How cold is your A/C? | Page 4 | FerrariChat

How cold is your A/C?

Discussion in '308/328' started by rocket50, May 28, 2019.

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  1. offtheworkigo

    offtheworkigo Karting

    Feb 23, 2016
    230
    Rockwall
    Full Name:
    Dave Hoffer
    I bought mind from this ebay seller
    Sparktec Motors
    # 322790018264
    Spal Manufacturer Part Number:
    30000463
     
  2. Jroe550

    Jroe550 Karting

    Sep 10, 2015
    206
    Austria
    Full Name:
    Jason
    I brought my car back home from it’s major service today..
    And the AC was services and filled up.
    Now it works quite well!! Ok, it was a top off day, but I tried it out before and it definitely does the trick...
    Good timing as it’s hot as hell here
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  3. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,212
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    I'm in SW-Germany with 37 centigrades yesterday. I bet, some US- or Oz-FChatters would laugh at us :)

    Best
    Martin
     
  4. Jroe550

    Jroe550 Karting

    Sep 10, 2015
    206
    Austria
    Full Name:
    Jason
    We are quite close Martin.
    Yesterday was ridiculous here in Salzburgland


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  5. ferrariowner

    ferrariowner Formula 3

    Feb 21, 2014
    1,109
    Mansfield, TX
    Full Name:
    Ron
    37 C is that daytime or nighttime temp? :)
     
  6. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,212
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    That's what I thought. That a Texan will be the first finding our weather complaints funny :)
    37C was daytime temp. 20C night. But the humidity bothered me too.

    Best
    Martin
     
    ferrariowner likes this.
  7. dinonz308

    dinonz308 Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 26, 2017
    857
    Full Name:
    Dean
    I see it all the time with my family and friends back home in NZ. Once it hits 30C, they're "dying" and can't go on. Here in summer you can sometimes be lucky if it gets down to 30C overnight. I've seen it over 44C here in Texas, and it's miserable.
     
  8. eyeman1234

    eyeman1234 Formula 3
    Owner

    Dec 25, 2006
    1,881
    Boca Raton, FL
    Let me help my neighbors...:)
    20C 68F
    30C 86F
    37C 98.6F
    40C 104F
    44C 111.2F
     
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  9. waymar

    waymar Formula 3

    Sep 2, 2008
    1,321
    Northeast, PA - USA
    Full Name:
    Wayne Martin
    Just checked mine. Stock 308GTSi system running r134a (system was purged and flushed with new comp and evap valve) the outside temp was 83f the center vent temp was 40f.
     
  10. offtheworkigo

    offtheworkigo Karting

    Feb 23, 2016
    230
    Rockwall
    Full Name:
    Dave Hoffer
    Had to replace my expansion valve because it was leaking. Bought it from O'Reillys auto parts for $17.50. For a 1985 ford econoline van with a v6. Bolts right up. Looks just like the Ferrari one. Works great. 38 to 42F out the vents with R12. Also the expansion valve don't know if your using R12 or R134, it opens and closes by the temperture.
     
    thorn likes this.
  11. dinonz308

    dinonz308 Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 26, 2017
    857
    Full Name:
    Dean
    Just got my 328 back from Brian Crall - and the AC is "awesome" as far as I know. It's Texas in July and I was comfortable at 5pm driving home and it wasn't even cranked up. I have only had it 2 months so have no point of reference but to me it exceeds what I expected based on comments I have read here. Happy camper.
     
  12. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

    Jun 14, 2008
    6,685
    Full Name:
    Mike 996
    Glad to hear Brian has your AC functioning well!!

    One of the issues I have always had with our AC "comfort" discussions is that "comfortable" to me many not be "comfortable" to you. I like cabin temps to be in the low 70's; other folks are comfortable with them in the low 80's; I have a friend who likes them in the high 60's (bring a fleece when you ride with him!).

    I have done a lot of work on my 328 AC and it works 'fairly well.' But on the same hot day, at the same time of day, depending on the sun's position relative to me/the dashboard, my 328 could be "comfortable" going north but not south, etc.
     
  13. chasjen

    chasjen Karting
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 21, 2013
    66
    Dublin, Ohio
    Full Name:
    Charlie
    Hello. Relatively new owner here. I just got my 85 QV back in October. It had a Retro Air system. When I got the car no cold from the AC. Anyway turns out the low pressure line was completely disconnected!! So reconnected the line and charged it.....very cold air. Good airflow as well. I'm very pleased. Cools the hot interior down fairly quickly.
     
  14. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

    Jun 14, 2008
    6,685
    Full Name:
    Mike 996
    Retro-Air has a good reputation and I'm not surprised that their 308 system works well. Wish they did one for the 328! :(
     
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  15. Portofino

    Portofino Formula Junior

    Sep 17, 2011
    564
    Yorkshire UK / Switzerland/ Liguria ( Italy )
    Full Name:
    Portofino
    My 208 GT4 works fine after I recharged the gas a bit .
    Driving through France to Switzerland, 30/32 Celsius out side .
    I have checked the foam fill round the rad to minimise lost flow from the side gaps , and made a yellow table cloth cut out for the top of the dash , it cuts solar glare as it’s 77 with zero tint on n the glass .
    The system is the same as 308 s .
     
  16. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

    Jun 14, 2008
    6,685
    Full Name:
    Mike 996
    Not a red and white checkered table cloth? ;)

    Sorry, couldn't resist. Checkered red/white is the stereotypical US Italian restaurant table cloth. http://cdn.displays2go.com/images/zoom/hmred6126c.rw_zoom.jpg
     
  17. ZOOOOMZ

    ZOOOOMZ Karting

    Aug 14, 2013
    248
    Austin, Texas, USA
    Full Name:
    Tim Cronin
    Posted on another thread, but since this applies to the A/C system, I'm also posting here:

    When I restored/upgraded my HVAC system on my 1988.5 328 GTS, not only did I upgrade the A/C, I also restored/upgraded the rest of the ventilation and heating, as well... For heater air filters, I used spun polyester filter pad media that I bought from McMaster-Carr. It was sold in sheets, and I bought a 12"x12" sheet that was 1/4" thick, of white spun polyester material. Good for high temperature and coolant exposure. Also, doesn't block air flow significantly, so that was good. Cut it to size with shop scissors, and slipped it into place by removing the heater housing cover with the air duct attached.... It's been in there for over 4 years now, and is working fine. BTW, this is very similar to the filter material that's on the vent inlet fans on my 1988 328 GTS...

    Also, for folks who want to improve the performance of their Air Conditioning, this year, I added a new feature to my car's heater/ventilation system. I installed airflow dams in front of the heater filter pads, on both sides. I realize that this shouldn't be necessary, because the flow of the hot coolant to the heater cores is controlled by valves in the HVAC system, but in my car, I've always been able to feel warm air blowing into the passenger compartment anyway, even when the A/C is blowing full blast in the summer. I suspected that, even with the ventilation fans off, passive air was being warmed as it passed through the heater cores on the way to the passenger compartment, or, at worst, it was passing through at ambient temperature, which here in Austin, Texas, is often over 100 degrees!

    So, I fabricated air dams two ways, as you can see in the pictures below: on the passenger's side, I used an expandable pipe plug from Home Depot, and on the driver's side, I used a stainless steel plate I cut to the same size as the filter pad, which you can see peeking out from behind the plate, in the picture below.
    Both of these air dams work great, and they DEFINITELY improved my car's A/C performance, too! I'll just slip them into position in the beginning of the A/C season, then remove them in the fall, so I can use my heaters in the winter. I'll probably consolidate on the stainless steel 'card' for both sides, since it's even easier to insert and remove, just by snapping off the front housing (without even removing the flexible air duct), sliding in (or out) the dam, then snapping the cover back in place.

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  18. Saabguy

    Saabguy Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 28, 2012
    1,753
    Shreveport, LA
    Hmm... I've thought about something like that but wanted it to be inline between the hose and the heater core. That way only a 4" (?) piece, maybe something that rotates open and closed...
     
  19. ClydeM

    ClydeM F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2003
    10,462
    Wayne, NJ
    Full Name:
    Clyde E. McMurdy
    I had the car out this morning for a coffee run. it was about 65 degrees here in NNJ and I noticed cold air coming out of the vents. cold. go figure!
    I have a pocket thermometer in the vent. it registered 44 degrees!! I was floored! that is a record. I should have pulled over & taken a picture. I've never seen below 55 before (on a good, cool, day) coming home outside is 70 and the thermometer registered blowing 62.
     
  20. robo330

    robo330 Formula Junior

    Apr 15, 2014
    608
    Michigan USA
    Full Name:
    Karl Robertson
    Just refilled the R134 in my car and checked the temperatures. While refilling, I had the motor running and squeezed the propellant trigger multiple times for a few seconds at a time. As the system re-charged the pressure went up slowly on the Indicator Scale on the Canister. Once in the Green Zone I got it to around 30 psi.
    The ambient temperature was about 85 Degrees F. Air out of the Lower Center Vents got down to almost 50 Degrees F. That,s a 30 Degree change in temperature. I am not expecting much more than that! BTW, before re-charging the system, it was blowing out air around 70 degrees F, so I figure it's now 20 Degrees cooler. Anyone have any ideas? I did not buy the car for the A/C, but to drive it....
     
  21. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

    Jun 14, 2008
    6,685
    Full Name:
    Mike 996
    It can do a lot better than that as far as the temp at the vent but only with R12 or propane-based refrigerants, not 134.

    The limitation as far as actually cooling the car is the lack of air volume from the evaporator. For example, our other cars - a '17 Hyundai Santa Fe and an '03 S500 MB don't get any cooler at the vents than maybe 55F in hot weather but because they move a LOT of air, they can both freeze you out of the car under any conditions as well as rapidly drop the interior temp in a heart-soaked car in the sun.

    My 328 routinely shows around 40F at the vents (propane-based refrigerant) but it won't cool the cabin adequately on a 90F+ day with the sun shining onto the dash. Going away from the sun OR on a cloudy day at the same or even higher temps, it will keep me comfortable.
     

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