AC troubleshooting/questions

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Its hot in Florida and my ac doesn't work that well so I have decided to fix it. When I bought the car I knew there was a leak. The PO believes its from the evporater. On top of that the compressor whines like a supercharger. If you were in my position what would you do (assuming you have a decent knowledge of AC in Miatas.) would you replace the old stuff or get newer AC from a later model Miata? Thanks folks!

[LOL]

Pull a vacuum on the system, if it doesn't hold you've got a leak somewhere. The next step would be to purchase a dye kit and run it through your system. But I see you have a '90, I would suggest buying retrofitted fittings for R134 because you will have a hell of a time looking for a plug and play r12 kit.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

I wish I knew what you were talking about. And I know it has a leak for sure. When I bought the car, it blew cold. Now its barely noticeable. I was thinking of converting the whole thing, but would that be plausible? Or should I just buy a whole AC system that was known to work?

[LOL]

Do some reading on converting R12 systems to modern R134. That's your best bet and will be easier and cheaper in the long run.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Thanks for the heads up!

[kung fu jesus]

Throwing parts at any system on a car is a waste of time and money.

Take it to a pro, have them diagnose the leak and get and estimate.

The whine could be the compressor running dry. It it rattles, it is most likely the pulley/bearing assembly. That can be replaced without opening the system.

If it is the condensor, and you are converting over to r134a, you will want to replace the drier.

Either way, you need to pull a vacuum on the system, add dye, and find the leak. That requires specialized tools and equipment to do it correctly. Simply refilling it is a waste of money and can cause more damage.

[kung fu jesus]

There is also a thread about retrofitting a complete r134a system into an early NA here:

http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread.php?2704-AC-retrofit-NA8-system-in-an-NA6&highlight=drier

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Off to the AC pros I go! I was also hoping you would link your thread KFJ. I remember a while back you asked about putting the r134a into your early NA. That should help out considerably.