AC compressor interchange?

[greenmonster94]

Do any other model or years AC compressors work on 94 na? Really need to get AC working again so I can keep banking my carpool money.

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[Legacy777]

I'm pretty sure the 94 was the first year with the r134a system....if it is, I kind of doubt any of the older compressors will work as designed. Plus the fittings may be different. You can buy a new compressor from Subaru for around $400, which is what I ended up doing after going through a bunch of used compressors.

[mike-tracy]

I do know that 94's had R134. What about re manufactured ones, Josh? Any negative experience with those?

[greenmonster94]

I was really hoping that another year or model would use the same one or a comparable one. Getting hard justifying the expense of a 18 year old car to the wife. Anyone know the part number?

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[Legacy777]

I talked with an AC shop in Florida before I bought the new one from Subaru, and they said that due to the compressor design, the "remanufactured" compressors really are no better. The head end design of the compressor is not rebuilt and can fail. Just like with anything, I guess it's a crap shoot on a reman'd compressor. I had pulled & replaced the compressor too many times to want to do it again. Plus you need to factor in the time & cost to discharge, vacuum, & recharge the system.

What is wrong with the compressor in the 94? Is it making noise, or is it just not cooling?

[greenmonster94]

Not cooling, my local AC shop said it's not compressing, and it's been making a lot of noise for a while. I had to replace the condenser last year, and it hasn't worked right from then on.

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[Legacy777]

AC systems really are very simple.

Can you describe the noise it was making? When you replaced the condenser, was it a subaru condensor or an aftermarket one? Did the shop add any oil to the system when the condenser was replaced? If youhad a leak and had to replace the condenser, you probably lost a bit of your oil.

What I'd recommend doing is completely flushing/cleaning the entire AC system and starting "fresh". Replace the receiver drier with a new one, empty the oil out of the old compressor, measure it, and then compare that to the required oil for the system. It will be on the AC sticker on the car. I've also got a Haynes HVAC book that has refrigerent amounts & oil capacity if you would like to compare.

If you do all that, pull a vacuum, verify no leaks, and recharge the system, you should be able to at least see how it works then. You may still need a compressor, but who knows...

If you go through all the work above, I'd suggest replacing the o-rings or at least looking at them. I got an AC o-ring kit at the autoparts store or northern tool, and used new o-rings that were close to the old ones.