Vortec 4.3L V-6 -- Opinions Wanted.

Damn that sucks I drive a 99 Colorado edition Chevy blazer LS with 4x4 with 192,000 miles on the whole vehicle and it still runs strong. But I well ad mit I have the same problem with the A/C so I got some 0GAUGE car amp wire and grounded out the battery and alternator problem solved. The A/C compres ser went out so I gotta fix that. Other then that it's a great reliable veh icle took it from Albuquerque nm to denver Colorado $300 in gas there and b ack so I don't know what kind of gas mileage that is

Mine's a 98 model, and I've been pleased with it. The AC compressor on mine is up top, and fairly easy to change out. Did it myself. Yes, I do have the necessary EPA card for working on car AC.

What makes you think you need an EPA card to work on your own vehicles?

It's air conditioning.... freon.....

You do in the U.S. if you are going to work on the A/C legally.

Common problem for the ground strap on the pass. side to fail. (hard to see because it's buried behind a lot of crap) Causes a variety of issues. Easy way to see if you have a problem is to clean a spot on the alt. mount, start the engine, turn on all the accessories lights and such. Then put a voltmeter between the battery ground and the spot you cleaned. Anything over a few millivolts is a problem. (you will get a bit simply because the path you create with the meter is shorter then the main ground path through the block).

At least, to add or remove refrigerant.

Electrical and cleaning and drive belt do not require EPA card.

If you have a set of gauges in your hand, and I rat you out to the EPA, and they arrest you, I get $10,000.00

FYI..

Take lots of pictures.

The EPA rep has to see with own eyes.

But it is extremely serious that they don't mess around.

If you are working on your own stuff you don't need any EPA card. The only thing you would need an EPA card for is to buy R12. If your intent is to resell the R12 you don't need a card to buy it but most places still won't sell it to you.. ebay and craigslist sellers will as long as you tell them you are buying it to resell.

Only if you are in the repair business charging money. If you are working on your own car you don't need the EPA card or the gvt's permission.

Nothing requires an EPA card except buying R12. The prohibition of releasing freon into the air exists separate from the need for the card. It would be illegal to release in the air. If you get the needed freon (which is very easy to do without a card even for R12, and you don't need a card to get 134a) you can put it into your cars system without needing an EPA card. You have allowed teh gvt to pull the wool over your eyes.

That's totally untrue for DIYers. The ONLY thing DIYs could be cited for would be venting freon into the air or buying R12 without a card UNLESS they were buying it to resell.

If you can find where it says HO can work on their own vehicles, I'd love to read it. Please send URL.

If you find that on the EPA web site, I'd sure love to follow the link. Might be true, never know.

Illegal to open the system without the card. Yours or any-one else's Like anything else, it only hurts when you get caught.

You won't find it CLEARLY spelled out because the EPA wants you to think you can't. All you will find is requirements for technicians, i.e. people who are paid by others to work on cars at a business, NOT DIYers. What you can find is that they only time they mention DIY requirements is in terms of buying the R12, at no other time do they mention restrictions on DIY repairs.

Here's the part...below... note how they do all the can to try and avoid saying they can't stop DIYers but as it says, all they can do is

*encourage* DIYers to not do it themselves. That's because you don't need the EPA card to work on your own vehicle. You'll note that they never say DIY is illegal because it's not. It's typical gvt BS talk, trying to make you think you can't do something, just like the photo radar tickets many cities send out make it sound like you HAVE to come down and turn yourself in when you can throw the non-certified LETTER, not ticket, in the trash. GVT at it's worst, ... sadly, that's what most of gvt is these days.

There are several companies that sell DIY AC system to add to cars that don't have them. I've not seen where a single one of those companies tells their customers that they must have an EPA card to install those systems into their cars. Do you think they would be selling them without so advising them if a card was required for people to work on their own cars? This is to install a complete system, essentially the ULITMATE AC repair. Hard to imagine it would be legal to install a complete system in your own car but illegal to do a DIY repair to that same system a year later if the evaporator valve when bad.

Of course, this is my opinion. If you think you need a license from the gvt to work on your own vehicles that's your choice.

from

Sales Restrictions

Section 609 has long prohibited the sale of small cans of ozone-depleting refrigerants to anyone other than a certified technician. The sale of any size container of CFC-12 to anyone other than certified technicians was prohibited under section 608 of the Act beginning on November 14, 1994. This provision is intended to discourage "do-it-yourselfers" who recharge their own air conditioners. Such individuals often release refrigerant because they typically do not have access to recovery/recycling equipment. The Agency encourages "do-it-yourselfers" to bring their cars to certified technicians who can properly fix air conditioners using approved equipment. This avoids damage to A/C equipment by improper charging and helps to protect the environment.

If the system has already leaked out you are fine. If it's still got freon you would need to take it to a shop for recovery. Once it's empty from recovery you are free to fix your own car, you are free to buy the 134a at Autozone, and you are free to charge it, all without needing a card.