QuestionQUESTION: The system I have now doesn't work on heat or cooling at all. what and where do i go to find someone who knows what I need to do to get it working. Do I need to retrofit this system. I need help. Thank you.
Ron Merritt, Murfreesboro, TN
ANSWER: 67 was the changeover year for AC systems in the Imperial. If your car has the dial in the center of the dash where you set your desired temperature, you have the later system, called ATC or automatic temperature control.
If you have the earlier system (no temp dial), any AC shop can fix it - it is very simple and normal. There is no reason to retrofit it, unless it is leaking freon - if that is the case, you can change it over to R134 because it is cheaper. You don't need to do anything else to it.
If you have the ATC system, it is much more involved to get it fixed - you will have to find an AC shop that is familiar with those systems. Most GM Luxury cars and Mercedes used the same system - so ask around those shops.
If you tell me which system you have, maybe I can give you a few things to check yourself to get it going. Usually, you can get the heater working pretty easily, even if the AC won't come on.
I have both types in my Imperials (I have 4 of them!) and can give you help, but there is no sense in talking about one system if you have the other - so post a "follow up" question back to me and we'll take it to the next level.
Dick
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dick, First of aall, thank you for your quick responce. I do have the ATC in this 67 Chrysler Crown Imperial. I a wait your reply. Thanks again
Ron Merritt
Murfreesboro, TN
AnswerOK, Good. I can help some from a distance. First, go to the following web site for some info that will be helpful:
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1967/DickBsRefurb/index.htm
Scroll down to "Chapter 6", then further to my discussion of the HVAC system, which this car also has. (That will save me a lot of typing!)
Next, in your car, look at the area under the radio, up against the air conditioner housing, you will see two plastic, round yellow or green or blue (I forget!) mushroom shaped valves, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter - each has a vacuum hose going to it, and a two wire connector plugged into it. These are the master power switch for the system and the compressor switch - both are vacuum operated. The reason your system isn't coming on is very likely because these valves are not switching on, for some reason. That reason could be failed valves, or it could be that there is no vacuum getting to the valves.
These valves are color coded, but I do not recall which is which, and I don't have my manuals here for this system, I will look it up tomorrow, but you cannot do any damage by just unplugging the two 2 wire plugs and temporarily pushing a paper clip into the end of each plug such that you electrically short the two wires together (one prong of the paper clip into each metal prong of the plug). Then turn on your ignition key and try your push buttons to see if the system will turn on.
If you push HI-DEF, it should come on immediately - the blower should run, and if the engine is running, the flaps should move in response to the temp control, and the blower speed should range from outrageously high down to a whisper depending on how far the ambient air temp in the car is from the setting on the dial. This requires that you press the AC or Auto button, but you have to press the HI-DEF FIRST to bring the system on (that bypasses the delay that was designed in to let the engine warm up before hitting you with ice cold air in the winter).
Try this as a first step and report back to me - we'll take this one step at a time.
If you have not yet discovered the on line Imperial club, I urge you to sign up - there is a wealth of good info about these cars, and many helpful people on there - I've been a member since it started in 1996. It's free! There is an awful lot of mail to wade through, but you can sign up on "digest" mode where you can quickly wade through all the non-interesting stuff to get to what you want to read about. They also have a superb tech support look-up section, with just about all the manuals you will need to work on this car.
To save you getting picked on by the fussy ones, your car is properly called an Imperial Crown - not a Crown Imperial - the Crown Imperials were very special limousines made in Italy for a few years in the early 60s - scarce as hen's teeth and VERY expensive, and the purists will jump on you for transposing the names - Silly, I know, but that's how it is when people don't have enough to do!
Dick
