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chasfm11 · 11-03-2005, 03:38 PM

I've been sitting here, muttering to myself and I thought I'd take the time to solict some additional thoughts about my situation. Here it is.
1. Bought our coach in Jan/04 - too cold to accurately test the dash A/C during PDI
2. In March, discovered that dash A/C wouldn't cool. Took it back to the dealer who was kind enough to recharge the system at no cost (was a used purchase - no warranty)
3. In Sept, we discovered that dash air wasn't cooling again. By agreement with the dealer we would wait until spring to repair.
4. In March, 05, dealer worked on the dash A/C. Replaced a hose, the dryer, etc. Total bill $900.
5. In June 05, dash A/C isn't working again. Back to the dealer, another house, another $300.
6. In Aug 05, dash A/C isn't working again. Call to make an appointment - earliest is Oct 1st.
7. Called dealer on October 1st - cannot take my unit - have a local RV show - will call with a new appointment date. To date, no call.

On Oct. 13th, I bought gauges and refridgerant (I've never worked on A/C before) recharged the system and added UV dye. We spent the next week in the RV and used the dash A/C over 6 hours - worked fine.

This week, I used the UV detection light that I bought with the gauges and found the area under the high side hose connection on the compressor "lit up" with dye. Today, I tightened the nut on the hose and ran the A/C until the diesel was fully warmed up (takes a while) and tonight I re-checked the compressor area - no dye (I cleaned it all off after tightening the nut)

So, while I'm happy to believe that my dash A/C problem is fixed (there is no trace of dye anywhere else on the system), I'm both puzzled and frustrated. I was happy as a clam not knowing much about A/C and letting someone else do this work.

I should also share that I respectfully and politely told the person at the dealer while I was trying to make the 4th appointment that I hoped this would be the last time we needed to do this and would like to make sure there proper steps were taken to resolve the matter

What did I do wrong? I've worked on enough different stuff to understand that nobody fixes everything the first time and that intermittent problems are the most difficult. I really have compassion for the techs who have to do this for a living and cannot afford the time that I can to work through these kinds of problems. At the same time, this just doesn't seem right to me.
Any time I, an untrained, inexperienced tech in a new area can do better than the professionals after multiple tries (and on a seemingly obvious type of problem) there has to be something wrong.

Your thoughts?

P.S. Sorry about the long post. I feel a little better now.

chasfm11 · 11-03-2005, 03:38 PM

I've been sitting here, muttering to myself and I thought I'd take the time to solict some additional thoughts about my situation. Here it is.
1. Bought our coach in Jan/04 - too cold to accurately test the dash A/C during PDI
2. In March, discovered that dash A/C wouldn't cool. Took it back to the dealer who was kind enough to recharge the system at no cost (was a used purchase - no warranty)
3. In Sept, we discovered that dash air wasn't cooling again. By agreement with the dealer we would wait until spring to repair.
4. In March, 05, dealer worked on the dash A/C. Replaced a hose, the dryer, etc. Total bill $900.
5. In June 05, dash A/C isn't working again. Back to the dealer, another house, another $300.
6. In Aug 05, dash A/C isn't working again. Call to make an appointment - earliest is Oct 1st.
7. Called dealer on October 1st - cannot take my unit - have a local RV show - will call with a new appointment date. To date, no call.

On Oct. 13th, I bought gauges and refridgerant (I've never worked on A/C before) recharged the system and added UV dye. We spent the next week in the RV and used the dash A/C over 6 hours - worked fine.

This week, I used the UV detection light that I bought with the gauges and found the area under the high side hose connection on the compressor "lit up" with dye. Today, I tightened the nut on the hose and ran the A/C until the diesel was fully warmed up (takes a while) and tonight I re-checked the compressor area - no dye (I cleaned it all off after tightening the nut)

So, while I'm happy to believe that my dash A/C problem is fixed (there is no trace of dye anywhere else on the system), I'm both puzzled and frustrated. I was happy as a clam not knowing much about A/C and letting someone else do this work.

I should also share that I respectfully and politely told the person at the dealer while I was trying to make the 4th appointment that I hoped this would be the last time we needed to do this and would like to make sure there proper steps were taken to resolve the matter

What did I do wrong? I've worked on enough different stuff to understand that nobody fixes everything the first time and that intermittent problems are the most difficult. I really have compassion for the techs who have to do this for a living and cannot afford the time that I can to work through these kinds of problems. At the same time, this just doesn't seem right to me.
Any time I, an untrained, inexperienced tech in a new area can do better than the professionals after multiple tries (and on a seemingly obvious type of problem) there has to be something wrong.

Your thoughts?

P.S. Sorry about the long post. I feel a little better now.

charliez · 11-03-2005, 04:02 PM

I'd be willing to bet your ac still leaks. If it were me, I'd start asking around the town about a good ac shop. You need someone with a sniffer and the knowedge to use it to find all the leaks. You also ned to know how much oil is in your system. Oil circulatess all around and if you leak freon, you also leak oil. just filling up the freon sets you up for a sure bet that you compressor will fail eventually as it is low on oil.

I've had an ac worked on by someone who claimed to be the best, but it cost me a small fortune to find out he was kidding himself and every customer who walks thru the door.

If you we're in our town, I'd tell you to take it to a guy named Lester. His shop aint much to look at but he knows what he's doing. Quite a change from the first guy. And it turned out that Lester charged less than the first guy. Do some serious asking around.

chasfm11 · 11-03-2005, 04:11 PM

Thanks for your reply, Charlie. I hope that you are wrong about my A/C still leaking

To your points:
1. I put oil back in with the 134. The post was long enough and I just didn't go into all of those details.
2. There are a lot of local shops that are good on auto A/C but none will work on MHs. I'd had already explored all of those possibiltiies that I could find.

I wish I had a Lester here. I'm sure that there is one somewhere but I just don't know how to go about finding him.

Alarmguy · 11-03-2005, 04:43 PM

I would just keep checking for dye, if the dye can't get out the freon can't either.

Terry

chasfm11 · 11-03-2005, 05:02 PM

Thanks, Terry. That is my plan. We will be traveling again soon and may have a chance to use the A/C. Since I now own the test light and glasses, all I have to do is lift the bed and check.

charliez · 11-04-2005, 05:31 AM

There's many places that the dye may be getting out that you can't see. Especially under the dash and behind and under other components. That;s where a sniffer comes in. You can actually use it to test the air coming out of the vents for freon leaking from the evaporator.

Also, very tiny leaks may not let the dye out or maybe not enough dye to see.

I would advise you too to see what happens. if you got it sealed, then that's great. Don't mess with it. Just don't be surprised if it leaks down again.

chasfm11 · 11-04-2005, 05:53 AM

Thanks, Charlie. My plan is exactly what you suggested - if it works, don't mess with it. If it does start to leak down, I'll check it with the UV light. The dealer has already had the evaporator case off so I might remove it again and see if there is any trace of dye. I have no intention of doing anything, however, until I'm sure that a problem still exists.

Somehow, my original intent for this post wasn't clear. My question was what did I do wrong in the sequence of getting someone else to work on this that I ended up working on it myself. And, more importantly, what did I do wrong that caused me to be able to find a problem that the professions didn't. I really don't want to be here and I'd like to learn from my mistakes so that for any problems that I have in the future I don't repeat them. I've very comfortable doing things like chassis lubrication and oil changes, engine or genset. When there are problems, however, I'd just as soon have them resolved by the professionals. I've got to find a way to make that work.

Thanks again for your input.

charliez · 11-05-2005, 03:26 AM

The only mistake I see is taking it back to the same place over and over. Then again, when your in the position of not knowing ac's and trusting someone, what esle is there to do. you gotta do something.

The best thisg you did is stop taking it back and look into it yourself.

hey, I know guy up in FM. His name is David. he's probably one of the best Cisco guys on the planet. He works on all my really high end Cisco stuff. Worth every penny ever spent.

chasfm11 · 11-05-2005, 05:43 AM

Thanks, Charlie. I agree that working on this myself turned out to be my only alternative this time. I've got to figure out some way, however to keep from getting here. I had a similar thing with my speedometer, where I took it back to Freightliner multiple times, paid a lot of money and ended up fixing it myself. I really don't want to keep doing that. I'm too inexperienced on may of these types of systems to be doing my own work. I've got to figure out a different approach.

I'm in IT also and we are blessed in this area to have a lot of great networking talent. I project that I did a couple of years back included a network "shootout" for functionality among Fore, Cisco and a couple of other vendors. I was fortunate enough to work with a couple of really good Cisco guys but none were named David.

abarkl · 11-05-2005, 06:05 AM

Perhaps the service people you speak of should pursue a career in Information Technology since you say they aren't cutting-it in their current jobs.
I'm in the same field and have been for 22 years but I prefer doing it right the first time, myself.

chasfm11 · 11-06-2005, 01:18 PM

I guess I still haven't correctly communicated my thoughts in this thread. By no means was I trying to say that the service guys at the dealer involved with me should be in some other line of work. That dealership has been in business for over 30 years and has to turn away business. I'm sure that they do competent work. They just didn't do it for me - and that was my point. Maybe my situation was just so unique that they couldn't figure it out but then how did I with less skills and experience? I obviously didn't get their best effort. If I wanted to fix it myself, I would have just done it initially or after it failed on one of their several attempts. It was finally after I wanted to use the RV with the dash A/C working and I couldn't even get an appointment with them that I gave up and started to work on it. Honestly, if I had found a part that needed exchanged, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead and done it.

I don't want to be in this type of situation again. I'd like to figure a way not to be. Sorry, I'm just frustrated.......