How does this man not have 8 million subscribers. He is a fountain of knowledge and gives so much away for free. The videos are entertaining and he makes complicated things simple. The fact he has on 300k subscribers should be a crime. Keep up the fantastic work Mr. Danner and ALL who work with and help you.
I fully agree!!! I watch UA-cam Videos while having a Beer or twelve to wind down from a busy day... This man has taught me more (In the last Year and a half) how to use my 25 years of multiple Snap On Scanner purchases and updates than any Snap On Video. Since I had to shut down my own shop 3 1/2 years ago, I am done after eventually paying off my Zeus. (Not my shop, not my Payment.) I did Purchase an Autel with it's 4 Channel Lab Scope for $4K and some Videos are easy to translate between it and his PicoScope... Kind of weird that I show up to work at a new place for me, that has been around a while, and all they have is a broken Verus Pro. 2 main Mechanics and a part time Smog Guy. My personal payment Tools are used by all daily. Meanwhile you have idiots making Videos (with as much diagnostic capabilities as a Lube Tech) with 366K Subscribers....
Huge respect to you for being honest and not editing them out when you made small errors, then explaining what went wrong. Then immediately explaining how to avoid those errors. We all make these silly little mistakes
@@carlabromley8891 Any comment coming from a girl or a guy with a girl's name, especially a guy with a lady name about manly things usually holds little weight. nice try though
25:22 Hygroscopic is the word you're looking for ( *not* hyDroscopic as many people incorrectly believe) like DOT3, DOT4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluid. 42:07 That change from 500 to 510 could be as simple as a change in ambient air temperature. Assuming linear gauge accuracy, and no built in hysteresis, it may have been actual 504.9 and increased to 505.1. So a change from 500 to 520 could be as little as 504.9 to 515.1 or as much as 495.1 to 524.9 and still show 500 to 520. All that really matters is that it's not climbing like crazy. That said, you can find cases where a system will hold a vacuum, but not pressure and vice versa - some leaks can annoyingly act like a check valve.
Wow. Learn something new everyday. I've been in the oil and gas industry for 30+ years and have always said "hydroscopic" (typically relating to ethanol.) I now see that I was incorrect. Thanks for the lesson.
Hi Paul. Great video. I am a chemist. I was told that the old R12 systems would contain traces of acid due to decomposition of dichlorodifluoromethane (R12). The PAG oils are long chain polymers made from polymerization of glycols. So the ends of these long chains have OH groups (alcohol groups). The alcohol group gets protonated from the acid and the polymer unzips and turns into sludge. By reacting the alcohol groups to make ester groups, there is no longer alcohol groups that can react with acid and the polymer (PAG) backbone stays in tact (ie, does not unzip).
I love these types of responses. Incredible amounts of detail like this is actually excite to learn! I might never use it in a work setting but learning something new is always great!
Sounds like a recipe for o-ring failure. In this case could have just been vibration. I'd like to hear your chemist approach for power steering fluid in a brake system.
Dude... I LOVE that you made errors because THAT'S exactly how we learn and to see how you correct those issues that many of us (no doubt) will create. These are the BEST videos to learn from, for this exact reason. Excellent vid. Thanks again
I just discovered the ScannerDanner channel, and just in time. Recently, I noticed that my 2006 Honda Accord's A/C was not blowing nearly as cold as it had in the past years. At 54 years of age, I've only recently gotten over the fear of tackling some of the automotive repairs that are rarely handled in do-it-yourself/backyard repair situations. Thanks to ScannerDanner's (Paul's) great video, I will purchase an A/C manifold kit and a vacuum pump and fix the A/C problem myself. ScannerDanner (Paul), your videos are so valuable. Thanks - and please keep them coming!
Have you tackled Caliper repair? I'm wondering if i should tackle son's car which is a 2004. Im sure the components are old. should I replace both calipers or just the one that freezes up after braking (grabs and doesn't release the rotor.....at least I think
Im a big fan of your teaching techniques, the way you talk to everyone, and especially your honesty! I have been learning refrigeration for 7+ years now, and I learn so much from you and every project that i do. I think your vacuum pump could possibly pull down below 100 if you let it go long enough, but that's not necassary, however, letting it run for a long time insures that the moisture is removed. I also recommend that you close and open whatever valves you are using a few times during the vacuum process, cause that lets air bubbles and moisture, that is trapped in the valves, free to be evacuated. You will find that usually your microns will rise a lot more than on this video. As long as they don't rise past a certain point in 10 minutes, you don't have a leak. If you have a leak, they will rise quickly to infinity. I fix freezers, refrigerators, and home AC, and on the small systems I shoot for about 200 and hope it doesn't rise much past 600 in 10 minutes. I don't think I'd be too concerned if it stayed under 1000, but I would probably want to vacuum it for longer anyway. I have the same pump you used, as well as one a little bigger, and i like to leave them running for hours while i go and do something else. Thanks again for all you do and how you do it. YOU ARE THE BEST!
I think the clear advantage of the micron gauge is to finally verify there is no moisture in the system. On a big system as you vacuum down, the liquid water quickly boils away, but there may be solid ice that doesn't sublimate as fast. The sudden drop in pressure induces a precipitous drop in temperature that can freeze some water, which will be slow to vacuum off. In that case, when you close the system off and wait, the pressure creeps up as that solid water ice sublimates to water vapour. It's a signal you need to vacuum for longer to get the rest of the water.
I work for an electric company in NYC. When we perform evacs, we bring our vacuum down to under 150 microns. Our rise test is done over 30 minutes and a loss of 100 microns or less is a pass. On my truck, I've system-checked my vacuums, and I can get to 23 microns. All this means nothing in a car, but for moisture-sensitive electrical components working in the 64k to 345k volt range, it's the difference between flowing electricity and a burnout and power loss.
I fixed my ac on my little work van earlier this spring with your tips and guidance...needed a condenser and some small stuff but everything i did i learned on this channel. Thanks for what you do 👍
Paul, I watched this whole video on UA-cam TV ..HAVE GOT TO TELL YOU YOU ARE THE ONE OF THE VERY BEST, TEACHER EVER, YES EVER ❤️, GOD BLESS YOU FRED S. YOU DEFINITELY CARE ABOUT THIS WORLD AND DOING YOUR VERY BEST JOB !!!
This is a great vid. DIYers learn a bunch. I consider myself a DIYer even though I got 100% in automotive A/C instruction during 4th year apprentice motor mechanic schooling. Use it or lose it. There is so much. Thanks
I've always loved the system with a built-in sight glass because it'll truly tell you what condition the system is in whether you have enough for too little refrigerant even though the manifold gauge set has one
I don’t watch your channel enough. I pledge to watch everyone of your videos. I like how you OVER EXPLAIN and diverge from the topic. Keep it real. Thank you Dan… I mean Paul
A digital micron guage is a great insight into vacuum but pressure decay testing with digital manifold gauges at 150 to 200 psi is a more real world test. I've found many systems hold a good vacuum but can't hold a pressure test. Great video and camera work as always 👍😁
FYI, after you take the hose off the vac pump and connect the hose up to the R134a you are to remove the center cap off the line set manifold and purge the hose with R134a until you see it in the site glass window. Then you can open up the low side and charge the system. Thanks for the videos!!! God Bless!!!
There is so much good old school classic basics going on here, that I thought someone might have had a Close Encounter with the Third Kind. I might share this video as a Primer (not a primer) to my Techs at work. Nicely done, thank you for your content and accuracy.
The best video for diy people on this subject, no question. Step by step ac repair, and a gentleman who cares about the environment too. Thank you Sir, your videos are always extremely informative. If you ever come up Toronto way, adult beverages of your choice will be bestowed upon you.
If that is your son filming, i like that you got him involved to gain the knowledge. He's helping you and learning valuable information. He's learning mechanics and videography. Nice.
A couple quick side notes I'd like to add; - With regard to the micron gauge, I've seen a lot of HVAC guys use a schrader on the port or a ball valve to valve off the micron gauge, and to prevent atmospheric air entering the system, they will charge until the pressure is equal to or marginally greater than atmosphere so that when they remove the micron gauge, atmospheric air can't rush in. On the note of wasting your R134a by charging a leaking system, excluding the part where refrigerants are bloody expensive... here's what you should keep in mind with an R12, R22 or R134a system; Luckily, unlike R12 or R22, R134a isn't a CFC, it's a HFC. therefore doesn't deplete the ozone layer. It's also not toxic either, which does mean that is safer to discharge to atmosphere... but the other impacts it has make these still a bad idea. R134a is an extremely dense gas. If discharged over a pit, it will accumulate in that pit. R134a is known as an asphyxiant, as it is capable of displacing air in the lungs and is hard to expel, so it should not be inhaled or discharged over a pit. It's also a potent greenhouse gas. These reasons combined are why you can't legally discharge an entire AC system straight to atmosphere, and you *MUST* use a recovery machine with a tank attached. Some purging is allowed for obvious reasons, as the amount of gas lost is very minimal and has no real effect environmentally. Newer AC systems that use the R290 gas, however, can be safely discharged to atmophere, as the gas used is pure propane, which doesn't have the same effects as R134a. It's not a heavy gas, so easily disperses. R290 is also a very light hydricarbon that doesn't pose a greenhouse effect, it doesn't deplete the ozone layer either. Anyone discharging an R290 system though needs to be aware that the refrigerant is propane. it's extremely flammable, therefore should only be discharged away from sparks or open flames, and in a very well ventillated area to prevent a gas explosion.
New subscriber just think your approach is authentic and realistic and love that you dont edit out the things that make you human. You clearly have the gift of gab but also clearly understand that the more we learn the more it becomes obvious how much we dont know. Even a master in their trade will be learning with each project they do! Great content
I didn't know for years and years that you can turn the nitrogen tank valve on to check its pressure just by backing the regulator off. No hose is needed. With the regulator turned down to zero the amazing regulator holds back 2000 psi from coming out the output. The night mare leak is to have a compressor shaft seal leaking only at pressures above 300 psi. My dump truck had such an leak. It would hold 200 psi on the nitrogen test all day long. Same with vacuum test but wouldn't stay charged two weeks. I went most of one summer without AC but one hot day in August I decided to charge it up and have air just a little while. This time it didnt stay charged all day. I got home did a 200 psi nitrogen test and it held rock solid. I never could see any dye at the compressor or soap bubbles. So next morning I ordered a new compressor and that fixed it. Thanks for all your amazing contributions Scanner!😎
I know people are going to say I'm a fool, but I've started converting all R12 designed systems to R152a instead of R134a. I get it out of computer duster cans with a can tap. It runs at lower pressure than R134a, and has very similar properties to R12. It's molecular weight is 66.05 g/mol vs 120.90 g/mol for R12, so a charge only uses 55 percent of the weight of R12. On most vehicles it's under 28 ounces, which is less then 2 cans. Yes it is considered semi flammable, but it does not give a flame extension or flashback in the standard test used to measure the flammability of aerosol products. It's already used in some industries, it was actually tested by the automotive industry to replace R134a but the manufactures decided to go with R1234YF. R1234YF has the exact same flammability class rating as R152a, A2 rating. They both have the same GWP rating also, at 0. You also drive around with 15-20 gallons of highly flammable gas in your vehicle, so I wouldn't worry much about 25 ounces of mildly flammable gas that's already being used in newer vehicles.
Scanner Danner; the best example of AC work I've seen on the internet, thanks so much for the mistake examples and the correction of information..! You're the best..! Regards Joseph
Well Danner I was on my way out of the industry and it didn’t end up happening I’ve been working at an independent chain shop the last couple years and they didn’t want to pay me more but want me to keep doing more work which I didn’t have a problem with at first to show them what I could do but now you know and don’t want to pay what I’m worth I was headed to a factory job and a local dealership was looking for help they are going to pay me almost 3 dollars an hour more to start and offer me all the factory training to increase my pay so it looks like I’m sticking around
Hi Paul, I worked on many John Deere tractors with R12 and TEV systems. When charging the system after pulling a vacuum, I would always fill the Hi side first, engine off of course. As the system filled I would watch the lo side. If the lo side came up nice and steady it meant the TEV was in good shape. If the lo side just stays in a vacuum there is a problem. I watched the lo side in your video as you began to fill and it came up nice and steady. On the tractors we also used retro fit kits to go to R134A. I learned from a commercial A/C guy to fill with the can upside down (liquid) and stay under 40psi on the low side as you fill. Didn't have any problems. With the can up (vapor) it takes forever. Great video.
AC systems are one of the more tedious repairs with customers. It behooves the technician to be upfront with the customer. An older system may require lengthy diagnosis to repair, on top of costly components & book time. It can quickly turn a 120 dollar job into a 1200 dollar job. There is no room for shortcuts. If everything isn't working harmoniously, then it won't work at all. What's dreadful about the repair, is that most people don't care/notice the worn ball joint. They instantly notice the AC when they hit the button on a 90 degree day. They want it working, and working yesterday. Some will spare no expense to have it repaired. Many will question you. Be upfront before you sell the job.
I am in the process of troubleshooting my 1997 Ford Aerostar AC - about a year ago, it dumped a bunch of oil suddenly on a concrete slab. It was not motor oil or transmission or power steering or coolant or brakes, so it had to be from the AC system. Over the course of a few days after the dump, the AC was not cooling and I have not used it since. Just now getting around to trying to fix it. Your video is the most thorough and instructive and encouraging I have found so far. I hope to have my system figured out soon based on information you shared. Thank you so much.
To prevent having to remove your micron gauge find and purchase a 90° ball valve that goes between the micron gauge and the hose so that you can isolate the gauge without having to remove it
I've been working in shops for the last 9 years and on A/C for the last 4 of those years and this has been the best way anyone has ever explained it to me.
@@ScannerDanner too many guys I've worked with are focused on what "they know" instead of what the data is telling them and you do an excellent job of the latter. Seriously keep it up. I dropped out of of college and started working on cars with no experience and your channel has been a huge help.
I don't have a compressed nitrogen cylinder. I have several argon cylinders. I've always used dry compressed air to leak check in the past. I have a really great dry air system for painting. Learn something new every day, I didn't know about the acid problem with "air". I am all for doing everything I do as correctly as possible. But honestly if an AC system is at 0 psi it has atmospheric air in the system. If you replace a component and break the system it has atmospheric air in the system. But, going forward, now that I know better, I'll be using argon to leak check.
If it’s truly “DRY” how is it going to form acid in the AC system? I’m calling bullshit here. Sounds like something that relates to wet shop air and is likely very overblown by HVAC companies. If anyone has supporting literature ( not advertising) I’d be open to new information
Hey Paul my name is Michael been a mechanic out here in phx. AZ for over 40 years. Anyways been watching your videos for at least 10 years, Someone else said your a fountain of knowledge, I can not think of a better fitting compliment for you. Your AWESOME!! Anyways just for your 411 if you put one of those little desicant compressor dryers on your compressor hose 6- 8 dollars and Compressed air I can only get up to 150 psi but that is usually plenty, As hot as it gets out here you really have to pay attention to your pressure to temp relationship. Before 4-5 pm you can raise up to 10 psi in no time, and actually overlook a leak. Also your emphasis on oil overcharge is great I see it quit frequently. Please Please Keep up the great work and the awesome videos!!! I strive on saving poeple money and you have definately helped me to do it better!!! (while keeping my bills paid) Sincerely, Mike Rowe Rowe's Restorations Ps. GLAD to finally know your name!!!
Hey Mike. My name is Michael. I live in SoCal. I don’t follow your comment about you rising 10 psi and missing a leak. What piece of knowledge were you trying to share? So you always use compressed air with a dryer to pressure test your system?
I was watching the show you did a year or so ago using nitrogen to find the leaks without damaging the system. So today falls right at the proper time. Thank You I have learned a lot since I discovered your channel about a year ago!
I also would like to Thank You for your teaching you have a natural way to make my old mind click and I have been able to use your knowledge to help me as a 69 yr old man to keep on trying to fix my vehicles cause I don’t have extra money to pay a shop. Next is finding the leak in my 98 dodge V10 a/c unit. You truly are a God send to people such as myself and not afraid to try. I was a carpenter in my younger life and self taught
Hello Paul. Back when I was doing retrofits, I would use a fairly large blower type fan in front of the condenser to simulate road wind. Then put the car to a high idle (1800 rpm or so). Add refrigerant while watching the register output temperature. The temperature will go down to a point then start to rise as the system starts to reach an over full condition. This obviously needs to be done slowly and carefully but I had excellent results.
never rely on schrader valves to keep air from entering when under a vacuum, they're designed to hold pressure from the inside seal end and not a vacuum with air pushing in from outside, they'll easily open and allow air in. you very likely let in air when you closed the low side adapter and removed it. same for the self sealing/low loss hoses, they're all made to hold pressure, not vacuum. you should use good ball valves to isolate things and cycle them half/part way closed a few times, as there's voids in them that hold air around the ball and that releases making the vacuum drop when cycled. it's a good idea to charge as much liquid as possible into the high side first (with engine off!) then you can close it and finish charging through low side with vehicle running.
throttle bottle - damn, i've gotta watch the video again hahaha. i've got a set of fairly cheap ($300) gauges coming in next couple of days. i got em cuz i've gotta do my 2001 silverado & a couple of other buddies rigs. will be my first time doing AC so i've been watching a bunch of videos. can you walk me through what kind of valves to get etc.? would i install them on the end of the vacuum/high/low side hoses... like attach them to the factory ends where they install into the actual gauges or somehow replace the ends that connect to the hi/low service ports themselves? am i making sense? if you're too busy i totally understand, your comment just really interested me, thanks:) barbie
@@8barbies779 it's really not that crucial. Miniscule amounts moisture that gets in from disconnecting fittings and switching the the other cans, etc. should be absorbed by the drier.
Most a lot of shops would have called that o ring a bad condenser, and of the compressor now needs to be replaced. That’ll be $2000 thank you very much!!
For that car, I would've replaced the receiver/dryer. It's old and rotten, by now, and you had the system empty, anyway. You might've had drier and colder air if the receiver/drier was replaced.
Yeah I always replace the accumulator/filter dryer just cause the system is open, like you said the things are blown out after years of use. Pretty cheap insurance for most cars
I have been watching your video's for years and I just want to say thanks for all your help!!!! it means a lot to me and you have saved me soooooooooo much money, just doing the work myself!!!!!
A micron gauge is used to determine if there is moister in the system not to prove a leak in the system. Everything Doctor Paul shows In this video is perfectly good practice. He is very knowledgeable.
False. A micron gauge is used to measure vacuum on a system. Ideally you should vacuum a system down to under 500 microns to boil off moisture in the system. The purpose of pulling a vacuum is not to pull the refrigerant back into the system. The purpose is to eliminate moisture.
Nice routine you have there Paul for checking for leaks, and making sure to boil off all the moisture with a vacuum pump. I haven’t used a micron gauge but I feel comfortable as long as I get down below 28-29 in vacuum and it holds for 15 mins I’m happy. Thanks as always Paul for sharing your repairing. I learn a lot from you.
As someone who's converted some of those old NIssans from R12 to R134, the condenser makes a big difference. If you swap the original condenser with a custom parallel flow unit designed for R134 the head pressure goes down by 30-50PSI and the thing will hit 40 no problem. The cost isn't too bad either $150 or so and the system works better than what it did with R12.
Oh Paul how I miss your videos on UA-cam 😟. You and Eric have taught me so much over the years and you are so so missed. I see this one says a year old as I see it but I’m still holding out hope that some way I can get your incredible instruction with the patience and calm you display. Steve from Canada 🇨🇦 🙏
@@ScannerDanner isn’t that strange…the bell is on and set to ‘every upload’ 🤷🏻♂️ I guess the algorithm doesn’t like me. LoL 😆 I’m gonna do better looking for you…. I do truly thank you..your style of teaching fits exactly with my kind of learning….just rocker bros. from another country I guess. 🤘🤘 Lol 😂 I did pretty good on my 2000 Yukon (yes it’s that old from the Canadian rust-belt)..I calculated I needed 2 cans and a bit but soon as the second can went in I registered 32°F centre vent, full fan recirc. @ 90°F with 75% Hum. I got to thinking afterwards and on my cans it said R-12….I’m pretty sure this is an R-134a system. I wonder if that had any effect on it? ‘They’ say those to are similar but are they suppose to mix? No freeze ups but wow I can’t believe how cold it is! I could make ice cubes on the console! LoL 😝
@@FourSeasonsNorth4x4 you know what really sucks for me? I've had 59 new uploads since this video last year and it's b.s. that YT isn't notifying you of them. Smh Anyway thank you so much for your support!
The good with the bad is real time live. I’m about to fix my F150 ac so this help a lot. Thanks for this education about refrigeration and pressures. ✅.
A really slick modern oil is called PAG100 "Double End Capped"(molecule). It is fully compatible with all things R12 and R134a. You can switch refrigerants without changing out the oil.
I worked on cars almost 50 years I started reading about combustion engines 12 13 14 and starting to work on Automotive cars I used to build tractor trailer models which was the big as day and car models learn the parts read books have even started doing body work at the age of maybe 14 or 15 then I went to high school head shop for 3 years and went to Lincoln Tech with two and a half for business on Automotive and Diesel and took business one thing is I can see you're one of the mechanics on UA-cam that try to be as thorough as possible and even go by the book I can appreciate your videos by the time my first year high school when we were taking nothing but test and staying in a class I asked them to bring in the 71 Pontiac Grand Prix that I needed to put an engine in my shop teacher he was very surprised that I had that much knowledge didn't know everything but I knew pretty much I brought the car in and put an engine in 71 Grand Prix because of course schools didn't have that much to do with working engines because of the school budget so we brought in work that we were working on otherwise at home pretty much had to retire but still think cars are real fun
The ac gas light is connected to a superheat switch. It will illuminate when the system is running and low on gas. If it's flat empty it should not illuminate after the engine is running. It will light for bulb check.
Man, Paul, I just love your videos. You are such an awesome teacher, a great dad and just seem like an all around good dude. Anyway, I like your process here.
At 23:55, ScannerDanner (Paul) listens to some chirping birds and then points out that we are hearing a Cardinal and also a Robin: "I'm learning my birds. As I get older, I enjoy those things. As I young man, I never cared." Priceless! This guy is great. Who could possibly dislike this man? And he's a wealth of automotive knowledge.
Great video Paul and Calib and at UTI Refrigeration School they taught using only crushed ice and water for calibrating temp gauges as that guarantees that you are at 32 degrees. Either way you are going to get closer than 75 degrees LOL. Awesome knowledge learned from you always, thanks so much.
Scanner fantastic video. Love when you realize ahh I screwed up, keeping your wits about yourself while smoothly figure out the fix. You are a slick mechanic with plenty of smarts. You may think yer a gas bag but that keeps the video exciting an myself focused on what yer putting out. I'm sure yer son is proud to have you as a dad and mentor in his life. Your videos are always packed with information.
You can go to auto paint supply store and get a filter for paint gun and filter out the moisture in ur compressor lines before you pressure a/c system with compressor air😊
I'm with you that acidic oil in an automotive application is not a huge deal. You definitely don't want acidic oil in a house AC or commercial AC system because the acid will eat away at the windings in the compressor causing a burn out, but with an all mechanical compressor such as automotive its not near as big a deal. I worked in an AC shop for many years and we used compressed air quite a bit. A combination of a deep vacuum and the desiccant in the dryer/accumulator minimizes the chance of acidic oil a lot. Just found your channel last night and enjoying the content,
One technique that I just tried a few minutes ago while topping up my Integra to check the Schrader's after I was done was to back off the valves but leave them on, discharge both hoses through the manifold valves and close them again. Wait awhile to see if the hoses repressurize. They will climb a little bit anyway the first time or two that you close them but then they should stay at zero forever.
I seem to have alot of intermittents with things so I made a small led power indicator board with 6 ckts and long leads so I can drive time monitor things, ive actually run a trip with the guages hooked up for 8 hrs lol, but it solved what the issue was. hygroscopic is the word you were looking for, they make a shutoff valve that fits between the micron and the line fitting.
Hello, thanks for good explanation, so everyone can understand. You go in depth with the problem and that is very good. I recommend that people watch your channel, you are legend.
Well I was so proud of my self I finly got on your preamum chanel to find out my wife put me in deat and know left me for someone else take care and God bless you and your family please keep me in your prayers and keep up the good work
Thanks for helping. I have a 1950.00 estimate on a compressor replacement. I have a complete garage, so I'm studying A/C repair. Thank You for helping.
Keep in mind, when a compressor fails, it often can pump its guts all through the AC system and if this happened, at a minimum, you'd need a new orifice tube or expansion valve, a new accumulator or receiver drier and a new compressor. It is also very possible that you'll need a new condenser too because that is where all the compressor debris goes first and you cannot flush those effectively on a parallel flow core. Now if the compressor failed in the clutch area and didn't pump anything into the system, then all you need is the compressor and nothing else.
I don't mean to criticize but I can hear my dad yelling from the office "are your hands clean for putting oil on the o-rings" yes of course I remember the first 100 or so times you told me. Great video sir!
Hello....You are still Scanner Danner to me....learned a lot about how to apply the oscilloscope to automotive applications and even upgraded to a Pico to go with my laptop! Thank you for all the videos you post and like your son's choice in a car....not my favorite Z, but it is a classic! Hope he got the manual......I'm old school! PS: When removing your digital gauge, it would have been fine to use the vacuum pump to clean the gauge lines....pinching a line with vice grips is N.G. Also should purge the yellow line at the gauge to avoid atmospheric wet/air from line when adding refrigerant. This does allow refrigerant to the atmosphere, but is acceptable for purging line only (no need to loosen line at gauge, it can frost the seal. Schrader valve under the brass cap screw for yellow line at gauge input.) P-Chi
Excellent video ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Its so refreshing to listen to a "how to" from someone who obviously recieved a good solid education and a great grasp on the fundamentals of vacuum vs pressure. Thanks so much 😊
Always gain a ton of knowledge from your videos!! You're such a humble man. I'll keep watching as long as you keep posting vids. Wish I could attend your class one of these day.
Hello Paul, great video. I'm fixing my car and uploading videos. Among all the issues, I had an A/C leak. Your video has been helpful for my series. Thank you and congratulations!
Enjoyed your content. I'm a commercial refrigeration technician and have done almost everything involving a vapor compression system. The Gas light on the Z was really cool. I had a 280Z with the all digital dash, can't remember seeing that option on it however. Lot of good info. After dealing with rack systems for Walmart, 2000lbs 404A, losing refrigerant is always and issue. When I have a leak it's bad news and I can't leave until it's fixed. Finding a leak with Nitro & bubbles isn't an option, leak detector or dye in the system. Nitro helps in removing moisture and it has the lowest molecular weight of any gas making it the best option for finding leaks. When it comes to the micrometer moisture boils off around 1200, if system struggles around 1200 you know that the system has moisture. Several methods to remove moisture. 500 microns is the number you need to know that all non condensibles have been removed.. I've had the same vacuum for so long that I can hear when my pump has achieved desired microns.. The oil has a high affinity to moisture, once the cap is removed use what you need and trash the rest. Make sure you have fresh oil in the vacuum, it will pull down faster. 800microns I let it rip. Most conversions require about 15% less refrigerant than before, sight glass was also pretty neat. I've never dealt with a txv in MVAC most are fixed orfices. Often times the txv will require changing. Using a txv not rated for the refrigerant could cause pressures to look low. Flashing at the sight glass bc the txv is starving the evaporator. When dealing with low pressure systems or negative pressure systems everything is critical and if I miss or try to skip a step it always comes back to bite me in the ass.. Had a newer Cadillac with ac issue. With all the tools that I have it still required a computer to diagnose the system. It was the only way to test and verify if the sensors were within tolerance. High Engine Temp sensor was out of tolerance. I've seen and done a lot. Had opportunity to install chiller on big ships, some of the things I had to come up with solutions inorder to make the equipment purchased work all bc they didn't understand that the salesman upsold them which required an expensive controller. The owner didn't purchase the controllers, I had to install DC rectifiers that I ordered from Amazon for $12.00 apiece. The controllers were $475 apiece . I've never used a protective cap on Nitro, can't tell you how many busted regulators I've had over the years. Plus, my Nitro bottles are 6ft and strapped to a 2 wheeler. I have several manifolds I use but when dealing with MVAC I use the throw aways. My Testos have micrometer built in and so does the hoseless yellow jackets. The gouges would cost more to replace than all new MVAC system. The R12 units use to get really cold, I still have some R12. Got a Coke Machine that runs on it. There is a newer refrigerant out R1234 haven't used it yet. I do have some R290 & R600 medium temp units with it. Propane & Butane. some of the systems only hold 2.8oz of R290 when a R134 unit same size might hold 12oz. Can't leave access ports on r290/r600 units. Look forward to watching more of your content.
The ac systems today are so good , What we had in the 60s 70s cars was expensive to keep it running from year to year. My teacher got me a job doing heating and cooling I had very little work until summer it was $500 a year if nothing major was wrong, It's a huge difference
Fantastic explanations! I have a wealth of info from residential HVAC…you are spot on with the 500 microns and below being preferred to minimize moisture and non-condensables. Most manufacturers have their own recommendations, but 500 is the universal standard. Don’t go below 250 microns for many oils. Vacuum pump, vacuum pump oil, and good hoses and seals are imperative. If you are unsure, change your vacuum pump oil (it is special… don’t use motor oil, etc.), change the rubber seals on your hose ends, or use something like Nylog on the hose fittings when you connect to pull the vacuum. Also, Nitrogen is THE way to pressure test/leak test. For most micron gauges you can apply pressure after the vacuum with refrigerant/oil but you will have to clean the gauge (usually with isopropyl alcohol)-check your manual for your gauge. Last…close the check valve, pinch off the hoses at the vacuum pump, or disconnect from your car system when you turn the pump off. Otherwise the vacuum in the system will start to pull your vacuum pump’s oil into the hoses. Thanks for such a great walk through of car AC systems and your explanations. Again…excellent advice.
18:13 some times on an AC system with a traditional magnetic clutch, especially if the car has sat for 8-12 months and has 200,000+ miles, the clutch can be dirty and won't engage, tap the clutch face with a mallet and they usually will engage and be fine after that, if it was just a dirty lazy clutch...try the tap method before proving out the fuses/relays/climate head/wiring, etc... Great Video!!!
The nitrogen pressurized the system, allowing the compressor clutch to engage. He did the test quickly and emphasized that the nitrogen is not circulating oil, so you can't run it that way for long.
You can definitely have systems hold vacuum, but not pressure. And that can be because of the seal that's leaking--- your vacuum can pull it closed, but when there's pressure on the other side, it can push the seal away from the 'gap" at the leak again, because there's nothing there to support the seal-- at the leak. So again, a vacuum can cause a leaking seal to Reseal itself - but it only holds as long as the vacuum is there, pulling on the seal... So your leaky seal is acting as a one way valve essentially.
Just a little comment about max pressure in the A/C system. Manufacturers have security regulations to comply to, that also applies to accessories like the A/C systems, meaning that the A/C systems are 1stly built to sustain way over 300PSI before going critical, and on both sides of the A/C system, so 300PSI is always in the "safe zone" no matter what ... I mean for cars with the high pressure side of the A/C that reach these numbers which is a great majority of the vehicles on the road. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO! Nice car! 2 thumbs up !
Keeping your customer in the loop and covering all the diagnostic bases will not only keep your customers coming back, but you can also avoid legal hassles trying to get someone to pay for work that they never approved (you will lose). I used to rent a couple stalls out when I first started my transmission shop, and I had a guy named Gary who would constantly barge ahead without contacting the customer until the bill was ready. We never really fought, but my name was on the sign and his lack of understanding of not only fair play, but Michigan law was going to take him to task if somebody had ever pushed the issue. Gary was a really nice guy and a good mechanic and in a small town where everybody knows and loves you is the only thing that kept him out of trouble. He was never dishonest; he just had that bad habit.
I considering you my teacher already .. Respect your knowledge Sir.. and this is for your Son.. please tell him ... im really love that Z.. barely find a good one now.. its had alot memories on me with that Z..❤️
Just FYI, I’ve noticed in several videos that you tighten the low and high side couplers all the way. This could potentially damage the Schrader valves. It’s recommended to tighten them just a little until you start seeing pressure on the gauge. Thank you for the great content, though!
How does this man not have 8 million subscribers. He is a fountain of knowledge and gives so much away for free. The videos are entertaining and he makes complicated things simple. The fact he has on 300k subscribers should be a crime. Keep up the fantastic work Mr. Danner and ALL who work with and help you.
Thank you!
I fully agree!!! I watch UA-cam Videos while having a Beer or twelve to wind down from a busy day... This man has taught me more (In the last Year and a half) how to use my 25 years of multiple Snap On Scanner purchases and updates than any Snap On Video. Since I had to shut down my own shop 3 1/2 years ago, I am done after eventually paying off my Zeus. (Not my shop, not my Payment.) I did Purchase an Autel with it's 4 Channel Lab Scope for $4K and some Videos are easy to translate between it and his PicoScope... Kind of weird that I show up to work at a new place for me, that has been around a while, and all they have is a broken Verus Pro. 2 main Mechanics and a part time Smog Guy. My personal payment Tools are used by all daily. Meanwhile you have idiots making Videos (with as much diagnostic capabilities as a Lube Tech) with 366K Subscribers....
@@XLAND101 Blessed by this comment
Check out t lech as well, another awesome channel focused on automotive HVAC.
Plus hes really just a good dude too
Huge respect to you for being honest and not editing them out when you made small errors, then explaining what went wrong. Then immediately explaining how to avoid those errors. We all make these silly little mistakes
Thank you!
A true teacher.
I love that... These you tubers today make it seem so easy when in fact there were a couple hundred swear words, skinned knuckles, cuts, bruises, etc
Nob
@@carlabromley8891 Any comment coming from a girl or a guy with a girl's name, especially a guy with a lady name about manly things usually holds little weight. nice try though
This dude is the epitome of a straight up professional who stays true to his backyard mechanic roots..
25:22 Hygroscopic is the word you're looking for ( *not* hyDroscopic as many people incorrectly believe) like DOT3, DOT4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluid.
42:07 That change from 500 to 510 could be as simple as a change in ambient air temperature. Assuming linear gauge accuracy, and no built in hysteresis, it may have been actual 504.9 and increased to 505.1. So a change from 500 to 520 could be as little as 504.9 to 515.1 or as much as 495.1 to 524.9 and still show 500 to 520. All that really matters is that it's not climbing like crazy. That said, you can find cases where a system will hold a vacuum, but not pressure and vice versa - some leaks can annoyingly act like a check valve.
I've had an issue where vacuum held and pressure did not. I never got to make it right for them. It bit me in the bottom.
Wow. Learn something new everyday. I've been in the oil and gas industry for 30+ years and have always said "hydroscopic" (typically relating to ethanol.) I now see that I was incorrect. Thanks for the lesson.
So much to learn from this message but I'm totally lost i love to understand
Hi Paul. Great video. I am a chemist. I was told that the old R12 systems would contain traces of acid due to decomposition of dichlorodifluoromethane (R12). The PAG oils are long chain polymers made from polymerization of glycols. So the ends of these long chains have OH groups (alcohol groups). The alcohol group gets protonated from the acid and the polymer unzips and turns into sludge. By reacting the alcohol groups to make ester groups, there is no longer alcohol groups that can react with acid and the polymer (PAG) backbone stays in tact (ie, does not unzip).
I love these types of responses. Incredible amounts of detail like this is actually excite to learn! I might never use it in a work setting but learning something new is always great!
My brain went to static. 😂
Someone told you all that?
Sounds like a recipe for o-ring failure. In this case could have just been vibration. I'd like to hear your chemist approach for power steering fluid in a brake system.
@@The_RedkweenI just had brain freeze! :D
I have been a automechanic for over 30 years and I always learn something on your videos. Thank you and keep up the great work.
Dude... I LOVE that you made errors because THAT'S exactly how we learn and to see how you correct those issues that many of us (no doubt) will create. These are the BEST videos to learn from, for this exact reason.
Excellent vid. Thanks again
Thank you so much!
I just discovered the ScannerDanner channel, and just in time. Recently, I noticed that my 2006 Honda Accord's A/C was not blowing nearly as cold as it had in the past years. At 54 years of age, I've only recently gotten over the fear of tackling some of the automotive repairs that are rarely handled in do-it-yourself/backyard repair situations. Thanks to ScannerDanner's (Paul's) great video, I will purchase an A/C manifold kit and a vacuum pump and fix the A/C problem myself. ScannerDanner (Paul), your videos are so valuable. Thanks - and please keep them coming!
Have you tackled Caliper repair? I'm wondering if i should tackle son's car which is a 2004. Im sure the components are old. should I replace both calipers or just the one that freezes up after braking (grabs and doesn't release the rotor.....at least I think
Im a big fan of your teaching techniques, the way you talk to everyone, and especially your honesty! I have been learning refrigeration for 7+ years now, and I learn so much from you and every project that i do. I think your vacuum pump could possibly pull down below 100 if you let it go long enough, but that's not necassary, however, letting it run for a long time insures that the moisture is removed. I also recommend that you close and open whatever valves you are using a few times during the vacuum process, cause that lets air bubbles and moisture, that is trapped in the valves, free to be evacuated.
You will find that usually your microns will rise a lot more than on this video. As long as they don't rise past a certain point in 10 minutes, you don't have a leak. If you have a leak, they will rise quickly to infinity. I fix freezers, refrigerators, and home AC, and on the small systems I shoot for about 200 and hope it doesn't rise much past 600 in 10 minutes. I don't think I'd be too concerned if it stayed under 1000, but I would probably want to vacuum it for longer anyway. I have the same pump you used, as well as one a little bigger, and i like to leave them running for hours while i go and do something else.
Thanks again for all you do and how you do it. YOU ARE THE BEST!
I think the clear advantage of the micron gauge is to finally verify there is no moisture in the system. On a big system as you vacuum down, the liquid water quickly boils away, but there may be solid ice that doesn't sublimate as fast. The sudden drop in pressure induces a precipitous drop in temperature that can freeze some water, which will be slow to vacuum off. In that case, when you close the system off and wait, the pressure creeps up as that solid water ice sublimates to water vapour. It's a signal you need to vacuum for longer to get the rest of the water.
Correct
how much longer? what indicates long enough, or could overnight be best to be sure?
@@scottneels2628 Charge only in HOT weather.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll wait for summer here in NZ.
I work for an electric company in NYC. When we perform evacs, we bring our vacuum down to under 150 microns. Our rise test is done over 30 minutes and a loss of 100 microns or less is a pass. On my truck, I've system-checked my vacuums, and I can get to 23 microns. All this means nothing in a car, but for moisture-sensitive electrical components working in the 64k to 345k volt range, it's the difference between flowing electricity and a burnout and power loss.
Con Ed gang 🫡
I think his pump had old oil in it. It should have pulled down much lower than the 500 micron he got to
I fixed my ac on my little work van earlier this spring with your tips and guidance...needed a condenser and some small stuff but everything i did i learned on this channel. Thanks for what you do 👍
Awesome! Thank you
A very good and humble teacher. I'm still learning the whole AC thing and you definitely just added wisdom to my small brain. Thank you.
As a DIYer this was a great video as usual. Your "gift of gab" just adds to the video. Thank you.
Thank you William!
Paul, I watched this whole video on UA-cam TV ..HAVE GOT TO TELL YOU YOU ARE THE ONE OF THE VERY BEST, TEACHER EVER, YES EVER ❤️, GOD BLESS YOU FRED S. YOU DEFINITELY CARE ABOUT THIS WORLD AND DOING YOUR VERY BEST JOB !!!
Thanks so much!
Make sure you watch the follow up on this car! This went south real quick
best demo gauges, home charging , high/low readings, clean air safety. I've read and watched many, this was the clearest. GREAT JOB.
Thank you Brian!
This is a great vid. DIYers learn a bunch. I consider myself a DIYer even though I got 100% in automotive A/C instruction during 4th year apprentice motor mechanic schooling. Use it or lose it. There is so much.
Thanks
Great step by step Paul for us novices on A/C diagnosis and repair. Thanks so much for sharing.
I've always loved the system with a built-in sight glass because it'll truly tell you what condition the system is in whether you have enough for too little refrigerant even though the manifold gauge set has one
I don’t watch your channel enough. I pledge to watch everyone of your videos. I like how you OVER EXPLAIN and diverge from the topic. Keep it real. Thank you Dan… I mean Paul
Thank you Joe! Look forward to watching your progression as you do!
A digital micron guage is a great insight into vacuum but pressure decay testing with digital manifold gauges at 150 to 200 psi is a more real world test. I've found many systems hold a good vacuum but can't hold a pressure test. Great video and camera work as always 👍😁
I agree. I do both tests, pressure and vacuum
FYI, after you take the hose off the vac pump and connect the hose up to the R134a you are to remove the center cap off the line set manifold and purge the hose with R134a until you see it in the site glass window. Then you can open up the low side and charge the system. Thanks for the videos!!! God Bless!!!
There is so much good old school classic basics going on here, that I thought someone might have had a Close Encounter with the Third Kind.
I might share this video as a Primer (not a primer) to my Techs at work.
Nicely done, thank you for your content and accuracy.
Thank you!
The best video for diy people on this subject, no question. Step by step ac repair, and a gentleman who cares about the environment too. Thank you Sir, your videos are always extremely informative. If you ever come up Toronto way, adult beverages of your choice will be bestowed upon you.
If that is your son filming, i like that you got him involved to gain the knowledge. He's helping you and learning valuable information. He's learning mechanics and videography. Nice.
It's my oldest son's car and my second born (Caleb) is my cameraman an editor. It's his full-time job these days!
A couple quick side notes I'd like to add;
- With regard to the micron gauge, I've seen a lot of HVAC guys use a schrader on the port or a ball valve to valve off the micron gauge, and to prevent atmospheric air entering the system, they will charge until the pressure is equal to or marginally greater than atmosphere so that when they remove the micron gauge, atmospheric air can't rush in.
On the note of wasting your R134a by charging a leaking system, excluding the part where refrigerants are bloody expensive... here's what you should keep in mind with an R12, R22 or R134a system;
Luckily, unlike R12 or R22, R134a isn't a CFC, it's a HFC. therefore doesn't deplete the ozone layer. It's also not toxic either, which does mean that is safer to discharge to atmosphere... but the other impacts it has make these still a bad idea. R134a is an extremely dense gas. If discharged over a pit, it will accumulate in that pit. R134a is known as an asphyxiant, as it is capable of displacing air in the lungs and is hard to expel, so it should not be inhaled or discharged over a pit. It's also a potent greenhouse gas. These reasons combined are why you can't legally discharge an entire AC system straight to atmosphere, and you *MUST* use a recovery machine with a tank attached. Some purging is allowed for obvious reasons, as the amount of gas lost is very minimal and has no real effect environmentally.
Newer AC systems that use the R290 gas, however, can be safely discharged to atmophere, as the gas used is pure propane, which doesn't have the same effects as R134a. It's not a heavy gas, so easily disperses. R290 is also a very light hydricarbon that doesn't pose a greenhouse effect, it doesn't deplete the ozone layer either. Anyone discharging an R290 system though needs to be aware that the refrigerant is propane. it's extremely flammable, therefore should only be discharged away from sparks or open flames, and in a very well ventillated area to prevent a gas explosion.
Great tips! Thank you
Propane is still heavier than air, so it's still worth taking any precautions you would for other gases.
I used to have a 280zx (same engine just older model) and it was faster than most people think they are! And super fun to drive. Enjoyed your vid!!
SD AC videos are my absolute favorite. It’s what brought me to the channel like 5 or 6 years ago.
New subscriber just think your approach is authentic and realistic and love that you dont edit out the things that make you human. You clearly have the gift of gab but also clearly understand that the more we learn the more it becomes obvious how much we dont know. Even a master in their trade will be learning with each project they do! Great content
Thank you so much and welcome to my channel! Looking forward to hearing from you more in the future
I didn't know for years and years that you can turn the nitrogen tank valve on to check its pressure just by backing the regulator off. No hose is needed.
With the regulator turned down to zero the amazing regulator holds back 2000 psi from coming out the output.
The night mare leak is to have a compressor shaft seal leaking only at pressures above 300 psi.
My dump truck had such an leak. It would hold 200 psi on the nitrogen test all day long. Same with vacuum test but wouldn't stay charged two weeks.
I went most of one summer without AC but one hot day in August I decided to charge it up and have air just a little while.
This time it didnt stay charged all day.
I got home did a 200 psi nitrogen test and it held rock solid. I never could see any dye at the compressor or soap bubbles. So next morning I ordered a new compressor and that fixed it.
Thanks for all your amazing contributions Scanner!😎
I know people are going to say I'm a fool, but I've started converting all R12 designed systems to R152a instead of R134a. I get it out of computer duster cans with a can tap. It runs at lower pressure than R134a, and has very similar properties to R12. It's molecular weight is 66.05 g/mol vs 120.90 g/mol for R12, so a charge only uses 55 percent of the weight of R12. On most vehicles it's under 28 ounces, which is less then 2 cans. Yes it is considered semi flammable, but it does not give a flame extension or flashback in the standard test used to measure the flammability of aerosol products. It's already used in some industries, it was actually tested by the automotive industry to replace R134a but the manufactures decided to go with R1234YF. R1234YF has the exact same flammability class rating as R152a, A2 rating. They both have the same GWP rating also, at 0. You also drive around with 15-20 gallons of highly flammable gas in your vehicle, so I wouldn't worry much about 25 ounces of mildly flammable gas that's already being used in newer vehicles.
Scanner Danner; the best example of AC work I've seen on the internet, thanks so much for the mistake examples and the correction of information..! You're the best..! Regards Joseph
Wow, thanks!
Well Danner I was on my way out of the industry and it didn’t end up happening I’ve been working at an independent chain shop the last couple years and they didn’t want to pay me more but want me to keep doing more work which I didn’t have a problem with at first to show them what I could do but now you know and don’t want to pay what I’m worth I was headed to a factory job and a local dealership was looking for help they are going to pay me almost 3 dollars an hour more to start and offer me all the factory training to increase my pay so it looks like I’m sticking around
Hi Paul,
I worked on many John Deere tractors with R12 and TEV systems. When charging the system after pulling a vacuum, I would always fill the Hi side first, engine off of course. As the system filled I would watch the lo side. If the lo side came up nice and steady it meant the TEV was in good shape. If the lo side just stays in a vacuum there is a problem. I watched the lo side in your video as you began to fill and it came up nice and steady.
On the tractors we also used retro fit kits to go to R134A.
I learned from a commercial A/C guy to fill with the can upside down (liquid) and stay under 40psi on the low side as you fill. Didn't have any problems. With the can up (vapor) it takes forever.
Great video.
AC systems are one of the more tedious repairs with customers. It behooves the technician to be upfront with the customer. An older system may require lengthy diagnosis to repair, on top of costly components & book time. It can quickly turn a 120 dollar job into a 1200 dollar job. There is no room for shortcuts. If everything isn't working harmoniously, then it won't work at all. What's dreadful about the repair, is that most people don't care/notice the worn ball joint. They instantly notice the AC when they hit the button on a 90 degree day. They want it working, and working yesterday. Some will spare no expense to have it repaired. Many will question you. Be upfront before you sell the job.
I am in the process of troubleshooting my 1997 Ford Aerostar AC - about a year ago, it dumped a bunch of oil suddenly on a concrete slab. It was not motor oil or transmission or power steering or coolant or brakes, so it had to be from the AC system. Over the course of a few days after the dump, the AC was not cooling and I have not used it since. Just now getting around to trying to fix it. Your video is the most thorough and instructive and encouraging I have found so far. I hope to have my system figured out soon based on information you shared. Thank you so much.
Awesome! Thank you
To prevent having to remove your micron gauge find and purchase a 90° ball valve that goes between the micron gauge and the hose so that you can isolate the gauge without having to remove it
I've been working in shops for the last 9 years and on A/C for the last 4 of those years and this has been the best way anyone has ever explained it to me.
Thank you!
@@ScannerDanner too many guys I've worked with are focused on what "they know" instead of what the data is telling them and you do an excellent job of the latter. Seriously keep it up. I dropped out of of college and started working on cars with no experience and your channel has been a huge help.
@@SWKFAMOUS that is awesome! So glad to help, thanks again!
I don't have a compressed nitrogen cylinder. I have several argon cylinders. I've always used dry compressed air to leak check in the past. I have a really great dry air system for painting. Learn something new every day, I didn't know about the acid problem with "air". I am all for doing everything I do as correctly as possible. But honestly if an AC system is at 0 psi it has atmospheric air in the system. If you replace a component and break the system it has atmospheric air in the system. But, going forward, now that I know better, I'll be using argon to leak check.
Argon is expensive as hell! N2 is a lot cheaper.
If it’s truly “DRY” how is it going to form acid in the AC system? I’m calling bullshit here. Sounds like something that relates to wet shop air and is likely very overblown by HVAC companies. If anyone has supporting literature ( not advertising) I’d be open to new information
Hey Paul my name is Michael been a mechanic out here in phx. AZ for over 40 years. Anyways been watching your videos for at least 10 years, Someone else said your a fountain of knowledge, I can not think of a better fitting compliment for you. Your AWESOME!! Anyways just for your 411 if you put one of those little desicant compressor dryers on your compressor hose 6- 8 dollars and Compressed air I can only get up to 150 psi but that is usually plenty, As hot as it gets out here you really have to pay attention to your pressure to temp relationship. Before 4-5 pm you can raise up to 10 psi in no time, and actually overlook a leak. Also your emphasis on oil overcharge is great I see it quit frequently. Please Please Keep up the great work and the awesome videos!!! I strive on saving poeple money and you have definately helped me to do it better!!! (while keeping my bills paid) Sincerely, Mike Rowe Rowe's Restorations Ps. GLAD to finally know your name!!!
Such a great comment! Thank you! And great tip on the compressed air variable too! You thought I was "Dan" didn't you? Nice to meet you @Tia Cohen
Hey Mike. My name is Michael. I live in SoCal. I don’t follow your comment about you rising 10 psi and missing a leak. What piece of knowledge were you trying to share? So you always use compressed air with a dryer to pressure test your system?
I dont remember how I+ stated it, however it is very important to remember as tempeture rises so does the pressure
I was watching the show you did a year or so ago using nitrogen to find the leaks without damaging the system. So today falls right at the proper time. Thank You I have learned a lot since I discovered your channel about a year ago!
Thank you! Some additional safety things discussed in this one and then I introduce a micron gauge (first time I've used one)
I also would like to Thank You for your teaching you have a natural way to make my old mind click and I have been able to use your knowledge to help me as a 69 yr old man to keep on trying to fix my vehicles cause I don’t have extra money to pay a shop. Next is finding the leak in my 98 dodge V10 a/c unit. You truly are a God send to people such as myself and not afraid to try. I was a carpenter in my younger life and self taught
@@gregskibinski9937 glad you are here Greg and I really appreciate you. Thank you!
Hello Paul. Back when I was doing retrofits, I would use a fairly large blower type fan in front of the condenser to simulate road wind. Then put the car to a high idle (1800 rpm or so). Add refrigerant while watching the register output temperature. The temperature will go down to a point then start to rise as the system starts to reach an over full condition. This obviously needs to be done slowly and carefully but I had excellent results.
never rely on schrader valves to keep air from entering when under a vacuum, they're designed to hold pressure from the inside seal end and not a vacuum with air pushing in from outside, they'll easily open and allow air in. you very likely let in air when you closed the low side adapter and removed it. same for the self sealing/low loss hoses, they're all made to hold pressure, not vacuum.
you should use good ball valves to isolate things and cycle them half/part way closed a few times, as there's voids in them that hold air around the ball and that releases making the vacuum drop when cycled. it's a good idea to charge as much liquid as possible into the high side first (with engine off!) then you can close it and finish charging through low side with vehicle running.
Yep.
throttle bottle - damn, i've gotta watch the video again hahaha. i've got a set of fairly cheap ($300) gauges coming in next couple of days. i got em cuz i've gotta do my 2001 silverado & a couple of other buddies rigs. will be my first time doing AC so i've been watching a bunch of videos. can you walk me through what kind of valves to get etc.? would i install them on the end of the vacuum/high/low side hoses... like attach them to the factory ends where they install into the actual gauges or somehow replace the ends that connect to the hi/low service ports themselves? am i making sense? if you're too busy i totally understand, your comment just really interested me, thanks:) barbie
@@8barbies779 it's really not that crucial. Miniscule amounts moisture that gets in from disconnecting fittings and switching the the other cans, etc. should be absorbed by the drier.
Most a lot of shops would have called that o ring a bad condenser, and of the compressor now needs to be replaced. That’ll be $2000 thank you very much!!
For that car, I would've replaced the receiver/dryer. It's old and rotten, by now, and you had the system empty, anyway. You might've had drier and colder air if the receiver/drier was replaced.
Yeah I always replace the accumulator/filter dryer just cause the system is open, like you said the things are blown out after years of use. Pretty cheap insurance for most cars
Dan, you are one hell of a teacher Bravo Zulu.
Perfect audio, perfect video man.I am so impressed
Thank you! My name is Paul Danner btw 😉
I have been watching your video's for years and I just want to say thanks for all your help!!!! it means a lot to me and you have saved me soooooooooo much money, just doing the work myself!!!!!
Since watching your videos I now ALWAYS pressure test my ac repairs and VACUUM test. Thanks for the tips!
"If you were a gas, you would be inert"
Awesome video!❤
Hands down, best AC recharge video on YT
Long video but I watched every second of it. Thank you so much for reaching me and the rest of us.
You are so welcome!
I can sit a watch these videos all day! Well done my 88 sits right at 40 degrees very nice with Louisiana weather 👌🏾
This young man is exceptionally good, period.
A micron gauge is used to determine if there is moister in the system not to prove a leak in the system. Everything Doctor Paul shows In this video is perfectly good practice. He is very knowledgeable.
Is it not both? Thanks!
False. A micron gauge is used to measure vacuum on a system. Ideally you should vacuum a system down to under 500 microns to boil off moisture in the system. The purpose of pulling a vacuum is not to pull the refrigerant back into the system. The purpose is to eliminate moisture.
Nice routine you have there Paul for checking for leaks, and making sure to boil off all the moisture with a vacuum pump. I haven’t used a micron gauge but I feel comfortable as long as I get down below 28-29 in vacuum and it holds for 15 mins I’m happy. Thanks as always Paul for sharing your repairing. I learn a lot from you.
As someone who's converted some of those old NIssans from R12 to R134, the condenser makes a big difference. If you swap the original condenser with a custom parallel flow unit designed for R134 the head pressure goes down by 30-50PSI and the thing will hit 40 no problem. The cost isn't too bad either $150 or so and the system works better than what it did with R12.
Great tip!
Oh Paul how I miss your videos on UA-cam 😟. You and Eric have taught me so much over the years and you are so so missed. I see this one says a year old as I see it but I’m still holding out hope that some way I can get your incredible instruction with the patience and calm you display. Steve from Canada 🇨🇦 🙏
I upload just about every week. Make sure you have the bell icon clicked.
@@ScannerDanner isn’t that strange…the bell is on and set to ‘every upload’ 🤷🏻♂️ I guess the algorithm doesn’t like me. LoL 😆 I’m gonna do better looking for you….
I do truly thank you..your style of teaching fits exactly with my kind of learning….just rocker bros. from another country I guess. 🤘🤘 Lol 😂
I did pretty good on my 2000 Yukon (yes it’s that old from the Canadian rust-belt)..I calculated I needed 2 cans and a bit but soon as the second can went in I registered 32°F centre vent, full fan recirc. @ 90°F with 75% Hum. I got to thinking afterwards and on my cans it said R-12….I’m pretty sure this is an R-134a system. I wonder if that had any effect on it? ‘They’ say those to are similar but are they suppose to mix? No freeze ups but wow I can’t believe how cold it is! I could make ice cubes on the console! LoL 😝
@@FourSeasonsNorth4x4 you know what really sucks for me? I've had 59 new uploads since this video last year and it's b.s. that YT isn't notifying you of them. Smh
Anyway thank you so much for your support!
Also so you know I get a ton of work to redo other people’s crappy work. And I have picked up a ton of diag and repairs thanks to you.
The good with the bad is real time live. I’m about to fix my F150 ac so this help a lot. Thanks for this education about refrigeration and pressures. ✅.
Thank you for showing your work, and not editing out the mistakes.
My pleasure!
A really slick modern oil is called PAG100 "Double End Capped"(molecule). It is fully compatible with all things R12 and R134a. You can switch refrigerants without changing out the oil.
I worked on cars almost 50 years I started reading about combustion engines 12 13 14 and starting to work on Automotive cars I used to build tractor trailer models which was the big as day and car models learn the parts read books have even started doing body work at the age of maybe 14 or 15 then I went to high school head shop for 3 years and went to Lincoln Tech with two and a half for business on Automotive and Diesel and took business one thing is I can see you're one of the mechanics on UA-cam that try to be as thorough as possible and even go by the book I can appreciate your videos by the time my first year high school when we were taking nothing but test and staying in a class I asked them to bring in the 71 Pontiac Grand Prix that I needed to put an engine in my shop teacher he was very surprised that I had that much knowledge didn't know everything but I knew pretty much I brought the car in and put an engine in 71 Grand Prix because of course schools didn't have that much to do with working engines because of the school budget so we brought in work that we were working on otherwise at home pretty much had to retire but still think cars are real fun
Hands down best AC video I’ve ever seen on youtube.
Thank you for all of your videos, I’ve learned a bunch from you!
Thank you!
Thanks for helping a fellow Yinzer understand the process. I am trying this on my Kizashi tomorrow.🤞
The ac gas light is connected to a superheat switch. It will illuminate when the system is running and low on gas. If it's flat empty it should not illuminate after the engine is running. It will light for bulb check.
Man, Paul, I just love your videos. You are such an awesome teacher, a great dad and just seem like an all around good dude. Anyway, I like your process here.
Thanks so much Mark. Really appreciated this comment
Thank Danner for the detail explanations and demonstrations,you are better than a AC tech.
At 23:55, ScannerDanner (Paul) listens to some chirping birds and then points out that we are hearing a Cardinal and also a Robin: "I'm learning my birds. As I get older, I enjoy those things. As I young man, I never cared." Priceless! This guy is great. Who could possibly dislike this man? And he's a wealth of automotive knowledge.
Thank you Lawrence!
Great video Paul and Calib and at UTI Refrigeration School they taught using only crushed ice and water for calibrating temp gauges as that guarantees that you are at 32 degrees. Either way
you are going to get closer than 75 degrees LOL. Awesome knowledge learned from you always, thanks so much.
GREAT WORK DAD!!! SO ENTHUSED ABOUT YOUR SONS NEW PURCHASE. GREAT TO SEE
As hey dude said. I second that for not editing. Keeping it real. Thank you
Scanner fantastic video. Love when you realize ahh I screwed up, keeping your wits about yourself while smoothly figure out the fix. You are a slick mechanic with plenty of smarts. You may think yer a gas bag but that keeps the video exciting an myself focused on what yer putting out. I'm sure yer son is proud to have you as a dad and mentor in his life.
Your videos are always packed with information.
Thanks so much Mark!
Yeah I made it all the way and i did learn how to work on the AC system. Thanks for everything !
You can go to auto paint supply store and get a filter for paint gun and filter out the moisture in ur compressor lines before you pressure a/c system with compressor air😊
I'm with you that acidic oil in an automotive application is not a huge deal. You definitely don't want acidic oil in a house AC or commercial AC system because the acid will eat away at the windings in the compressor causing a burn out, but with an all mechanical compressor such as automotive its not near as big a deal. I worked in an AC shop for many years and we used compressed air quite a bit. A combination of a deep vacuum and the desiccant in the dryer/accumulator minimizes the chance of acidic oil a lot. Just found your channel last night and enjoying the content,
Thank you! Glad you found me. I've since switched to nitrogen, just to silence the critics lol. But I'm glad you're here and thanks for this comment!
One technique that I just tried a few minutes ago while topping up my Integra to check the Schrader's after I was done was to back off the valves but leave them on, discharge both hoses through the manifold valves and close them again. Wait awhile to see if the hoses repressurize. They will climb a little bit anyway the first time or two that you close them but then they should stay at zero forever.
I seem to have alot of intermittents with things so I made a small led power indicator board with 6 ckts and long leads so I can drive time monitor things, ive actually run a trip with the guages hooked up for 8 hrs lol, but it solved what the issue was. hygroscopic is the word you were looking for, they make a shutoff valve that fits between the micron and the line fitting.
Hello,
thanks for good explanation, so everyone can understand. You go in depth with the problem and that is very good.
I recommend that people watch your channel, you are legend.
Well I was so proud of my self I finly got on your preamum chanel to find out my wife put me in deat and know left me for someone else take care and God bless you and your family please keep me in your prayers and keep up the good work
I'm so sorry Paul 😞
Man I really like this guy and his channel. Lots of helpful and useful information from this man.
Thank you and welcome! Really appreciate this feedback
Thanks for helping. I have a 1950.00 estimate on a compressor replacement. I have a complete garage, so I'm studying A/C repair. Thank You for helping.
Keep in mind, when a compressor fails, it often can pump its guts all through the AC system and if this happened, at a minimum, you'd need a new orifice tube or expansion valve, a new accumulator or receiver drier and a new compressor. It is also very possible that you'll need a new condenser too because that is where all the compressor debris goes first and you cannot flush those effectively on a parallel flow core.
Now if the compressor failed in the clutch area and didn't pump anything into the system, then all you need is the compressor and nothing else.
Wow! I'm an old school mechanic from the 80's and I'm not familiar with the micron gauge. Great video. Thanks for the info.
I'm new to it too. I like it, but is it all the rage people made it to be? Nope
I don't mean to criticize but I can hear my dad yelling from the office "are your hands clean for putting oil on the o-rings" yes of course I remember the first 100 or so times you told me. Great video sir!
Hello....You are still Scanner Danner to me....learned a lot about how to apply the oscilloscope to automotive applications and even upgraded to a Pico to go with my laptop!
Thank you for all the videos you post and like your son's choice in a car....not my favorite Z, but it is a classic! Hope he got the manual......I'm old school!
PS: When removing your digital gauge, it would have been fine to use the vacuum pump to clean the gauge lines....pinching a line with vice grips is N.G.
Also should purge the yellow line at the gauge to avoid atmospheric wet/air from line when adding refrigerant. This does allow refrigerant to the atmosphere, but is acceptable for purging line only (no need to loosen line at gauge, it can frost the seal. Schrader valve under the brass cap screw for yellow line at gauge input.)
P-Chi
Excellent video ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Its so refreshing to listen to a "how to" from someone who obviously recieved a good solid education and a great grasp on the fundamentals of vacuum vs pressure.
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you!
Always gain a ton of knowledge from your videos!! You're such a humble man. I'll keep watching as long as you keep posting vids. Wish I could attend your class one of these day.
Thank you Joe! You can always join me remotely here
www.scannerdanner.com/join-scannerdanner-premium.html
Hope to see you there!
Hello Paul, great video. I'm fixing my car and uploading videos. Among all the issues, I had an A/C leak. Your video has been helpful for my series. Thank you and congratulations!
Awesome! Tag me in it please . Thank you!
Enjoyed your content. I'm a commercial refrigeration technician and have done almost everything involving a vapor compression system. The Gas light on the Z was really cool. I had a 280Z with the all digital dash, can't remember seeing that option on it however. Lot of good info. After dealing with rack systems for Walmart, 2000lbs 404A, losing refrigerant is always and issue. When I have a leak it's bad news and I can't leave until it's fixed. Finding a leak with Nitro & bubbles isn't an option, leak detector or dye in the system. Nitro helps in removing moisture and it has the lowest molecular weight of any gas making it the best option for finding leaks. When it comes to the micrometer moisture boils off around 1200, if system struggles around 1200 you know that the system has moisture. Several methods to remove moisture. 500 microns is the number you need to know that all non condensibles have been removed.. I've had the same vacuum for so long that I can hear when my pump has achieved desired microns.. The oil has a high affinity to moisture, once the cap is removed use what you need and trash the rest. Make sure you have fresh oil in the vacuum, it will pull down faster. 800microns I let it rip. Most conversions require about 15% less refrigerant than before, sight glass was also pretty neat. I've never dealt with a txv in MVAC most are fixed orfices. Often times the txv will require changing. Using a txv not rated for the refrigerant could cause pressures to look low. Flashing at the sight glass bc the txv is starving the evaporator. When dealing with low pressure systems or negative pressure systems everything is critical and if I miss or try to skip a step it always comes back to bite me in the ass.. Had a newer Cadillac with ac issue. With all the tools that I have it still required a computer to diagnose the system. It was the only way to test and verify if the sensors were within tolerance. High Engine Temp sensor was out of tolerance. I've seen and done a lot. Had opportunity to install chiller on big ships, some of the things I had to come up with solutions inorder to make the equipment purchased work all bc they didn't understand that the salesman upsold them which required an expensive controller. The owner didn't purchase the controllers, I had to install DC rectifiers that I ordered from Amazon for $12.00 apiece. The controllers were $475 apiece . I've never used a protective cap on Nitro, can't tell you how many busted regulators I've had over the years. Plus, my Nitro bottles are 6ft and strapped to a 2 wheeler. I have several manifolds I use but when dealing with MVAC I use the throw aways. My Testos have micrometer built in and so does the hoseless yellow jackets. The gouges would cost more to replace than all new MVAC system. The R12 units use to get really cold, I still have some R12. Got a Coke Machine that runs on it. There is a newer refrigerant out R1234 haven't used it yet. I do have some R290 & R600 medium temp units with it. Propane & Butane. some of the systems only hold 2.8oz of R290 when a R134 unit same size might hold 12oz. Can't leave access ports on r290/r600 units. Look forward to watching more of your content.
great info! Thanks for sharing your expertise
The ac systems today are so good , What we had in the 60s 70s cars was expensive to keep it running from year to year. My teacher got me a job doing heating and cooling I had very little work until summer it was $500 a year if nothing major was wrong, It's a huge difference
Fantastic explanations! I have a wealth of info from residential HVAC…you are spot on with the 500 microns and below being preferred to minimize moisture and non-condensables. Most manufacturers have their own recommendations, but 500 is the universal standard. Don’t go below 250 microns for many oils. Vacuum pump, vacuum pump oil, and good hoses and seals are imperative. If you are unsure, change your vacuum pump oil (it is special… don’t use motor oil, etc.), change the rubber seals on your hose ends, or use something like Nylog on the hose fittings when you connect to pull the vacuum.
Also, Nitrogen is THE way to pressure test/leak test. For most micron gauges you can apply pressure after the vacuum with refrigerant/oil but you will have to clean the gauge (usually with isopropyl alcohol)-check your manual for your gauge.
Last…close the check valve, pinch off the hoses at the vacuum pump, or disconnect from your car system when you turn the pump off. Otherwise the vacuum in the system will start to pull your vacuum pump’s oil into the hoses.
Thanks for such a great walk through of car AC systems and your explanations. Again…excellent advice.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate that coming from an actual HVAC tech too!
18:13 some times on an AC system with a traditional magnetic clutch, especially if the car has sat for 8-12 months and has 200,000+ miles, the clutch can be dirty and won't engage, tap the clutch face with a mallet and they usually will engage and be fine after that, if it was just a dirty lazy clutch...try the tap method before proving out the fuses/relays/climate head/wiring, etc... Great Video!!!
I never knew you could run the system on nitrogen to test it. Good stuff!
The nitrogen pressurized the system, allowing the compressor clutch to engage. He did the test quickly and emphasized that the nitrogen is not circulating oil, so you can't run it that way for long.
Thank you! Thank you! I learn so much today watching your video. You’re a great teacher!!😊😊
You can definitely have systems hold vacuum, but not pressure. And that can be because of the seal that's leaking--- your vacuum can pull it closed, but when there's pressure on the other side, it can push the seal away from the 'gap" at the leak again, because there's nothing there to support the seal-- at the leak. So again, a vacuum can cause a leaking seal to Reseal itself - but it only holds as long as the vacuum is there, pulling on the seal... So your leaky seal is acting as a one way valve essentially.
Just a little comment about max pressure in the A/C system.
Manufacturers have security regulations to comply to, that also applies to accessories like the A/C systems, meaning that the A/C systems are 1stly built to sustain way over 300PSI before going critical, and on both sides of the A/C system, so 300PSI is always in the "safe zone" no matter what ... I mean for cars with the high pressure side of the A/C that reach these numbers which is a great majority of the vehicles on the road.
THANKS FOR THE VIDEO!
Nice car! 2 thumbs up !
Good comment about protecting the atmosphere which is in trouble big time. ..says this urban refugee from Phx aka Furnace, Az
Keeping your customer in the loop and covering all the diagnostic bases will not only keep your customers coming back, but you can also avoid legal hassles trying to get someone to pay for work that they never approved (you will lose). I used to rent a couple stalls out when I first started my transmission shop, and I had a guy named Gary who would constantly barge ahead without contacting the customer until the bill was ready. We never really fought, but my name was on the sign and his lack of understanding of not only fair play, but Michigan law was going to take him to task if somebody had ever pushed the issue. Gary was a really nice guy and a good mechanic and in a small town where everybody knows and loves you is the only thing that kept him out of trouble. He was never dishonest; he just had that bad habit.
I considering you my teacher already .. Respect your knowledge Sir.. and this is for your Son.. please tell him ... im really love that Z.. barely find a good one now.. its had alot memories on me with that Z..❤️
hi yall mr scanner Danner ...keep up the good work. educating the youngsters and the older folks like me
Just FYI, I’ve noticed in several videos that you tighten the low and high side couplers all the way. This could potentially damage the Schrader valves. It’s recommended to tighten them just a little until you start seeing pressure on the gauge. Thank you for the great content, though!
never had an issue with that, but thanks for the warning