hi everyone,
once again i have a question,
apart from switching on the cool box to make it go cold what else can i check or do to make it cold,i have never known it to go cold but would love to put some beers i mean (cold) drinks in it for those long trips,is it linked to the air con,at moment it just a storage box
- (#8928) dennis, 8 Jun 03 12:04
I'm not sure from your phrasing what you mean. You mean you have never switched it on? Do it! It will cool your beers pretty quickly. And yes it is sort of connected to the aircon (but doesn't have it running full blast, and you don't need aircon on in the cabin to use the box).
It has almost literally save lives on occasions - having an icy beer on arrival after a long and sticky journey with bickering children is great for stopping the sprogs being strangled!
- (#8929) SteveFE, 8 Jun 03 17:23
thanks steve 4 reply
i have many times swicth it on to see how cold it can get and even went and put water in the ice maker switch the cool box on by pushing button on left of cool box which lit up a small indicater light,how long do you need to leave it on for before you notice it is getting cold ?.as i was saying never known it to get cold,i even pack it out with drinks once swicth on done about 50 miles and still not cold,any advise
- (#8930) dennis, 9 Jun 03 0:32
You should hear the compressor kick in when switched on and after a few minutes your left leg (if you are doing the driving) should feel cold if pressed up against the box.
Is your aircon working ok for both zones? If not then the system may need regassing. If aircon is ok then trace connections etc thru to box for power and cooling system.
- (#8931) Ian Dunse, 9 Jun 03 6:13
ian
i have not notice if the compressor is kicking in but air con is working and will need a deep fill regassing
as i still have the banned gas(r12)
i had the air con re-gassed 3 yr ago and the cool box never worked then,the air con front and back got cold,i will have to see if the air con clucth kicks in when i turn on cool box,it may be electrical.
i will get back to you,many thanks
- (#9061) dennis, 9 Jun 03 14:48
I have a 1988 Masterace Surf with a Cool/Hotbox,with a different switching arrangement,in that it is a rotary switch,set,"Hot-OFF-Cold-Ice!
I believe later models have a row of buttons?
My Cold box doesn't work independently from the A/C,as the switch to"Cold", doesnt engage the A/C clutch!
Reading previous threads,I was lead to believe that
perhaps on later models the Cool/Hot Box is independent?Or have I mis-interpreted these earlier postings?
Cheers,TAS.
- (#9127) Trev Sutton, 13 Jun 03 2:57
I own a Toyota Hiace Super Custom Ltd,7 seater, 1992.
For a while now I have been scanning the site for information on why these cooler boxes have problems, but answers are in short supply. As to what the solutions are, one has to know how they work. So, if there is anyone out there who has knowledge of how the system works, in the form of a scematic diagram, then,please post it on the site so that us uninformed sufferers have some idea of what we are looking at in our attempt to find a solution to this age old problem - why they won't make ice! - A big BIG. thanks to the one who does.
- (#9128) Mr A Knight, 14 Jun 03 10:07
Mr Knight,
The workings of any refrigerated system is complex and to try to impart a working Knowledge through schematics wouldn't really help you, it would only help to identify component location and as it is one of these components that may be failing or has already failed, what you need to know is which conponent is u/s or which process of thermodynamics is not taking place. As i said, any refrigerated system has its own characteristics but the fundamental principals are the same. They all extract heat, not add cold, and the constant cycle is compression of refrigerant to a high pressure vapour, condensation to a high pressure liquid, restriction to low pressure liquid, expansion to low pressure gas, and so the cycle continues.
for a general self diagnostic check of your cool box, remove the side panel from you coolbox and locate the two refrigeration pipes to where they actually join the cooler, then run your engine, and switch on the cool button. after a short time one of the two pipes will become cold, (icy cold ) and this would indicate that cooling is effectively taking place, if not the expansion device located in the cooler evaporator coil is probably defective and should be replaced and this is not a job for an untrained person as refrigerant pump down and evacuation proccedures have to be adopted by law. In short there is not much an untrained person can do, so take it to a proper refrigeration engineer for full diagnosis.
regards
brian
- (#9129) brian squire, 15 Jun 03 0:55