? tnx

strategy400

I'll go out on a limb and say you have R134a connectors. They may be adapters screwed on to the R12 fittings. The compressor looks very similar to my R134a compressor. But again pre-1994 cars were R12, so if someone converted the system it's all a question of did they do it right. I'd have to go out and look at a couple of cars in my driveway to give a better answer and its dark outside right now.

strategy400

Here is a slightly interesting post:
https://honda-tech.com/forums/showpo...8&postcount=72

civicvx1992

Perfect, thank you for the useful link.