Wow, the A/C blows super cold! | FerrariChat

Wow, the A/C blows super cold!

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by Il Tifoso, Jul 30, 2016.

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  1. Il Tifoso

    Il Tifoso Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 22, 2013
    1,546
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Ruben
    Today, I went on one of my usual Saturday lunch and classic car dealership viewing excursions with a good friend and I decided to drive the 412.

    It's been about a year since I had my mechanic replenish the A/C freon, so being a close to 100F degree summer day, I was not hopeful that the system would have enough charge let alone power to cool the cabin comfortably (I've been burned enough times by my 308 QV to expect less than adequate cooling).

    I get in after the car has been sitting for a couple of hours in the mid-day sun and crank up both front and rear A/C controls... Much to my surprise, the car cooled the super hot cabin in no time and proceeded to keep it at a comfortable temp despite the super hot weather and beating sun!

    Very pleasantly surprised to say the least! Have others also experienced this good performance from the A/C in our cars? Is this the norm or was this a fluke and I should expect it to be miserably hot the next time I drive it?

    Here's to hoping that you all stay cool out there!

    Cheers!

    Ruben
     
  2. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    Mine is so cold that it freezes when humidity is high. neither of my anti-freeze circuits have ever worked correctly in spite of replacing the rear switch and re-insulating around it. I had to resort to adding a manual switch that drops out the compressor; it was tastefully installed in place of the dummy switch opposite the antennae switch on the 400i, Series II.
    Ken
     
  3. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,829
    Isle of man- uk
    All right for some, it is summer in the uk but not warm enough to make it worth putting my ac on in the car.
    Time i had a holiday in Greece
     
  4. Highmiler

    Highmiler Formula Junior

    Dec 8, 2010
    414
    Missouri
    Full Name:
    Greg
    My '84 does that too.
    Surprisingly enough the manual actually says this can happen and recommends turning the temp control off max to some other position so the compressor can cycle.
    Who'd a thought it?
    I haven't tried this lately but don't remember it being especially effective.
    Greg
     
  5. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    Greg
    Manual is hogwash on that subject. Turning the fan to high speed will delay the freeze up, but your teeth might be chattering before it freezes. Around town it is no issue because compressor is at low speed but on highway it will freeze up in 15-20 minutes the first time and quicker after that. My switch was an easy/practical solution.
    Ken
     
  6. Highmiler

    Highmiler Formula Junior

    Dec 8, 2010
    414
    Missouri
    Full Name:
    Greg
    That was about what I remembered. I'll get busy on an appropriate looking switch.
    Greg
     
  7. Ewan

    Ewan Karting

    Jul 5, 2015
    222
    Dorset, UK
    The air-con in mine struggles to cope with a sunny May day in Dorset, which I suspected was normal for a car of this age. But I'm obviously wrong (as usual). It seems like it's time to have my system properly checked/re-gassed etc. But it's great to learn that the potential is there.
     
  8. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    Ewan
    How many sunny days do you get in Dorset? :)
    Ken
     
  9. blkprlz

    blkprlz Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2007
    2,169
    Tampa bay
    Full Name:
    Bruce
    I wonder if the evaporator coil might have dirt in it for this condition to occur. I know we don't have cabin air filters so it's possible that the fins would get
    partially blocked. It's that or the compressor & evaporator weren't paired (engineered) properly.
    Same thing with HVAC in buildings. If the coils don't get enough air passed through them, they'll freeze. This is the major reason filter replacement is so important as well as insuring that the evaporator coils are clear.
    Maybe dropping the charge a little might help.
     
  10. Il Tifoso

    Il Tifoso Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 22, 2013
    1,546
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Ruben
    At least this past weekend, my system didn't freeze up at all, despite being on the highway going 75-80mph with both front and rear units running full blast at least for part of the journey... It got cold enough to have to lower the intensity a bit to make it comfortable in the cabin.

    Not sure if this matters, but the temp was close to 100F with humidity in the low 60% range.

    Cheers!

    Ruben
     
  11. Ewan

    Ewan Karting

    Jul 5, 2015
    222
    Dorset, UK
    Indeed! Which explains why the A/C system overhaul is not a high priority! I've owned the car just over a year now, and only turned the A/C on once - with little appreciable effect. But it would be nice to have it working, just in case the sun finds where I live.
     
  12. bundas

    bundas F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Dec 31, 2005
    7,090
    lexington ky usa
    Full Name:
    mitchell barnes
    AC not cooling car when hot and never did. I really need to get areal AC guy to take a look. Shade tree guys just nand me bills with no results
     
  13. Highmiler

    Highmiler Formula Junior

    Dec 8, 2010
    414
    Missouri
    Full Name:
    Greg
    There was a mechanical thing wrong with mine. It was the York compressor (Italian Licensee of the US York A/C company) clutch being inoperative. I got an OEM one but suspect any old York 12 volt clutch would work. The shaft size and key size might be an issue.

    The other issue was somewhat low Freon after 25 years. The OEM system ran R-12 and good luck finding that these days. My Freon is still low but you can convert to R-134. I know nothing about the cost involved or the results. So if you decide to do the conversion please let all us'all know how it turns out.

    The new A/C clutch fixed mine.

    Greg
     
  14. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    Greg and all
    I have a spare used compressor. I thought my compressor was locked up internally. I bought a York compressor w/o the clutch. I found the exact Japanese (!) clutch originally fitted to the Italian compressor.

    Once I made the swap of the compressors, I decided to have a look at the old one (I'm an engineer). What I found out was that my compressor was fine. It was the clutch that failed mechanically and locked up the shaft. Once I removed the clutch the compressor turned fine and had compression. I drained old oil and some fresh R12 oil.

    So I have a spare compressor without clutch. I have the correct R12 oil. As for buying R12 Freon it is readily available on ebay. I have two spare cans that I won't sell. You can also buy the R12 gauges and I now do all my own AC service; new skill set learned at age 6X.

    So if you need a replacement compressor and some R12 oil I can fix you up!

    As for converting to R134, forget it. Cooling will be half of the R12 system! My preferred alternate is convert to the hydocarbon system. You only need about 1 lb of fluid (probably propane / butane mix) and a different oil. You do not need to change every o-ring and seal in the system. There is on-line instructions how to make the change.
    Ken
     
  15. blkprlz

    blkprlz Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2007
    2,169
    Tampa bay
    Full Name:
    Bruce
    Yes, my mechanic has Freeze 12 in small cans to recharge old systems…readily available :D
     
  16. afterburner

    afterburner F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2008
    3,197
    Hong Kong
    Hi All

    I also have a used Compressor & Pulley for sale, but for R134a.
    Please PM me for information.

    Cheers
    Urs
     
  17. Temerian

    Temerian Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 17, 2014
    432
    Manhattan
    Full Name:
    Rick Temerian
    I refilled the system with R-12 which I purchased on ebay. The A/C is working better but seems to cycle on and off no matter where I set the temperature control. With my other cars if the setting is to the coldest the clutch is engaged continuously and never cycles off. Is the Ferrari set up somehow different? The manual doesn't seem to offer much information.
     
  18. Il Tifoso

    Il Tifoso Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 22, 2013
    1,546
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Ruben
    Curious, how are you determining that it's cycling on/off? Also what's the exact model?

    In my car (412) I can't ever seem to hear the compressor as the engine music is loud enough to mask it. It also just seems to blow cold all the time, with no intervals of cool/warm which could indicate on/off cycling.

    Cheers!

    Ruben
     
  19. Temerian

    Temerian Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 17, 2014
    432
    Manhattan
    Full Name:
    Rick Temerian
    If you open the hood when the motor is running and the a/c on you can see whether the clutch is engaged at the compressor. The clutch seems to disengage without rhyme or reason- it certainly doesn't seem to matter where the dial setting is. If I turn it all the way counter-clockwise until just before the off setting the clutch almost never engages. If I set it about halfway toward the red indicator it is a little better but still cycles on and off.
     

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