Air Con Prob

[Guest akneeshaw]

Just bought a 98 Galaxy GhiaX with all the bells and whistles including CC.

 

After driving for about 15minutes, the air volume from the vents and other orrifices dwindled to nothing despite the fact that the vent fan is heard to be wizzing round like mad.

 

On stopping for 5 minutes everything gradually returns to normal. I've noted a lots of water on the floor under the driver side bonnet during this period

 

I've also noticed that the air con compressor never stops with CC system on Auto, or Econ or off altogether.

 

I've come to the conclusion that the aircon is not swiching off at all - not even to defrost - and this frost is blocking the air through the cooling coils. So I guess a relay or solenoid valve is stuck open.

 

Is this a reasonable diagnosis - and what needs looking at??

[Guest akneeshaw]

I'm replying to my own message here just to keep you updated.

 

I took the car in yesterday to Allen Ford Coventry, cos I wanted the fault sorting out before our hols next week.

 

I gave 'em a written description of the symptoms and some suggestions as to where to look. The receiption man told be that they would do some diagnostics which would come to a maximum of of

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Don't know the area, try yellow pages. Don't use that dealer again would be my advice ! Commiserations for coming across another bunch of no-hopers.

[Guest Titan]

Depending on how much gas is required!!!, I'm guessing not that much, I'd imagine that the actual time taken to withdraw all the gas from a car wouldn't take too long!!, having said that though the set up of the equipment i.e the pump the bottle and scales aswell as the point of withdrawl from the system would probably take more time.......but remain scepticle for the time being!!!.....I have a friend who does A/C re-conditioning/re-charging for

[ALARM MAN]

You say the aircon is running all the time

 

Do you mean the compresser is running all the time ?

 

Cos it will look like it as the compresser pulley is running all the time

But there is a clutch inside that spins when A/C is on

 

Get some one in the car to switch A/C on and off and listen to rhs of engine in front of battery this is where the relay / fuse for the A/C

It should click to tell clutch to engage

 

Is the A/C always cold ?

 

Oh and yes you were ripped off

 

Ian

[Guest akneeshaw]

Now the fun's really starting. As I'm learning more about air con in cars I have realised that unlike an office air con for instance, the compressor spindle runs all the time. The system cycles via a magnetic clutch which engages and disengages the compressor main pistons. With an office system the motor switches on and off.

 

I dropped onto a good technical web site which talks about this and says that if the compressor is run without a refrigerant charge, then the lubricating oil will not travel round the system and the compressor will probably soon sieze up.

 

If my guesses are right, I think the clutch in my compressor is stuck in the on position.

 

This afternoon I fax the Allen Ford men about this hunch with the observation that, as they have sucked out all of the refrigerant, I am likely to end up on the hard shoulder of the M6 with a siezed compressor. I waited two hours then phoned to find that the fax number I had used was for the showroom (30 yards away from the workshop), but they hadn't taken the fax round to the wokshop so I faxed back to the workshop, waited another hour, rang again and the receiption man said he'd returned the fax (despite it not coming out of my fax machine) with confirmation that the car would be OK. He tells me that, with no refrigerant charge, the compressor clutch will not engage. Do I trust that info?? You bet not.

 

So this evening I go out to the car, start it up and stop it and I hear the depleting hissing noise which sounds like air in the internal air con coils. So if the clutch is not engage as the chap says, how come i here this noise.

 

So I sit here ready to drive off on my holidays tomorrow morning with the sinking feeling these idiots have got this wrong. I shall take it in to them one last time tomorrow morning and plead that they listen to me. But the way things are going I'll be calling out the AA.

 

Wish me luck.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

They may be right - there is a pressure sensor and if there is no gas in the system then the clutch should not operate. However, if you have a fault in the clutch system and the clutch is permanently engaged, then you will have a problem!

 

Full gas replenishment should be possible in under an hour and under

[Guest dmc]

They may be right - there is a pressure sensor and if there is no gas in the system then the clutch should not operate. However, if you have a fault in the clutch system and the clutch is permanently engaged, then you will have a problem!

 

Full gas replenishment should be possible in under an hour and under

[Guest akneeshaw]

You're going to love this.

 

Yook the car back in this morning and managed to talk directly to one of the 'mechanics'. I said to him that the hissing seems to indicate that somethings going round the system.

 

I explained my theory about the compressor being on all the time. So gets his out his torch and sure enough the internals of the compressor are turning.

 

So he takes it into the garage, pulls the electrical plug on the compressor and bingo, compressor stops.

 

So, after 3 hours of fault finding (

[Guest dmc]

are you sure they removed the gas?

if you are 100% sure the gas is removed,and are 100% sure the compressor was working,then you must have a wiring fault.

 

the 12v feed must have worn through after the pressure switch,and connected to a 12v feed from another circuit.

 

as most wiring looms are bunched together quite big,it could be difficult(and expensive)to find.

 

good luck

[Guest akneeshaw]

So all went well with the air con decommisioned but now I'm looking to fix it.

 

Having bought a Haynes manual, I find that there is a Air con clutch solenoid and an air con clutch diode, which seem favourite to me.

 

So here's my question.

 

Does anyone know where in web of wires I might find these two items??