Air Con Failure

[Scorpiorefugee]

I've opened this topic with the hope that it will help anyone who suffers total loss of function and has no previous experience. It is based on my own recent experience when both of my gals suffered air con failure within a couple of weeks of each other.

 

First, if it suddenly stops, it is highly likely that the cause is loss of gas. In the later versions with full air con, the control panel flashes all 8s for a few seconds which may indicate other problems but it is probably loss of gas. On the simpler versions the pump solenoid should pull in with an audible click when switched on. Loss of gas will stop this happening. there are other causes but in all cases it is probably better to get the pressure checked before looking for other causes.

 

I made the mistake of trying to do it cheaply by trying a Halfords (or other) top up can. My first mistake was to find the wrong point to try to put the gas in. There are 2. one has a lockking ring and is smaller than the other. This is the input point and gas should be put in until the pump solenoid starts to operate. Once this happens continue with the engine running and the air con set to max. If you have the early gal, this lug is behind the off side indicator.

 

My opinion is that using these cans is a waste of time. Basically, even with a pressure gauge attatched, there is no way of telling when the right amount of gas is in because the pressure is pretty constant once you have some in and it will vary dramatically with varying temperature so even an expert can never be sure. Also, if the system is empty, you will need about

[AVSDOYLE]

Hi Ron,

 

Thanks for the posting. I am going through a similar experience. The key is finding a "finding a competant and honest speciaist". My first attempt to find such a person failed -

[Scorpiorefugee]

I hate to say this but yours does sound much like mine. The pipe on mine was a 3 part bit and very complicated. The price is probably inflated by the fact that it passes through several hands, each one taking a percentage. Other than that your experience seems very similar. At least you didn't waste Edited June 1, 2007 by Scorpiorefugee

[dodge]

Hi

 

In my humble opinion......

 

A/c top up cans are more likely to be more trouble than they are worth. You can

Edited June 1, 2007 by dodge

[Scorpiorefugee]

Dodge,

 

I couldn't agree more. Common sense told me all that but I was misled by some reports of success. I think the problem from the beginning is finding out where to go and how much you should expect to pay. I also think that some of the horror stories are a bit off putting. This is why I opened this topic.

 

It might be an idea to set up a recommended dealer/specialist list. Any comments admin?? If we restrict ourselves to those we can speak well of, surely no-one can complain.

 

Ron.

[makil6]

hi, my air con gave up ages ago and its not something that really bothered me but recently i have been under the gal to find a persistent oil leak(crankcase breather pipe, replaced today) and i found that one of the air con pipes had totally snapped. on further investigation i noticed it had been rubbing against the oil filter which produced a weak spot and this is where it had snapped. and by looking at things its a one piece pipe which would be a nightmare to change. so at the moment its just tied up out the way until i or someone here can offer a solution. just another experience to share with folks.

cheers Mike.

[Scorpiorefugee]

Mike,

 

It sounds like the one that caused my problem. Cost about