In October 2019 we bought a 1989 Jaguar XJS Coupe Rouge edition on E-Bay from a dealership in Florida. She only had 53 K miles on her and had a single owner since new.
We switched on the AC for the first time the following summer and noticed it was not blowing cold air. Since then we have taken it to an AC repair shop recommended by our mechanic but he declined to tackle it. Next we found a repair shop specializing in European motors especially Jaguars, after checking the system he said the AC unit had never been converted and the conversion would be $2500.00 since he would have to remove manifold and other parts he could not guarantee the work. When asked why not just charge the system with R-12 he said it is not available though I see it can be bought on E-Bay. The car is otherwise in excellent condition and we would like to put it up for sale. What are our options?

 

Did he offer to top up your headlight fluid aswell?

Sounds like the guy doesnt wanna deal with it. You can literally go to walmart and but r12 substitute recharge kits. Though my system leaked I found their dinky little cans to be sufficient in bringing the system back and fairly cold

 

This is his way of saying "I don't want to work on the car".

You may have to shop around a bit to find a shop willing to take on a Jaguar...and who knows what to look for.

The refrigeration portion of your A/C is very ordinary and simple. The control portion, however, is a different matter. It's quite possible to have everything on the refrigeration side functional and still have no cold air to the cabin due to a control problem....which is probably why the shops you've visited don't want to get involved.

Cheers
DD

 

I took my xk8 to the local Firestone to have the freon flushed and refilled because I thought, why not. When they said it was done, the guy told me to bring it back in a week or so to check for leaks, then the other "more senior" tech said "YEAH BUT ITS A JAGUAR SO YOUD BE BETTER OFF TAKING TO THE DEALERSHIP! THOSE THINGS ARE SOOOO COMPLICATED!!!" Smh! I was SOOOO tempted to point out the fact that most ac systems are composed of the same basic parts and that if they were incompetent enough to not know how to work on it I'd much rather take it somewhere else or do it myself! Oh and the other guy also added "We'll never be able to get ac parts for that!" To which I replied " We'll I can so there ya go." Lol! I had planned on taking my xjs in to have the ac looked over, but I don't think so now. Smh

 

I agree with the sentiment that you got a "Go Away" price. They don't want to work on it and that's how they're being nice about it.

It's still legal to buy and sell R-12, I believe it's illegal to manufacture it. At current prices R-12 is only slightly more expensive than R-134a. But if your system needs work, it makes sense to replace everything and be done.

 

I get it. You wanna sell this car, so a conversion indeed makes no sense.

What you wanna do first is find the leak. Add some dye into the system and pressurize it. You’ll need some of the r12 substitute for this. You want something that will satisfy the pressure switch and get the compressor going.

Once you find the source(s) of the leak, you can decide the best course of action. I had a 96 I bought and found a leak in the condenser and one of the schrader valves. All easy enough to source, and replace. If it’s more complicated, or expensive than that….well then, at least you know your options.

Im rather shocked that no private run shop would do this for you. It’s very straightforward, and really is no different than most any other car.

 

The most common source of leaks on the older cars with the GM A6 compressor is the plate that clamps the hoses to the back of the compressor. There is a single bolt through the middle and it's often overtightened and it bends. Then it doesn't hold the hoses flush to the compressor body and it leaks. The plates GM used on their cars with that compressor ( roughly to about 1980) were twice as thick as the Jaguar ones. I replace the Jaguar plate with a GM plate and it holds the hoses better. Other common leak points are the filler valves themselves. These are standard AC parts, every shop will have them.

The refrigeration side is no different than any older GM car or truck.

 

All you need to do is recover, old Freon if still in the system, Flush system, blow out with Nitrogen, replace oil, replace dryer, pull vacuum and charge. Or you can do what most people do and just drop change the fittings on the compressor, pull a vacuum and charge with 134A It will work for a few years however its not the right way to do it.

 

While I won't dispute that it the right way to do it, I replaced the condenser (as well as drier and expansion valve) on the Jag I own back in 2014, when I bought it without a working AC. Its been working ever since. I added a little oil, based on what the manual says to add for parts replacement (in this case just the condenser), but I'm on year 7 so far.

Along the way, one of the compression fittings on the rubber hoses went, but doing a flush, then using nitrogen would not have changed the timeline for that hose.

Investing in a vacuum pump has certainly paid for itself!

 

So to ask a question, I thought you had to drain the system to replace the dryer and valves? Is that not so?

 

Being in the car parts business for 30yrs, I can say without hesitation that any shop that wants more than $150 to service your A/C is telling you to "go away". The one caveat is old R12 systems have condensers built for R12, i.e. number and design of fins and tubes. Because no shop wants to evacuate an R12 system, R134 conversions became common in this century. The R134 is great in a R134 system, less so in a converted R12 system (about 10 degrees higher at the vents). In most states it is illegal to sell R12, even if you find it. I converted mine 15yrs ago, biting the "conversion bullet".
Last comment is a warning to us all. R134 is being phased out, relegated to the R12 universe. There are hundred of millions of cars on the road using R134, but the industry changed to another formula 5 years ago, European makes first. Like leaded gas, A/C gas will become an issue to those of us owning, driving and loving "old iron".

 

Just put it up for sale as is.... Tell the folks about the AC or,,,

The mechanic prolly looked at you (Doc) and saw dollar signs, lol... So, he spontaneously and reflexively BLURTED out 2500.00$$$$

This doesn't have to be painful if ya got the funds.

As I understand the old (if they are the original) AC hoses (just the rubber parts),,, they aren't suited for 134a. Smaller molecules, the 134a will slooooowly leak out of the rubber sections - right thru it. No big deal. There are only 3 rubber sections. Take the car to a hydrolic hose or an HVAC guy. For $100 bucks they will make up replacment the rubber hoses good for 134a. Then, have (pay) someone to put in a new condenser (put it in yourself?) BUT bring them a part that YOU buy. If you have the old A6 GM compressor, it's time for an upgrade anyways, spend the $180 on a sanden unit (maybe) or just try the old one. Up to you.

To test and see if the dial on the dash is sending a signal to engage the clutch on the compressor is a little tricky with the system decompressed. Turn on the AC at the dial in the car and see if you are getting 12 volts at the compressor. Also, see of the heater valve (at the back of the engine bay near the fire wall) goes to closed.

Anyways, it's doable. In order to not just get RIPPED there are going to be something's YOU have to do before just handing it off to a shop. Maybe $450 bucks worth of things.

 

You can still find r22. Check Craigslist for a refrigeration tech that would be willing to refill the car. Maybe he'll help you find and fix the leak too! Of course thats the easy part. You shouldn't have any issue finding someone to help you find the leak. Add some dye, pressurize with nitrogen and see where it comes out! Fix that, then find someone who can sell you some r22.

 

The mix I have used for the last 20 years or so is a mix of 22% iso-butane (R600) and 78% propane (R290). It's sold commercially under brands such as Duracool, and Red Tek.

I much prefer the hydrocarbon blends (HC's)mainly because you only use about 1/3 of the freon amount, so a system that takes 3lbs of R12 takes 1 lb of HC. The other advantages are that the thermodynamic performance is slightly better than R12, plus the system pressures are much lower. Where a R134 system might have 250 psi on the high side a HC system will have 150 psi. That's less strain on the hoses, and takes less power to drive the compressor. The other great advantage is that it's cheap and I can do it myself. I can fully charge a system for around $5.

Of course the system needs to be leak free, but it should be leak free anyway. I did one of my cars 15 years ago and it's still just as cold now as it was then. My usual aim point is vent temperatures around 3-5⁰C (37-40F) and I can almost always achieve that.