Are there any different components on the '93 240 Air Conditioning as compared to a '92??? Do they both have the condenser auxiliary cooling fan? Are there any differences between the dryers? dryer locations? evaporators?
Cabbie2169

I will answer as if you are converting from 92 to 93, even though you seem not to want to say why you are asking the question.

I'm installing '93 AC in an '86, using parts from '93's in junkyards.

The evaporator is the same from '92 to '93, as is the accumulator (but you'll want a new accumulator).

As others have said, the '93 condensor is definitely different. It does not appear to be thicker -- indeed, it may be thinner -- but you can identify it by the pipe that goes from side-to-side across the top.

Both the condensor's connections point downward; if that is different from the 92, then the pipe leading from the lower line may be different, too.

The two pieces of rubber hose in the system should be "barrier" types. The long one that I have (leads from the accumulator to the compressor) says "134a and PAG only" on it. I have not been able to find the other rubber line (from the compressor to the condensor) with that wording, so I suspect Volvo never took care of that issue.

I imagine the orifice tube is different, but I don't know.

Compressors? There is the lubrication issue (mineral oil with R-12 and PAG or POE with R-134a. I've been trying to get answers on PAG vs POE for a while now, without much success. I've concluded that POE will work, and that PAG might work better, but no one will tell me that. And PAG has its problems if the conversion is not done with lots of attention to getting ALL the mineral oil out -- except for a little perhaps left in the compressor, which you can't flush with solvent -- although you can run some PAG through it by hand in order to try to remove as much mineral oil as possible befopre the final fill

I'd be happy to hear others' views on the PAG/POE question. Facts seem short, so I suspect myth, economics or politics rule in that area.
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jds

I need to know whether the '92 has the same Air conditioning components as the '93.....from reading your posts...it seems that the condenser is different....

Maybe someone else can either clarify the information already provided OR provide additional differences between these Air conditioning systems.

Thanks,
Cabbie2169

Well there is or was a Volvo conversion kit that consisted of a new accumulator (drier), a couple of fittings and a new expansion tube as well as oil, but it pretty much was fill with 134 and go.

re: "...Are there any different components on the '93 240 Air Conditioning as compared to a '92...."

I would guess that your question relates to some intention to convert your '92 car from the original freon 12 to the new 134a -- am I right?

Assuming that, and while I'm not an A/C expert, I have the impression, from reading a lot of stuff on this list, that there have been a number of changes in components to 'support' the use of the 134a refridgerant that have been adopted in the 1993 cars.

134a has different chemical and physical properties. For example, just consider the components of the conversion kit. It includes some different hoses and gaskets, because I believe that 134a might leak from original materials. I know that it includes a different oil for the compressor, because this new refridgerant isn't compatible with the old type of lubricant. And I think it also includes a different condenser (or is that an evaporator?), because the thermodynamic properties require a larger one for acceptable performance.

I may not be right on all of the above, but I know that you can't just refill your '92 with 134a and expect it to work well.

Several knowledgeable AC folks have said that a different condenser, one that has a different patrh and size/design of tubing can make a major difference in cooling ability.

The reference was for a "crossflow" design condenser, which it appears has a path that limits the tubing path to a wider and less angular radius at the tubing bends and the path is diaginal across the condenser instead of horizontal.

The wider/less angular radius is due to the 134 molecular structure and allows it to travel faster and at a higher volume.

On 2 240's that I lnow had their condensers replaced with "crossflow" typoes the temp at the vents went down 18 deg avg.

>On 2 240's that I lnow had their condensers replaced with "crossflow" typoes >the temp at the vents went down 18 deg avg.

Certainly a significant improvement. Was the replacement from Volvo?

Randy

I'll tell you one thing: the a/c in my '93 245 is amazing: Very C-O-L-D !! Compared to my 1990 it's like night and day. Even when it was new, the a/c on the '90 was marginal, and that's being generous. Go much above 85 degrees (F) and it struggled to keep the big interior cool. The '93 reminds me of the Fridgidaire systems in GM models from the '70's: Put them on "MAX" and they would cool the car down 60-65 degrees pretty much no matter what the temp was outside. The '93 reminds me of those cars even though I doubt it would drop the interior temps to 60. However, it cools the interior so well that even on some of the worst days we had this summer (95 degrees with dewpoints of 74) I could eventally turn the fan to speed 2 or 1.