PLAN C

Here’s the customer, a 200lb commuter driving a ’94 Dodge Shadow.

He wants to know what the cheapest A/C repair you can do that will bring him some relief from the 30 heat.

You pop the hood and there it is; although the compressor turns, there’s oil all over the clutch, worn out belt, leaky evaporator and it’s dead empty. You know a ‘real’ repair would be over $1,500 but one look at Mr. Lucky and it’s certain his limit is $250.

Hey, no problem, there’s money to be made even at that price.

The Formula is simple: Dry it out, add two cans of Hydrocarbon refrigerant and a can of sealer. (Uh, this repair comes with a 30 second warranty)

SEALER! You say! That will just clog up the system and he’ll be back with a seized compressor.

Not so fast pilgrim. Moisture activates sealer, so just get it out of there and you will be fine. Hook up your tank of DRY nitrogen to the high side and attach a hose to the low side. Let the N2 run through the system (use about 100psi of N2 pressure) and bleed out into the atmosphere for 3 minutes. That will allow enough moisture to be drawn out to make the sealer do its job and not activate inside. Then a quick vacuum just to draw the nitrogen pressure below 20 inches of vacuum and let ‘er fly!

Hydrocarbon refrigerant (I’ve used RedTek and Duracool) is unregulated so that it can be added to a leaky system, even by your non-certified apprentice. And its larger molecules won’t leak as fast. Its head pressure is less than R134a so the tired compressor with its worn belt won’t fall apart right away either.

Cost factors (average garage pricing)

Refrigerant$20

Sealer$45

Nitrogen (part of a tank)$4

Tech Time (.5 X $30)$15

Total$84

Sell$250

Profit$166

Hey, I’ll take that over telling him its $1500 or get lost.

Surprisingly, this formula will likely give your customer a couple of years of nice cool air…. Just no warranty.

Tom Brown is the owner of A/C component supplier DealerReman and teaches A/C service at Toronto’s Centennial College.

Hydrocarbons aren’t the same

One key to Tom Brown’s money-making Plan C is the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants. They’re easy to use, but remember that by weight you use about 40 percent of the same charge of R-134a. The following chart, courtesy of Red-Tek, shows typical mass relationships. Check the charts supplied by your refrigerant supplier to be sure.

–Jim Anderton