92bluesc4

I am just wondering if anyone can enlighten me on air conditioning service. I have a 92 SC400 with 146,000 miles (which still runs beautifully I must add ) , however the air conditioning is not working. It worked just 2 year ago, however last year it was not so cold.

Does anyone know how much Lexus would charge to recharge it and check it out? I don't believe the compressor is bad.

Has anyone taken their car to a third party to get the air serviced?

Does anyone know if a '92 has R12, and if so, can it be converted to the new coolant?

I believe I have a Slow leak, so recharging it with expensive R12 every year would be pretty painful.:eek:

Thanks for any feedback!!

1stLexus

Well to see what refrigerant it uses, just open the hood, and they should be a lable on the front edge of the hood with the a/c stats on it. i.e. r-12 or r-134a, and quantity.

If you are sure the compressor is still good, and it uses r-134a, just go to a parts store and get the 134a recharge kit. Should come with freon, oil, and hoses. Just recharge it yourself, its easy just follow directions. If you think it has a leak, someplaces will put leak detector in with the 134a, so look for a can that includes leak detector. Kill two birds with one stone then.
If its R-12 you can convert it to 134, but the 134 does not cool as well as 12. I personally would find a shop that does alot of a/c work, they will usually buy 12 in bulk cylinders, and its cheaper on them, so hopefully they will pass the savings onto you. So have them check for leaks, fix any, and recharge back with 12. It should be cheaper to just recharge with 12, then to convert. Though most will push you to convert to 134 because its $$ for them.

A/C work is easier than most people think, there is only one moving part in the system (comressor), a couple of lines, filter/drier, expansion valve, and condensor. If you have a leak it will usually be around the lines, or condensor. Both easy to replace, though the condensor is $$

hope this helps some,