I went down this morning to charge my 98 D1's AC and I can't get the couplers on my manifold gage set to fit on the high or low side, nor do the low side couplers on the little "one can" charging hoses fit the fittings. None of them go on far enough to lock.

What gives? Anyone else had this problem with the R134a fittings on their Disco?

 

Mine are 134 and go right on. Are your lines retrofitted or are they factory 134 lines? Meaning maybe at some point someone had to change a lone found one on an older disco in a junk yard and used those screw on fittings.

 

They look factory and had grey plastic screw on caps with H and L on the tops. I would have suspected the problem was the Chinese Harbor Freight manifold gage set, but the two other low side lines I had wouldn't fit either.

I just tried the low side coupling on the wife's 99 Caravan and it was a snug fit, so maybe I need to polish up or lighty lube the ends of the Disco fittings.

 

Yea I've had the cheap sets too. I finally spent the money for a snap on set years ago. They are outstanding but a ridiculous price. I also have a set of Robin Air too. They are pretty good. Much cheaper.

Maybe clean/lube the port and the coupling?

 

the high and low pressure sides use different size fittings, are you sure your putting it on the correct one on.
Also check the gauge face what type of refrigerants are listed, if they say r-12 and r-22 they are probablly pretty old gauges and will not fit without hose adaptors

 

Ok, a little emery colth on the top edges of the fittings and a little oil on the O rings and they went on. Now evacuating the system and hoping for a good cooling charge - the manual says 32 Oz.

BTW, what does RAVE stand for? And why did Land Rover install the OBD II connedtor upside down? Just to make it interesting to find the 5 and 15 pins?

 

I have both types of manifold gages and am using the R134a set; the one thing big brother did for us (besides making it damn expensive to maintain AC in old vehicles) was to make R134a near idiot proof. About the only way to screw up is to open the high side manifold valve while charging the system with the vehicle running.

Haven't done that yet, but I've had some other near alzheimer's moments that made me wonder just where my head was. A fellow once asked if I'd ever found myself poking through the tool box with the tool I was looking for and I thought it was funny until I found myself almost doing just that one day.

 

Hell to get old. Lay my glasses down to do close work and then cannot find them. Glad you got it figured out!

 

Yes, got the fitting figured out sort of. After I finished charging it I shut it off and let things stabilize a while and went back to check the at rest pressure in the system and found the low side at O and the high side at 130 PSI; thought that was odd and then noticed the low side coupling had popped of the fitting and was laying loose.

Now I am wondering if it could have been sucking air while I was charging it. I evacuated it for an hour and then added three cans of R134 for 36 Oz total (manual says 40 Oz for rear air), but idling in the garage in 95 to 100F ambient, after the third can the low side read 60 PSI and the high side read 325 PSI. The Manual says for a 35C (95F) intake temp, low pressure should be 33 - 47 lbf/in2 and High should be 299 - 384 lbf/in2, but it also says for an ambient of 100 degrees F, the low should be 25-30 PSI and high should be 180-225 PSI. I was getting 59F degree air at the vents while it was idling after the third can.

Got to go pick up my 12 pt sockets for the valve cover bolts and get some 100% gas for the mower and Terramite, so I'll see how it does on the road. i just hope I didn't over fill it or suck air. That would truely suck.

 

I've had my evening wine so ignore the typos, but on my drive to town I had down to 20 degree F air from the vents and nothing blew up. Amazing what a difference a big nut makes, too; Not me, but the big nut on the steering arm. Tightening that sucker made the steering tight as you Know what, and no longer scary to drive. Drives just like a little truck and I like it a lot. Would that nut be a 36 MM by any chance? Sears didn't have a 1-5/16 socket but did have a 36 MM. Oops, nope 1 5/16 is closer to 33 mm and a 32 mm did not fit.

Unfortuantely my Disco still can't decide if it should be in OD or not at 60 and goes in and out, so a fluid transfusion and lucas trans fix is the next step - maybe tomorrow if we don't get thunderstorms early. Now I understand why you guys put up with all the foibles of these Discos. what a cool ride.

BTW, it still doesn't like to have gas put in the tank. Is it normal to burp it back up, or do I have yet another thing to fix?