The previous owner lived up North. They deleted the vaccuum bulb and just left the vac line open because they apparently never ran it or ran it only as heat? Well, when I got it I just capped the line off and I immediately got cold air. I should have known when I thought it was "fixed" that something else lurks beneath, lmao.

I think I might have a leak, but I'm not sure how to check for that. I think those dials you hang under the hood? I can definitely diagnose this if I get a little boost from someone. I really don't want to do summer soaking wet 24/7 with the windows down.

Thank you

 

First thing to look for is an oil stain at all the fittings, and front of compressor. If none found, and it is working now let it run until it gets to where it doesn't c oool. If that happens or you see ice forming on the return line under the hood then you have a leak. That is where the manifold set comes in. Other wise, let it run for now and see what it does

 

To see what's going on inside you really need a gauge set to check operating pressures.

To check for leaks, in addition to looking for oil stains you can inject some UV dye made for the purpose or use an electronic detector. It is very common on the XJ for the evaporator to develop leaks, and to detect that you need an electronic sniffer since it is behind the dashboard and you won't be able to see dye leaking out. Unfortunately you have to remove the dashboard to replace the evaporator. Commonly the heater core would also be replaced while everything is apart. (My '99 XJ has a leaky evaporator but I haven't had time to take the dash out. Since I have other vehicles with AC available to me it hasn't been a priority to repair it.) Resist the temptation to use sealers since those can really make a mess of your AC system.

 

What are the symptoms of the problem?

is compressor clutch working? is vacuum ventilation control operable or not? cold air blowing or not?

Need a bit more info here