Guest JonathanK Posted June 24, 2004 Report Posted June 24, 2004 My 02 Alhambra aircon wasn't working when I got it the other week so I booked it into a specilaist - Arizone in Port Talbot. They drained, refilled and checked the system for Quote
Ivor_E_Tower Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 It's a tricky one. I had my Scenic's aircon system drained down and re-gassed last year at 5 years old. It had never shown any signs of trouble. On the other hand, bought the Galaxy used at 2 years old and the aircon system failed one month later due to no gas! One year on from the repair, it seems to still be working fine, but if I have the funds I will get it drained and re-filled next year as a precaution. My parents have a Volvo 850 with an aircon system that still appears to work fine, and it's not been touched in 7 years. Quote
seatkid Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Balls! Lubricant is lost only if you have a leak. The safetys usually stops the system before the gas gets too low. Probably the biggest cause of compressor failure (apart from poor quality pumps) is repeated "climate services" refilling a low system (i.e one that leaked) with gas and no oil. AFAIK to replenish lubricant in an A/C, you need to physically disconnect an item (e.g. the pump) and pour the oil in. To do it properly means a complete strip down (there will be oil in condensor/evaporator etc.) drain all the oil and put in the specified quantity otherwise you wont know if theres too much or too little. Physically disconnecting anything should mean the receiver/dryer should be replaced - another cause of A/C failure is moisture. Personally, if it ain't broke don't fix it... Quote
Guest nimrod Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I disagree SK I have my AC serviced once a year, before the need for it is really upon us! the garage checks the operation of the system, checks for leaks, drains down and holds at a vacuum to remove any moisture and checks the amount of gas/oil removed and then refills with the correct amount of gas and oil as needed, for this I pay a set fee of which is included in the cost of any work that done if any if needed! for the past three years my AC has operated ok and not given me any need for concern :( Quote
ridway Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I can see where this guy is coming from. Many vehicle systems leak, some take years to leak to a point of concern, some are quicker. Checking the system every year is good in the fact that it prevents the gas levels getting too low and preventing the oil from circulating correctly and hence inevitable damage. However systems should not leak and the ones that don't, don't need to be de gassed and recharged every year. In fact if a reliable system is tampered with annually then there is more danger of introducing problems. Moisture ingess, foreign body ingress, overcharging undercharging etc.I disagree that a climate control system deserves more attention. The fact that a climate system regularly switches in, even in winter is a good thing. I think regular use and regular circulation of the oil and gas far outways the fears of general wear because it runs all the time. The points made have some vadility, but if your system is reliable I'd leave it be. A system that has been working well for 4-5 years without any attention will not have lost the slightest amount of oil even if it has got a really slow leak. Use it regularly and leave it alone. If there is any hint of a problem or deteriation in performance then get it sorted because that is when the problems start to occur; dont try to keep using it. Rich Quote
Ivor_E_Tower Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Ah, but the problem is spotting "any hint of a problem". I had my Scenic's done at 5 years as a precaution because I thought that 5 years was a good "run" with no problem or noticeable drop in performance. I ran the A/C all the time except on a handful of winter days when the ambient air temp stayed below zero. Now that the wife drives this car, I don't know how the A/C will survive, because despite telling her to leave it on all the time, I know she turns it off from time to time!Because of the problems I have had with the Galaxy, if its aircon is still working 2 years after the repair, I will get it done and ask for an indication of how much gas has been lost, so I will get some idea of the system's integrity. There do seem to be schools with the extremes of servicing effort here, some say an annual service should be done, others say leave alone until trouble starts. Quote
Guest nimrod Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 The Galaxy AC system has an acceptable loss limit! well its acceptable to those whose sold it! so many gramms over a set period, cant find the figures just now, but knowing this, isnt it worth while haveing the amount of gas and oil checked at a fairly regular interval in order to keep the system running at its most efficient! after all we all complain about its efficiency but most dont seem to do much in the way in helping keeping it at its most efficient! if your willing to pay a dealer to service your car why not extend that practice to the AC system and get it checked out and kept in tip top condition and possibly prolong its life and increase the resale value of the vehicle when you sell it with fully operating AC! Quote
seatkid Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 It depends on your philosophy regarding Total cost of ownership. Unfortunately the A/C components on the Shalaxy are of such poor quality (see poll) that I think it purely down to luck if you've got a good one or a bad one. That throws a spanner in the works with this whole arguement.... Quote
Guest nimrod Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 That throws a spanner in the works with this whole arguement.... OIH!! stop throwing spanners around! you may it need it later to fix something! :( Quote
seatkid Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 :( My usual trick is dropping them (or nuts or washers) into inaccessible places. B*S***D!! :( Quote
MrT Posted June 26, 2004 Report Posted June 26, 2004 Ford released a Technical Serivce Bulletin two years ago saying: "In order to provide an additional service to Ford customers and also avoid expensive repairs (e.g. compressor damage), an A/C Check and an A/C Service are being introduced. They will be implemented for all models, current and past. The A/C Check will be added to the Extended Period Maintenance, to be carried out every three years, and will include: a temperature check at the evaporator outlet tube and a visual inspection of the lines, hoses and connections. The A/C Service is a stand alone service product (it is NOT part of the Extended Period Maintenance) and may be carried out separately from or in combination with the A/C Check. The A/C Service includes: Recovery, Evacuation and Charging (including a vacuum test) the A/C system, and topping up of compressor oil as necessary." Quote
Ivor_E_Tower Posted June 26, 2004 Report Posted June 26, 2004 ..every 3 years. Maybe that's why the 3-year service is sooo expensive at the dealers. I tried another one this morning and it's getting worse - Quote
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