MIKE ANSWERS THE TOP TEN FIRST GENERATION Z CAR QUESTIONS - PART 3
"Mike, the air conditioning in my Z is blowing hot air - I'm suffering - what can I do?"
Your freon has escaped into the upper atmosphere and is devouring our finite supply of ozone. The most common places for Z car air conditioning systems to leak are, in order; condenser, evaporator, and schrader valves. Schrader valves, what the hell are they? They are the ports through which we charge and monitor, with gauges, the air conditioning system. They leak all the time new or old. In order to prevent the now very costly freon from escaping, manufacturers install a cap, fitted with an o ring, over the valve. If a cap is missing (and 50% of the Z cars I see in my shop fit into this category) you have a freon leak. If the o ring is petrified or missing, the cap will surely leak. So, if you're planning to have your long dormant air conditioning system brought back to life, don't forget the very important role of the schrader valve cap. It will save you money and help save or ozone layer. Now, where did I put my SPF 15?
Michael McGinnis
Banzai Motorworks
