Purchased a "retrofit kit".
1. Installed R134a fittings.
2. Evacuated system, connected to both low and high ports.
3. Charged system to 85% by weight, polyol ester oil and R134a.
4. Set charge to 32psi low-side at about 80F per advice as best for R134a.
5. Ambient pressure readings track within 1-2 pounds at 65F to 87F.
6. Cooled good for about one month - working great!
7. Stopped Cooling.
8. At 1800 rpm low-side=75psi high-side=125psi. Two different sets of gauges.
9. At idle, 750 rpm pressures go to virtually ambient temperature.
10. Compressor never cycles-Off, disconnect low-press switch and disengages.
11. Removed enough R134a to verify ambient tracking, recharged.
12. Same Bad Pressure Readings!
13. Changed out Accumulator-Suction Line and Liquid Line-Orifice Tube.
14. Evacuated.
15. Charged to 85% - ambient pressure good at temperature.
16. Low-side=75psi and High-Side=125psi, 1800 rpm, same problem?
17. Ten year old vehicle, only 95,000 miles, very good except A/C.
18. Something plugged - stopped up or bad compressor?
19. Anyone with similiar problem and what was solution?
20. Dumb things I wish I had done before doing a retrofit, scroll below picture.

Should have done
1. Paid an Air Conditioning Shop to "top off R12".
   150 - 200 bucks for a pound of some R12 looks like a good deal now.
   Cooling had not stopped, just not very cool and compressor cycling excessive.
   Ten years to leak enough to have reduced cooling is not much of a leak.
   The A/C had never been recharged in ten years!
   Spent approximately $220.00 for an unsuccessful lesson
   in learning by doing it wrong; Well it was an experience.
   But, only temporary - up front results. Was NOT fixed when car traded.
   Now I know what the black residue liquid in orifice tube line was.



2. Should have "flushed it out" before evacuating and adding R134a.
   A missed detail unaware of in retrofit literature, until visiting the following:
   



3. Get all the right info about auto A/C systems!
   Automotive A/C troubleshooting, repair & service information
   Questions about auto A/C? Visit the A/C Forum at the COOL ZONE! via above link
   




4. Also some info at:
   www.aircondition.com and www.ackits.com and the FORUMS.
   Each has some great "tips".  Read their information, it's free.



5. Should have known anything as cheap and easy as:
      Put on two fittings
      Run vacuum pump for an hour
      Charge to 85% of 40 ounces
      Was too good to be true.
      Don't get "conned by advertising hype."



6. Scroll down page for another persons experience.

Subj: May I ask question?
Date: 7/1/02 1:58:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:
To: CONSSULT@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Hi, Jack:

When I search for information about my 93 Ford Taurus
Air Conditioner issue, I found the follwing page:
http://www.f11view.net/misc/ac_retrofit_problem.html

I don't know if you are the owner of THE car, if you
are and you don't mind, I would like to see if you
have find the problem, otherwise, please discard the
e-mail.

My car had almost exact same issue as yours. I convert
R12 to R134a, run for a month (worked great), then
stopped working one day. I checked the low pressure
end pressure, it was at 100psi. I removed some R134a
to let the pressure drop to 25psi, but nothing worked.
I sent car to a shop, they don't want work on it
because they are afraid to spend too much time, so I
have to just figure out on my own.

Thanks in advance.

Charles

Subj: Re: May I ask question?
Date: 7/1/02
To: chonghui00@yahoo.com

Yes. Charles,

Sounds identical to the problem we had.

We owned the car then, but my wife has since traded it,
car was in prime condition except for air conditioner,
only 95,000 miles.

Did not get the problem resolved before she decided
it was taking too long............................................

Suspect, but did was unable to confirm "Black-Death"
restriction flow.

Should have cleaned (flushed out), blew out with compressed air,
then vacuum pump for at least one hour before adding R-134a.

After reading numerous forum posts also it is a weakness with the
compressor on 92 Taurus I believe.

Good Luck,
Regards,
Jack Taylor

Subj: Re: May I ask question?-FollowUp
Date: 8/5/02 9:28:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: chonghui00@yahoo.com
To: CONSSULT@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Jack:

I send my car to a shop, they diagnosed that there
were 2 problems:
1. CCRM (constant control relay module) is bad. This
cause no power on the pressure switch. After they
replaced it, the AC can be activitated, but

2. The Retrofit is not clean at all. All refrigerant are
contaminated, plus, the system was overcharged
(according to them, it is overcharged too much). So
they flushed the system, changed oil and recharged it.

The whole thing costs me $900.

I got R134a from K-mart.

You may post this resolution on your page. Hopefully
someone can use it.

Thanks

Charles

  on 16APRIL2003 writes:
Jack do not feel bad,my compressor seized today after spending 962.50 dollars back in MAY of 2001 AND IT WAS FLUSHED OUT SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR !~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea you can post my e-mail so more people do not get ripped off, like me.