960 1996 loses power going uphill when A/C is ON

[Colo]

I bought a 1996 960 wagon 2 months ago. I love this car so far. Recently I made a trip to the mountains and the car started to lose power going uphill, only when the A/C is ON. If the A/C is off, the car runs normally: it shifts to an upper gear while going uphill and accelerates normally down shifting later as it gains speed. With the A/C ON however, the engine loses power, it start to shift gears up, it revs up, but it does not deliver any power, it starts to go slower and slower until it barely moves and at that point I can smell gasoline. Check engine light does NOT come up. At the same time, while going up the hill, the A/C stops working and the flap directed towards the front closes while the fan/vent is working normally. I think this is due to a vacuum leak, but I do not know for certain and I do not know how to test it or repair it. Any ideas? Thanks!!

[Nickster]

If you're looking for vacuum leaks, check the vacuum lines in the engine compartment, on the firewall, directly in front of the passenger. There are two or three lines here that crack with age. These control the flaps for the interior fans. My problem was a bit different in that the directional flaps stopped working (air was directed only to the bottom) and cool air from the A/C didn't come in. Replacing these hoses did the trick.

[Colo]

thanks Nickster.
Do you think that a vacuum leak would make the engine to lose power uphill when the A/C is ON?