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You didn't mention any smell... If it was refrigerant, you would have been positive of that from the extreme fumes in the cabin. Water vapor (which looks like white smoke, fog, vapor) while running A/C is possible in some weather conditions, but could also indicate an issue. Your A/C system still might be sealed which would explain your pressure testing results. You said that the AC tensioner had seized up eventually. Maybe that could have been failing for a while before this and affecting the RPMs on the compressor, especially when the A/C was active. The wiki states "R12 receiver/drier's pressure switch disables the compressor if the refrigerant level is too low." Perhaps this switch activated caused by the drag or incorrect belt tension from the failing tensioner. Also worth double-checking the cable connection to the compressor, make sure it hasn't corroded or got snagged. If the A/C Compressor and A/C Tensioner are in working order now, and the system appears to be holding pressure, you could try filling the system and see what kind of results you get. Be sure to include the UV dye while filling the system, as this will help you find leaks easily if you do have a leak somewhere. You are also supposed to include a certain amount of oil for the compressor. To be honest, I had a difficult time using the A/C manifolds borrowed from a friend. While I eventually got my system filled and working with their help, I decided that next time I'm going to have the system professionally evacuated and filled. While I like working on the Z myself, experience and expertise seems particularly useful for this kind of job. Lastly, this is the drier I purchased before charging: La-Z-Link. I also replaced the safety switch for my R134a system, which might be worth trying replace in your case as well. However, you'll want to verify that your A/C circuit has actually been broken and all the coolant has leaked out, before uninstalling those parts. If the system has actually maintained its integrity all of this time, maybe no need to replace these yet.
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21:03:12 03/21/21
