Thanks, yes I do get the black foam. I never really understood what that does.I’ll try all this. I’m away for a week. I will dive into when I get back and report my findings. Very helpful.

In reality, most AC work is pretty simple. The compressor has to compress the gas, the condensers remove the heat and make it liquid, the evaporator lets the gas expand and produce cold, and cool the interior of the car. Back to the compressor, and start again.

Of course there are some other parts involved. I would guess the biggest problem for most AC systems is a slow leak. As cars and the hoses age, leaks can happen, but don't just add Freon, you will need gauges to have a real chance of making it work. There are pressure switches, and connectors that have to be working properly.

One thing that is easy for my cars, the AC system is easily visible, and accessible. I can change the main blower on my El Camino in 15 minutes, and a new one is dirt cheap, the $25 range.

I was lucky and had my father in law to teach me the simple basics. I have his tools and tool box of AC stuff. I still use his recovery system when I work on my systems and I lose almost no refrigerant when working on my cars. And I only work on my cars.

Well I charged the system tonight and it’s running cold now. Hopefully it will hold. When I connected the gauge there was pressure so maybe a good sign.

I love it when a plan comes together .

Aprox how much did you put in ? Congrats on initial positive results . Hopefully long term success also . Regarding the black foam from the vents . Do an internet search there is tons of info out there .

In a nutshell you have two blend doors in the dash HVAC housing . One controls AC/heat the other controls defrost/dash/floor air movement . Porsche/VW/Audi/BMW and others in their infinite engineering wisdom made the blend doors out of aluminum with holes in them .

The holes vary in size from aprox a quarter to half dollar in size . There are also rectangular holes . The OEM's then decided to cover the holes with foam . The foam they used is crap and breaks down . That's what comes out of the vents . When enough foam disintegrates the blend doors are basically useless . And of course this affects the efficiency of the system .

How tough to access? A weekend job perhaps for a little guy?

I like the thoughts of Flex Tape. Not joking.

^^^ From what I know there are two methods for the DIYer . My knowledge is solely based on forum/internet resources . I have not done either on my cars but I need to .

One method is going in from the front trunk . You remove the wipers and cowel cover and remove the heater core . You have to make one cut of the blend door pivot to be able to remove the blend door . Cover the door with the product you choose and reassemble . This method fixes the blend door that controls AC/heat .

The 2nd method is to go in behind the center console . You remove the two top units of your center stack . This might be your cup holder or radio or HVAC control unit it just depends on how your car is setup . Once you have access to the center vent you make two vertical cuts and peel down the plastic housing .

You can now see the blend door that controls defrost/vent/floor air movement . Again apply product of choice and close it up . Most guys use some type of tape to repair the cuts in the plastic . There are a few articles where guys were able to access both blend doors by going through the dash . I would think you would need hands/arms of a child to do so .

I've had a ton of foam come out of mine. It's a PITA. The AC still works. It seems like the most noticeable impact is that you get some air out of all 3 locations (defrost, floor, dash) although most of the air still seems to go the direction that you want.

I remember seeing someone post (I think in my local region's PCA facebook group) about fixing his. I think it was a huge job where he essentially removed most of the dash and crap in the cabin to get at everything (not just the 2 doors), but I think any/every junction, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Thanks for the info. I wondered where that foam came from. It sounds the foam is just a filter. Why does it matter whether there or not?