Upgrading Air con.

[A80Avant]

Can you do that without causing issues to the heater matrix or the thermal.sensor on the hoses?

[jade]

Could not see what harm it would do ? you could leave anti freeze in the heater matrix and cap it....

[80Quattro]

I've no experience with this air con system, but I'd be pretty sure the inefficiency is due to the condenser design which is the tube and fin type, this is never used on modern vehicles and generally they work poorly with R134a. That style of condenser is really suited to R12. In general, cars now use a parallel flow condenser with very fine channels, this works far better with R134a.

A fan may improve things, but really a parallel flow condenser would be a better solution, they do require really good air flow. Alternatively, find some R12 and it'll work far better without modification.

[A80Avant]

I have tried looking for r12 but they told me that other parts of the system won't work with it.

The issue with the condenser has been discussed with my electrician and we thought a thinner newer style even home made condenser may improve things. All Japanese cars do have thinner condensers

[80Quattro]

To fill the system with R12 you would need to drain the compressor oil, flush the system, change the accumulator and the orifice tube. If the compressor was designed for R134a then it would not be advisable to fill with R12, the change over seems drawn out as even the workshop bulletin says compressors will be supplied for R12 until supplies are exhausted, even after R134a had superseded it. I wasn't really suggesting it as a serious solution as it is illegal to fill a system with R12 anyway.

A parallel flow condenser is really your best solution, but it could be a time consuming and costly exercise.

[A80Avant]

Ok. With recirc flap now temporarily closed cold air seems to be coming out more equally throughout the dash.

In the near future I'll be able to say what's the best way forward...