Hi,
I've recently purchased a 1999 Blazer - RHD (ex-Japan). The air conditioning was disconnected when I bought the vehicle but the previous Australian owner had purchased parts to recommission the Air conditioning (HVAC). As far as I'm aware the system was evacuated as part of quarantine requirements and has never functioned in Australia.
Anyway, sent the vehicle with parts to be recomissioned and the accumulator (drier/dehydrator) that was sourced is the wrong one - we need one with ports at 12 and 1 not at 12 and 6.
Is there anyone with a RHD or experience with them who can advise on the appropriate part number so we can order one or cross reference for an aftermarket that will fit?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards,
Bob

 

Bauer Millett in Machester here in England would almost certainly be able to help but, be warned, they tend to be very expensive. www.bauer-millett.com


Your better bet may be to try to find a secondhand one. There are always a couple RHD Blazers breaking on Ebay UK, that could well be your cheaper bet.


I have attached an underhood view of my Blazer - I am assuming the accumulator you are looking for is the same as mine?


Alternatively, it should not be beyond the scope of a decent vehicle A/C specialist to make up some custom hoses that can be routed to fit the accumulator you already have?

 

Thank you for the under-bonnet shot. Unfortunately a second hand accumulator is not a good idea - they have a dessicant in them which over time becomes saturated, especially when the system has been open for a time like mine has. When the system is opened for any reason it is advisable to change the accumulator and the orifice tube (which acts as a filter).
I do have contacts for obtaining chev parts having owned a C20 however the RHD Blazers are considered somewhat unusual as they were not sold here new and have Japan specific parts.
Apparently, Japan has a vehicle registration process that makes it prohibitively expensive to re-registered older vehicles. Thus there is a source of older RHD vehicles often with comparitively low mileage for other RHD markets.

 

I've had a close look at your under bonnet photograph. The accumulator has outlets in the positions which we require them in. I notice that it has printing on the top of the cannister. Is this a part number or a statement about R143a and the type of oil used?

Thanks.
Bob

 

I have had a look at the printing on top of my accumulator & it says "Made In Mexico" (08/12/98) & 1132712. I don't think that's a GM part number though as they usually have 8 digits.

The system R134a capacity is 2Ib 2oz & the oil to use is GM part # 12345924 (lettering is partly faded but pretty sure that's what it says?

I know what you mean about replacing the accumulator whenever the system is opened, that is certainly best practice but can depend on how long the system has been open - sometimes just vacuuming it out for a couple hours is sufficient. However, in your case maybe a new unit is the best option - if you can get hold of one?

Believe it or not my A/C system has been totally trouble-free. I did have to remove the refrigerant once (I am a refrigeration engineer so have all the kit) so I could disconnect the high pressure line to the condenser to allow me to replace my radiator. I weighed the refrigerant that I removed & it was the exact amount that GM specify for the system. Once I had fitted the radiator I reconnected the high pressure line (with a new seal of course) & vacuumed the system for a couple hours to remove any moisture before replacing the refrigerant.

My advice to anyone with vehicle A/C is to run the system as much as possible as it keeps the seals in the system well lubricated & minimizes refrigerant loss, particularly around the compressor shaft seal. It has certainly worked for me over the years on several different vehicles. Yes - there's extra wear & tear on the blower fan, compressor & clutch but it is still worth it in my experience. An A/C system that goes unused for months at a time & is then expected to perform well in the summer heat is asking for trouble.

If there's any other help you need please just ask. I have a GM factory manual on CD-ROM that covers the RHD models so if you need any parts diagrams or anything I can email you PDF's. Sadly it doesn't include any GM part numbers though.

Sadly many of the RHD specific Blazer parts are now obsolete. One part that is particularly extremely difficult to find is the steering pitman arm. As far as I know the only supplier for these (rebuilt exchange) is Bunce Motors in New Zealand. My advice is to regularly grease the pitman arm balljoint, I do mine every couple of months.

I think the Blazers are good vehicles, they do have their little quirks (like any vehicle) but, with regular maintenance they are good strong reliable trucks, I have 122000 miles on mine yet & the oil consumption is zero & it never discolors on the dipstick.

I hope this info helps