We wouldn't want to violate the speed of light or murphy's law.
Our 2001 LW200 with a 5-speed manual tranny ran out of extended coverage
last June and now is showing signs of semi-annual irritations.

Some might recall me posting in August/September of it acting as if it
were a flooded carbeurated engine. Well no matter that has only
reoccurred once or twice, and I am 85% sure it is due to DW's driving.

However, for years I complained to Saturn Service about the unsually loud
"clunk" after initial engine starting. This was explained to me as a
normal toggling of the A/C compressor to keep the parts lubricated.
Whatever.

But Saturday DW calls and says the A/C quit.
When I checked the car I found that toggling the AC button, or switching
to defrost did not suddenly load up the engine, raise the RPMs, or give
off an audible clunk as the compressor engaged.

Are there diagnostics I can run by toggling button combinations? Will
anything show up with a scan reader? I was hoping maybe it is a fuse or
solenoid - but where I have no idea. Woudl I be better tacking it Saturn,
or an A/C shop?

In article <Xns9A48587A1598Bskipatroluunet (AT) 130 (DOT) 191.3.6>,
CUT_skipatrol (AT) hotmail (DOT) com_CUT says...
The A/C compressor should NOT come on if it is cold outside. Unless you
live near the equator I doubt it was warm enough to engage.


Wth is DW?

=?iso-8859-15?Q?Bl=E4Bl=E4?=
<killfiltered.trolls (AT) br3tludw1g (DOT) sn0m4n.m1st3rf4ct.s!rcre4p.c0m> wrote in
news:MPG.22242575daf67a6989784 (AT) news-server (DOT) woh.rr.com:

DW = dear wife
DH = dear hubby

We are in Southern Calif. And although we did have a freak storm roll
through and drop snow down to the 1800 foot level with temps in the mid
30's, this is all happening during the days of our normal weather (yeah
sunny and 72).
However, I have often run a AC compressor even in freezing temps to
remove the moisture from within the vehicle and clear the windshield so I
think you are mistaken there.

Not true...modern Saturn's, the A/C kicks in if the selector switch is set
to "defrost" or "defrost/floor". On my old '94 SL2, that was not the case
as you had the A/C button that you had to press. Most cars are set up to
kick the A/C compressor on with the defrost. My F-150 does it as
well.....Something to keep in mind considering gas mileage...I use the
defrost settings sparingly and take it off ASAP....

IYM

In article <Xns9A495DE071C87skipatroluunet (AT) 130 (DOT) 191.3.6>,
CUT_skipatrol (AT) hotmail (DOT) com_CUT says...

None automotive related two letter acronyms wont make any sense here.
Especially when your posting name is 'Steph' and you are speaking of
'your wife'???

It appears I am for this model of vehicle. Some cars will not allow you
to run the A/C in the cold which is why I 'asked' instead of using 'my
time' to look it up. For all I knew you could of been in Canada. Your AC
will need to be looked at & serviced professionally. The most you can do
is check the fuses. Most likely the charge leaked off.

The verdict from the dealership is a bad compressor.
He is quoting $1070.00 for parts and labor to install a new
AC compressor shipped out from Tennessee. That does not include
the refrigerant fill I believe.

The tech also listed the Intermediate Steering Shaft as needing
replacement ($266 P&L).

For the A/C, does anyone have a part number for the compressor, and is it
worth trying to get a used one from a salvage yard? This is a LW200 with
the 4 cylinder (not the V6). Are the compressors "rebuildable"?
Also I have a paper trail of complaints about the AC compressor making
loud noices when engaging (during intial startup as well as driving). I
really believe those noises were indicative of an impending failure -
which of course happens outside the extended maintenance period. Anyone
have a contact name/address that I should see about meeting me halfway on
the repair? Anyone had any luck doing this?
We have had Saturns since 1994, and this is our fourth. Plus three on my
in-laws side. but we had a lot of trouble getting repair issues resolved
on this vehicle (the L200 with manual and 4-cylinder is a pretty rare
combination out here).

The steering shaft I am wondering if it is a common part to replace, or
maybe the result of damage from the car being hurtled 10 feet up a hill
by our neighbor (car was parked with e-brake and in gear on the hill at
the time). Unfortunately, if it was a result of the impact I don't think
I can ammend the claim 10 months later



Steph <CUT_skipatrol (AT) hotmail (DOT) com_CUT> wrote in
news:Xns9A48587A1598Bskipatroluunet (AT) 130 (DOT) 191.3.6:

Why don't you just go to a parts store and price a rebuilt compressor.,
You can charge it yourself with a few cans of
R-34. You will then see the prices and can determine if you want to try do
it
yourself or let them do it.
I did this once on a '83 Ford and it worked well
for many years.

"Steph" <CUT_skipatrol (AT) hotmail (DOT) com_CUT> wrote

Me personally, I would never use a salvaged compressor. The labor involved
with evacuating the system and replacing the compressor will far exceed the
price of the part, and a used one may fail prematurely requiring you to go
through this again (very soon).

I have had pretty good luck with purchasing compressors over the Internet
for this purpose. You can look on Ebay, and also at several of the online
auto parts places to get an idea of the cost. You should be able to find a
new compressor for a few hundred dollars or rebuilt ones for even less than
that.

I'd also have who ever does the work replace the accumulator/dryer too while
the system is opened, especially if you plan to keep the vehicle for a few
more years. More than likely the A/C belt is also shot if the bearings were
worn out and froze up, so will need replacement.

This all said, unless the compressor or dryer are particularly difficult to
get at on that vehicle , the job is not too terribly difficult for a shop
that has some experience and the right equipment. It involves reclaiming
the refrigerant, removing the compressor and dryer, flushing the lines to
make sure there is no debris from the defective compressor, installing the
replacement parts, and then evacuating the system overnight to make sure it
is not leaking before refilling it with the correct amount of refrigerant
and lubricant.

Use the phone to shop around and do not accept the first quote you received
from the dealer. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples (new vs.
rebuilt compressor, replacing the dryer or not, flushing the system or not).
Good luck!

Bob

"Steph" <CUT_skipatrol (AT) hotmail (DOT) com_CUT> wrote

Fred,

The idea of checking parts stores is a good one, but minimally once an A/C
system is opened up, it needs to be evacuated before recharging ... This
requires some equipment, like manifold gauges and a vacuum pump. I also
forgot to mention in my previous reply that you also need to replace all the
O-rings that were opened to ensure an airtight seal.

Bob


"Fred" <fredvp (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote

Thanks for the pointer Fred.
I am not against turning wrenches, and do so when able.
however we are talking about an A/C system. I don't have the proper gear
to evacuate it. Plus, I have not done this type of work on a LW200 Saturn
- so I have no idea about access, compatibility etc.


"Fred" <fredvp (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote in
news:b1oxj.9748$5K1.5173 (AT) newssvr12 (DOT) news.prodigy.net: