[NA] Car A/C?

[jsstevens]

To me a proper downshifting is more just about proper driving technique with a manual transmission. And it's more fun.

Yes. And you and I both like more interactive cars and take joy in the proper technique. As has been discussed elsewhere on this board, if it's for getting around the track faster, give me paddle shifters, auto clutch and traction control/ABS. (Which was what the NISMO drivers were talking about.) For the joy of driving, I preferred my son's 350Z with the standard transmission on the same track. But the GTR was faster...

 

[jsstevens]

We've moved on and are now discussing racetrack techniques and the subtleties of double-clutching. Try to keep up.

Not to mention 4 wheel thread drift...

 

[FormerHangie]

Try a few hot laps at Sebring and see how well your brakes hold up.

Never had any brake issues at Sebring. I only drove the long course once, and that was in a Formula Ford, which has fabulous brakes. I drove the club course in a couple of different cars, never had any issues. Honestly, I think Road America is worse on brakes than is Sebring.

The only place I had real brake issues was on the oval/road course at Charlotte. I was driving a showroom stock 280Z, which was fairly heavy and had crummy brakes. About the third lap of the first session, I came around the tri-oval and got on the brakes hard to turn into the infield. Instead of a lot of slowing, I got a little slowing and a big puff of brake dust. Fortunately I had enough deceleration where all I had to do was slow on the front dogleg between the entry into the infield part of the course and where the infield rejoined the oval, and turn around to go back to the infield entry. We found some better brake pads for the second session.

 

[Skip Miller]

When was the last time to it was serviced with freon? Is the compressor coming on? Is it short cycling? Could just be low on freon.

It is probably not Freon anymore. I can’t remember exactly when, but Freon has been outlawed for new applications for valid environmental reasons. Use the word “refrigerant” and continue...

-Skip

 

[Half Fast]

Not to mention 4 wheel thread drift...

Never had any brake issues at Sebring. I only drove the long course once, and that was in a Formula Ford, which has fabulous brakes. I drove the club course in a couple of different cars, never had any issues. Honestly, I think Road America is worse on brakes than is Sebring.

The only place I had real brake issues was on the oval/road course at Charlotte. I was driving a showroom stock 280Z, which was fairly heavy and had crummy brakes. About the third lap of the first session, I came around the tri-oval and got on the brakes hard to turn into the infield. Instead of a lot of slowing, I got a little slowing and a big puff of brake dust. Fortunately I had enough deceleration where all I had to do was slow on the front dogleg between the entry into the infield part of the course and where the infield rejoined the oval, and turn around to go back to the infield entry. We found some better brake pads for the second session.

On a test day ahead of a race weekend at Sebring, I cracked 3 front rotors on my IT RX7 in successive sessions. I learned to check place of manufacture on the box. All were the same brand, but the ones made in China or Italy would crack. US or Japanese held up much better.

Sebring has several long, fast straights leading into slow corners, and that was hell on brakes in IT. The cars were much faster than SS, but still had stock rotors and calipers. The hairpin was, IIRC, about a 40mph turn in my car and I was doing over 130 when I reached the braking zone.

Boiled the fluid going into the hairpin one time, and that’s an awful feeling when that brake pedal goes to the floor and you hear angels singing.....

 

[simtech]

It is probably not Freon anymore. I can’t remember exactly when, but Freon has been outlawed for new applications for valid environmental reasons. Use the word “refrigerant” and continue...

-Skip

Dang and to think I have my EPA certification to work on AC systems...silly me pfft, really had to make a post to say that? sheesh how about not worry about it and move on.

 

[RyanB]

If it’s an evaporator core, you’re looking at a labor intensive repair.

 

[FormerHangie]

On a test day ahead of a race weekend at Sebring, I cracked 3 front rotors on my IT RX7 in successive sessions. I learned to check place of manufacture on the box. All were the same brand, but the ones made in China or Italy would crack. US or Japanese held up much better.

Sebring has several long, fast straights leading into slow corners, and that was hell on brakes in IT. The cars were much faster than SS, but still had stock rotors and calipers. The hairpin was, IIRC, about a 40mph turn in my car and I was doing over 130 when I reached the braking zone.

Boiled the fluid going into the hairpin one time, and that’s an awful feeling when that brake pedal goes to the floor and you hear angels singing.....

Was this a first gen RX-7? They had pretty crummy brakes too.

Yeah, that run into the hairpin takes a lot of braking, particularly in a street based car.

 

[Half Fast]

Was this a first gen RX-7? They had pretty crummy brakes too.

Yeah, that run into the hairpin takes a lot of braking, particularly in a street based car.

1st gen GSL with 4-wheel disc brakes. The Z cars were even worse.

 

[Daleandee]

Down shifting was used to decelerate on cars with older type brakes that would fade out to nothing and/or wear out prematurely when driven hard.

I was driving the 74 Beetle today. It's a driver's car even though it ain't fast. Up shifting is fun, downshifting is required with the mighty four wheel drum brakes and no power assist.

These cars were built with an allowance of 1" of play in the wheel (you young whipper snappers will need to ask gramps what that means). They do not come with power steering, anti-lock brakes, air bags, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, rear view camera, cruise control, electronic ignition, electronic fuel injection, etc. Fun to drive but it requires attention.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Downshifting isn't just for old cars with crappy brakes. It saves brakes just as well on new cars, and more importantly, ensures you are in the proper gear skills you need to accelerate. Being in 4th when you should be in 2nd means braking is your only option.

 

[Bill]

Downshifting isn't just for old cars with crappy brakes. It saves brakes just as well on new cars, and more importantly, ensures you are in the proper gear skills you need to accelerate. Being in 4th when you should be in 2nd means braking is your only option.

I beg to differ. Brakes are cheap and easy to replace, clutches are expensive and and a pain in the ax to replace. And, brake systems are designed for stopping automatic transmission cars anyway.

I’ll use the brakes for slowing, and just make sure I’m in the proper gear as necessary for acceleration after braking.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I beg to differ. Brakes are cheap and easy to replace, clutches are expensive and and a pain in the ax to replace. And, brake systems are designed for stopping automatic transmission cars anyway.

I’ll use the brakes for slowing, and just make sure I’m in the proper gear as necessary for acceleration after braking.

Use the clutch properly and it won't need to be replaced any time soon. I have had three manual transmission cars and never had to put in a new clutch in the 120K+ miles we put on them. All were sports cars as well, so they had their share of spirited driving. Again, it makes the brakes last longer, it's not about weather they have the stopping power to bring the car to a halt without downshifting. Panic stops aren't going to involve much downshifting anyway.

 

[flhrci]

The worst thing you can do is just throw some R134a in it if you don't know that's the problem. You really need to look at the pressures and find out if it's ACTUALLY low on refrigerant or if there's something else.

I used to do automotive AC For a living when I was at the shop. "I put a can of freon in it" people often were badly overcharged and all we had to do was remove some refrigerant, then the system worked great.

Either live with it or take it to a shop where someone who knows what they're doing can look at it and correctly fix the problem.

But, but, if you follow the instructions on the can, you read the pressure on the gauge first and add refrigerant as needed. I did mine that way last year and it was almost completely out. It needs it again now because of the cycling cool air so I know I have a leak. Truck is 17 years old so I have confirmed a need for the repair with the kit.

Adding refrigerant by the instructions, is not the worst thing to do.

 

[Half Fast]

Use the clutch properly and it won't need to be replaced any time soon. I have had three manual transmission cars and never had to put in a new clutch in the 120K+ miles we put on them. All were sports cars as well, so they had their share of spirited driving. Again, it makes the brakes last longer, it's not about weather they have the stopping power to bring the car to a halt without downshifting. Panic stops aren't going to involve much downshifting anyway.

Agreed. I typically get over 150k miles on a clutch, and that's even when I was autocrossing. Knowing how to double clutch properly and match revs does wonders to prolong clutch life. Downshifting to slow does not wear the clutch; what wears the clutch is slipping, and if you match the revs on the downshift you don't slip it much if at all.

 

[GeorgeC]

After a whopping 3 years and 20k miles, the condenser on our Forester failed. $1100 part, but Subaru comped it; apparently they'd seen that failure before...

After a whopping 4 years and 32k miles, the compressor on our Forester failed.

 

[catmandu]

After a whopping 4 years and 32k miles, the compressor on our Forester failed.

I can sympathize. After a whopping ten years and 125k miles, something in the A/C on the Audi failed yesterday. But, no time to troubleshoot, as I spent way too much time upside down (the wrong way) in an airplane the last couple of days (avionics and audio work) to figure out what is wrong.

4x80 Baby! (It is an Audi, after all )

Travel for a couple weeks, I'll figure it out when I get back.