Ogben Schmutzel

Or worked fine till answering this poll :D

Ummmm.... getting back on track again! Could it be seasonal? Oggy.

Ok, just thought I would see if you felt it was a possibility. Anyway the sites not down much is it. :lol: Thanks both for responding. Oggy.

Just a bit :ph34r: :D :ph34r: :D :D Thanks. Oggy.

Hi All, Just a suggestion for the mods/admins to consider. Kept trying the site yesterday which I presume was down. I had no idea what was going on, how long it was going to be down, or even if anyone that could do anything about it knew. Could the admins or whoever keep a mailing list on their local PC for such situations so that members could be informed what is going on and when it is going to be back? I appreciate that this would have to be on their own email account given that the site is down, but there are ways of masking the addresses of the other recipients and I think of the sender too. Just a thought! Regards. Oggy.

Fair question but is that really the most important thing here? To answer your question; I am trying to understand how aircon works in a automotive situation. You may or may not be aware that I have a leak on my system somewhere, and yes there is a little anxiety attached to the fact that I may well have to spend significant sums replacing what doesn't need replacing. The situation is that my climate control based aircon system held pressure for months over winter and then during the first few warm days it lost pressure. Had similar a while ago when it held pressure for a few days then on a hotter day the pressure went. My measure that the pressure goes is three fold, 1) failure to cool, 2) whispering noise by the glove box, 3) followed a few days later by climate control unit flashing. To date leak detection attempts have failed and before embarking on repair, or the process of elimination approach that dealers go for, I am trying to establish the most probable cause. So given the way that the pressure loss occurs I am wondering if that could be a clue. However to do try and do this I need to understand how it all works. That, to me at least, is the most important thing! Thanks for the responses to my questions, they really are appreciated, not sure that tranquilisers would be the answer though. All the best. Oggy.

Last question - I think! Is the low pressure below atmospheric or is it just lower than the high?? Cheers. Oggy.

Sorry guys - is the evaporator itself high or low? Is the Thermostatic Expansion Valve the change point? Showing my ignorance of how refrigeration works here!! Regards. Oggy.

Hi All, On the attched picture does anyone know what areas are high and low pressure? And to what extent the pressure varies under load, i.e. in hot weather. Cheers. Oggy.

Araldite??? Just a suggestion. Try Google on Araldite + Aluminium Oggy.

Yeh - 10 x 8 hour days at say

Hi All, My independent managed to replace the leaking o rings where the pipes that run across the back of the engine join the pipes that come through the bulkhead from the evaporator. Like trying to wallpaper the hall through the letter box, but they did it!! I'm sure I have read somewhere here that someone has replaced the 'big long pipe that runs across the back the engine", without removing the engine :) MM - do you know which parts of the system are high pressure and which parts are low. And do either increase in pressure when the system is working under load in hot weather? Ta. Oggy.

Fair comment. Silly question maybe but is the Receiver/Dryer a separate component to the condenser? Cheers. Oggy.

See what happens in a week!!! All the best. Oggy.

When my aircon was working but paranoia was high I just used a conventional cheapo thermometer and made a wire loop and hung it upside down tight on the centre vent. With the fan set at just under half way (this is on a CC system) on the 4 mile drive home to/from work the temp at the vent used to get down to 5 or 6 C in all but the hottest conditions. Not as technically correct as MM's response but it did the job. I have not heard anyone talk of 2 C before. Also I understand that the correct place to measure the vent temp is a couple of inches into the vent, but you are only looking for a guide. I think I have seen vent thermometers in Halfords for a tenner! Next time ask them to show you the temperature. HTH. Oggy.

Sounds very cheap!! Oggy.

Generally like the car but have had problems with the heating and cooling system, i.e. the auxiliary heater and leaking aircon. Also bought the car at just over 40K mile and three years old, just when things start to need replacing i.e. tyres, brake pads, disc's, cam belt ..... Would consider another but would want a good and long warrantee to cover the auxiliary heater and aircon. In fact the latter issue is one reason why I might not have the same car again, or even cause me to get rid of the present one sooner. Oggy.

If there is damp in the system after they have done all that work then I suggest you ask how it got there and why is it still there, given that the regas procedure should dry the refrigerant! Sounds like they are making it up as they go along - not unusual I'm afraid!! If it lasts about a week then you almost certainly have a slow leak somewhere! Like me :angry: Regards. Oggy.

Do they NEED replacing?? The independent that services mine does on the car skimming.

I thought it was from outside, but might be wrong. Oggy.

Yeh - if the external temp is at 36 C then on a single aircon system the back fan dragging air in from outside wouldn't be helping much!! Thanks for the input. Oggy.

Raymac, I think!*?! that it doesn't need resetting, once the gas pressure is back it will stop flashing!! Unless there is something else of course and VAG should tell you what that is. Regards. Oggy.

To state what I am sure is obvious, I am not an expert but based on my own experience I have lost all my refrigerant as follows. 1. Just lost pressure. Could not find a cause. Regassed and system stayed full for months, albeit over winter, but with CC running. 2. Small hairline crack in one of the pipes leading up to the refill valve. There was the slightest of fluorescent green smudges in the place that it had gone. Nothing else. 3. Current problem is yet to be located but possible areas are pipe work, but that has been leak tested as well as can be. 4. Could be the evaporator. I understand (have not done it myself) that if you remove the tray under the engine you should be able to locate the drain for the condensation that forms around the evaporator. If the evaporator has gone then there should be oily residue in that pipe or on the tray. However I have been told that it is possible for the evaporator to go near the top and not actually leak oil, just gas and pressure. 5. Could be the Condenser, which I have been told that is more than likely the culprit when a leak cannot be pin pointed. Best of luck and let us all know how you get on. Cheers. Oggy.

Definitely remember reading in a thread on this forum something about there being an insurance requirement that the tyres are reinforced. There was some debate about whether it was fact or supposition! Unresolved I think! Regards. Oggy.