trying to retrofit A/C to R-134a

ok so my buddies 92 XJ is still the old R-12 and right now his A/C is not cold at all and when sittin in traffic in the hot Georgia sun this has become a big problem. so we went to the local Autozone and bought the retofit kit and screwed the little attachment onto the lower line comin off the compressor and then hooked the bottle up to it. when we hooked the bottle up nothin happened the little gauge read like the system was full and we know the compressor works cuz we can hear it kick on when we turn the A/C control on. so any ideas on whats goin on or what the problem might be? i feel bad for him cuz he is a big ol boy so he just sweats like crazy when he sits in traffic while im sittin there in my 97 XJ with the windows up and the A/C cranked up and i want to help imm fix his problem. thanks in advance for yall's help

read my post in this same section under "HELP something something a/c valves"
you HAVE to get a professional to extract the R-12 from the system BEFORE adding the R134. this is a MUST. after a a/c shop removes the r12 THEN you can fill her up with the R134 on the low side while the comepressor is running and the side valves have to be opened 2.5 turns back past fully open. read my post, i've recieved some great help.

Go to A/C shop and have the system "drawn down" to recover the R-12. Have them flush the system clean while they're about it.

Go home, and replace the hoses and seals. Change the receiver/dryer or accumulator (what's that damn thing called this week?) as well, since the dessicant absorbs oil (which isn't compatible with the replacement oil for R-134a.)

Go to shop, have the system "drawn down" again, since you need to do initial charge from a vacuum.

Go home and use charge kit and adapter fittings to install R-134a and the new oil charge. RTFM before proceeding with this step.

There are some refrigerants that are compatible with R-12, and with the ester oil used with R-12 (R-12 uses ester oil, R-134a uses PAG oil, and the two, when combined, form something resembling shaving creak and clog up your system...) but I'm still gathering information on those. Freeze12 is borderline from what I've found, but there are a couple other options that I'm digging into...

5-90

Forget the coolant and just turn it into an on-board air system.

i've learned just tonight that adding the 2 oils from the freeons makes that shaving cream affect, it discharged it back into my bottle of 134 after the initial fill.
I should have stayed with r12... and I'll probably go back once I get the $ to replace every thing used for the a/c system, damn it.

selarep said:

i've learned just tonight that adding the 2 oils from the freeons makes that shaving cream affect, it discharged it back into my bottle of 134 after the initial fill.
I should have stayed with r12... and I'll probably go back once I get the $ to replace every thing used for the a/c system, damn it.

Click to expand...

Moot point now - you'll HAVE to flush the system! After you do that, you can probably use whichever refrigerant you want - but you'll have to flush the system and change hoses and accumulator anyhow, or you're going to get that crap all over the system, and have component failures that are much fun...

5-90

I dont have the equipment to flush it, i called a local shop and told him the deal, he said the fee was about 150 to "dispose" of a contaminated mix...