I noticed the tube coming of the AC compressor (I think that's what it is called) have no insulation on them and are open in the engine compartment. I can't stand how poor the AC is already, so I'm looking at insulating them. Any idea what I could put on them that would be effective yet safe in the high heat of being under the hood?

Thanks!

Sam

 

Have you confirmed your AC is functioning up to snuff?

Stewart

 

Not really. I just know that it doesn't work as well as any other vehicle I've owned. I had it serviced last year and they didn't say anything about it other than being a little low. I just want to make sure it's as efficient as possible and I can certainly see it losing some of its effectiveness in that area.

 

Did they identify the leak, if they added refrigerant last year? If not your lack of A/C performance may be attributable to an undercharge. Even a 10% undercharge makes a noticeable difference. How often do you have it serviced?

I would seriously question insulating any of the metallic lines in the engine bay. Refrigeration systems are a dynamic animal with a lot of variables to account for. Automotive HVAC Engineers have spent countless hours designing these systems to work the way we see them. Those lines are without insulation for a reason.

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers

 

They never did find the leak, but I think I did. I decided I would clean the A/C in the rear one day. When I took all the plastic out I found the neon green dye. Previously, I found it leaking on the ground from the rear during the winter. I can't see where it was leaking from exactly, though. Must be a pin-hole. It only leaks during the winter, though...not sure why.

I put some additional coolant in a couple of days ago. It was already at an acceptable level on the gauge, but put some more in (still keeping it in range) and it is working better. It still isn't quite what I want it to be, so I'm hoping to help it out some more.

Now to the insulation...
There are two schools of thought on this: one is the engineers did what's best for the system and the other is they left it uninsulated because it cost extra (we know they don't like to spend extra).

I really notice how bad it gets when I have the rear air turned on. It seems to barely keep things moderately cool.

 

Sounds like something near the rear evaporator or the evaporator itself has at least one leak, especially if it drips dye on the ground. If the dye comes out that easily you are losing your lubricant as well.

[/quote]
Now to the insulation...
There are two schools of thought on this: one is the engineers did what's best for the system and the other is they left it uninsulated because it cost extra (we know they don't like to spend extra).

I really notice how bad it gets when I have the rear air turned on. It seems to barely keep things moderately cool.[/quote]

Absolutely. Sometimes value engineering sometimes leans toward the excessive side. However, I think this would be a bit of both. Where do the engineers draw the line on cost vs. benefit.
After some thought here, the accumulator "should" keep any liquid refrigerant at bay. That is my main concern, liquid making past the accumulator and the insulation helping the liquid back to the compressor. Liquid + compressor = BOOM!

That would be a fun experiment, I'll have to see if I can setup some testing equipment on the X and see if there is any measurable increase in capacity.
Insulating the line from the rear evaporator to the accumulator shouldn't be much of an issue, the rear TXV maintains constant superheat.

Cheers