> One: Since the manufacturerswere forced into using a non-CFC-type coolant
> in the AC system (instead of R-12), the 'quality' of cold you get from
> these systems is nowhere near the same, so keep that in mind when
> considering your analysis.
Chrysler phased out R12 (Freon) and has used R406a since somewhere around
1993. R406a is an HCFC refrigerant, so it is still an ozone depleter and
greenhouse gas, so it's still somewhat controlled.
406a has significantly less heat capacity than 12, but a properly-designed
406a system will have a larger evaporator and condensor to make up for the
difference. I'm happy to report that my '95 Dakota's 406a system cools with
the best of the older 12 systems.
> One other thing I just thought of . . . 96/97 Neons had a problem with
> coolant contamination (water in the coolant) which would cause the
> condensor to ice up while in use reducing the aount of cold air provided.
> Don't know how to prove this, but perhaps someone else on the list does?
Intra-system ice dams will usually clog up the expansion tube upstream
from the evaporator, and you can often find these by feeling the hoses.
But an iced-up condensor can also be found by feeling around; if the
input is hot but the output is not cold, you might have a blockage.
The best way to tell is with a set of gauges.
Ron
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