I have a 1990 240 wagon with functional AC. The previous owner had a shop replace a few of the parts but not the compressor. My shop told me last summer the compressor was "weak". The air blows cool. System has been converted to R134.

This morning the temperature was about 85 degrees and the air temperature coming out of the vents was approximately 58-60 deg. F.


Should I expect better than this???


I know our AC is not the best.

I thought that the temperature differential was what was critical. All of these reported vent temps seem meaningless to me without the outside air temps.???
Am I missing something?

good ac blows in the mid 40's.

This is right. Temperature differential. Now I will throw a monkey wrench into the whole discussion. I replaced my 84's compressor and hoses out for parts from an unknown newer 90's car that I bought on eBay, replacing all of the O rings with the green ones as I went. I took it to an AC guy who told me I was an idiot and it would never work with r134. AC guys claim that the r134 will leak thru the old hoses and seals and it we know isn't as efficient. So I replaced the usual parts, but left the condenser & compressor, then evacuated and filled with two cans (probably over filled) of RedTek, along with their oil, after doing a lot of research and scratching my head. R12A is MORE efficient. I think the "professionals" are trying to pay for their expensive machines. Mine blows about 40 degrees less than outside temp. I get 50 if it is over 90 outside. It takes a while to cool it off and sitting in traffic doesn't do it, but I am ecstatic. It will get too cold going down the highway. A 32 year old car with 243,000mi going 80 (Montana) on non ethanol premium and getting 26mpg is cool. Very cool.
--
Bob

Not in coverted volvo system are you going to get mid 40s

all due respect to the contrary. i converted a 1992 to R134, had sound ac compnonents, pulled a vacuum with a quality made ac charge/discharge/leak test rolling cabinet system and tested 45 F using a thermometer stuck in the center vent.

to be sure other 240's i have done only got 49-52F.

nevertheless it can be done if the components are in sound condition

Might be so after a fresh evac and charge but after that its all down hill. The newer 240s have the electric pusher and puller fans so that temp can be attained. But the older ones with just the clutch fan are a way different story thats why I kept one(87) with R12 like an ice box when needed. The other(88) with 134a not so much.Might be time for an evac and recharge.

I also have a really nice 90 model sedan that I bought from the original owner last year. I replaced the compressor and kept the r12 mostly because I got 7 cans of r12 with the car. I am glad I did because it blows in the mid 40s. The car has 49k miles on it and is nice but I like to drive the 5 speed and it get better mileage.

This morning it was 73 F and the air temp got down to a little above 50.

I just wonder what a compressor and vacuum and r134 might get me too.

Hawk

I recently had my '92 240 converted over to r134a. I got the roughly the same results. Outside temperature was around 76 deg F and a/c discharge temp at the console vents got no lower than 52 deg F. Blower fan was set on position 3. This was measured with digital thermometer.

For the fun of Volvos,
Mike
--
'92 245DL, '90 760 GLT

Mike-

How did you make out with the J-shaped r134a conv. pipe for your 92? Was it threaded wrong and you returned it?

Travis

Yes, the "j" pipe was threaded wrong and the radius of the "j" was too small. This pipe came from the kit ordered from FCP. Though I reported this problem to FCP, I never learned heard back from them about this particular "j" pipe.

For the fun of Volvos,
Mike
--
'92 245DL, '90 760 GLT

My 1990 is my newest 240. My 1990 760 and my 1993 940 both have the ccot's system. The 1993 already had R134a from the factor but the 760 consumed my last two cans of R12 while under my care.

We have a 1990 760 too and I replaced the Compressor last year. It blows in the lower 40s. It actually gets cold enough that you have to turn it down.

The 760 is a nicer car but I just like my 240s better (except the AC).

Hawk

I think a lot of folks are missing the difference in the AC systems between the pre- and post-1991 240's. With no modifications except the oil and o-ring changes (we can even include the new hoses in this group) ht older AC system was marginal with R12. Once converted to R134a, the best you can hope for is low 50's...YMMMV.

There are a number of threads on the improvements that can be made to the older system but I have tried none of them.

The CCOT's system in the 1991+ cars has the "potential" to produce the same level of cooling with R134a as it did with R12 (1993 came with R134a anyway). None of the changes are expensive and should be part of any conversion.

I gave up on the older system now that I live somewhere that never gets really hot (in my opinion). I got my 1990 240 sedan up and running only to find that without more repairs (conversion done by a PO) the best I could get was about 58 out of the vents. It just did not seem worth it.