need AC info from FSM

I misplaced my 1998 FSM during my last move I need to top off the A/C refrigerant with R134A. Can someone post the procedure and specs (fill capacity or pressure) from the FSM (probably 97-99)? You can scan it or take a picture of it and either post it here or email me at jas_lachapelle at hotmail dot com
thanks in advance

Total refrigerant capacity is 2.00lbs (.9kg)

System oil capacity is 7.5ozs. (PAG oil)

System Operating Pressures
High Side 140-205psi (9.8-14.5 kg/cm)
Low Side 25-36psi (1.8-2.5 kg/cm)
......pressures are approximate at 70*F at idle.

not sure what procedure your asking for?

Abaddon is correct. Unlike the good ol' days, there is no procedure in the manual for "topping up"...

I see. Thanks guys. The good old days aren't that far back. My 94 and 95 B-body FSMs have the top up procedure in there.

Well, with a good A/C machine that has both gauges on it, you can "top it off" while monitoring the pressures. Careful not to overfill though, you'll smoke the compressor.

I added a bit of refrigerant, but I don't think it's the main issue. I think I'm having an actuator door problem unfortunate since the car only has 34k km (21250 mi)

driver's side is getting vent temp air and A/C is blowing cold on pax side. I'll use this thread to diagnose. The grey plastic vents in the centre console are the same temp as the left side black circular ones no matter the temp setting.


I followed the flow chart:
29C (85F) with pax zone "neutral": both hot
29C with pax zone max cold: pax black circular vents cooler

15C with pax zone neutral: driver's side vent air, pax black circular vents very cold
15C with pax zone full hot: driver's side vent, pax still cold

24C is where it seems to start to work "normally". Driver and pax are stabilized and the pax control works as designed. Between 15 and 25, driver's side is always warmer than the passenger side with the pax zone set at neutral.

Have you done a scan to see if any HVAC codes are present? (340, 341, 349, 350, or 351?) These are "Feedback Out Of Range" codes that can set when an actuator is being stupid.....

Jason, since we know that the driver's blend-air door is moving, my vote is for a mechanical problem when it reaches the halfway point... and it's times like this when I think a bench seat would be preferable.
The book says to take the dash panel off, but I don't remember there being much access from that direction either.
(Of course, I was concentrating on the tilt-wheel pins at the time...)

Scott, if it was a feedback problem, and it set a code, wouldn't his ECC display flash for 100 seconds every time he started the car?

Eldo wrote:

Scott, if it was a feedback problem, and it set a code, wouldn't his ECC display flash for 100 seconds every time he started the car?

You bastage ......the system should flash VF (Vacuum Fluorescent) once per second for 100 seconds if the system detects a circuit and/or component malfunction. Why can't they just make them say "Fix Me", or "I'm Broke"?

If a door is sticking or binding though, you'd think that it would send "feedback" and set a code, and flash VF....but who knows, it could be like the CKP lol

Abaddon wrote:

....but who knows, it could be like the CKP lol

Those fargin' iceholes!

(From Elvis, to Trading Places, to Johnny Dangerously... )

getting back to the actuator problem, no there are no codes. I'm hoping it's NOT a physical binding in the actuator door as getting to that door looks like a PIA. I took apart the actuator, cleaned it and lubed it with lithium grease. I can confirm that it is rotating through what seems like a "normal" range. I can see the actuator rotates with temp changes between 15C and 23C but here is no noticeable change in the vent air temp.

I'm hoping the actuator's motor and location sensor are just out of phase. There are NO stripped gear teeth, but maybe at some point it slipped a tooth or two resulting in the door not physically being where the computer thinks it is. However, I don't really now how to address this issue. p 1-160 of the 98 FSM states

98 FSM wrote:

Important: After replacing the programmer, recalibrate the actuators for proper travel. Cycle the ignition ON for 3 minutes in order to allow the programmer and the actuator to recalibrate for proper travel.

Are the actuators really supposed to calibrate themselves if the doors and computer are out of phase? Is it just a question of unplugging the bat for 10 minutes and then leaving the key in the on position for 3 minutes or is it necessary to remove the actuator and manually change the position to have it correspond to the computer's setting ?

thanks

I tried adjusting the blue gear, but no joy. Full hot is spot on, and the actuator rotates the shaft to the correct location for full cold. However, the driver's side still isn't blowing cold. Unless the pax side air mix actuator has an effect on the driver's side, I suspect Eldo is correct in assessing that the air mix door is physically binding or broken. Seeing as how the pax side cools the car sufficiently, I don't think I'll be attempting the fix.