Air Conditioning - Constant Leak - Any Ideas?

[Guest lablover]

Hi All,

 

This is my first posting, so forgive me if this subject has been covered many times over! I have now gathered that a/c and Galaxy's just don't go together....

 

We have an 02 plate LX 1.9 TDi 115ps. It's done a lot of miles (115k) and was owned by a fleet hire company. Service History seems pretty good - I have stamped up book and report from fleet co. listing everything that was done to the car.

 

When we bought the car a/c didn't work - didn't realise at first. Garage where we bought it (not Ford dealer) re-gassed. Fine for 2-3 weeks, then gas leaked out. Took it back, and garage did dye test with uv light - no leak found, re-gassed. 2-3 weeks later, gas leaked again, took car back, new compressor fitted and small pipe that Ford have had to replace many times on Galaxy's. A/c worked beautifully for 2-3 weeks (nice and cold) and then gas leaked out again.

 

Garage then sacked their repairer (partly due to our car), and called out their a/c guy (independent mobile chappy). He replaced a valve at the back of the engine bay - not sure what - which he said should have been replaced when compressor was, but it hadn't been. He re-gassed and confirmed no leak. Guess what? 2-3 weeks later gas leaked out.... Am still waiting for him to come back, but don't really know what to do next - he cannot find the leak!

 

Am getting so fed up of being told there is no leak when there quite clearly is! It's quite bizarre. Garage where we bought the car have really tried to sort it for us, and it's still broken. They have paid all the bills so far, so no cost to us but I think they've spent about

[johnb80]

There has to be a leak and it is their problem not yours, don't give up on it. If they've injected the UV dye wherever the leak is it will stand out, maybe it's inside the heater unit / evaporator core (unlikely) it would be a pig to change. Keep on at them to fix it.

 

Regards - JB

[Andrew T]

Along with a few other people, my A/c problems were linked to a leaking condensor. The A/c specialist I used said they'd changed a few and suggested there was a problem with substandard condensors on early Mk2 Galaxys that typically came to light after 3 or 4 years.

[seatkid]

maybe it's inside the heater unit / evaporator core (unlikely) it would be a pig to change.

In fact evaporator leaks are very common on the Galaxy :lol: - they are a pig to change and horrendously expensive to have done at a dealer. Another common area that doesnt always show with UV dye are the pipe runs from the rear of the engine to the fornt - where they are clipped - they corrode under the clip and leak.

[Guest lablover]

Thanks for the info - How can I tell if it's the evaporator? The last guy to look at it checked everywhere for the dye, and could not see any dye that had leaked out apart from the valve that he changed... I am a bit anti main dealers after I was treated like a complete idiot by Vauxhall a few years ago - will NEVER buy another Vauxhall, but that's a diff story! :lol:

 

Anyway, is it also strange that it takes 2-3 weeks for a/c to stop working? Is this characteristic of the evaporator?

 

Thanks again.

[gazza007]

Collector/Dryer unit prone to leaks due to corrosion, quite a common fault on early Mk2's & not easy to spot. Took about 6 months to fix mine after changing everything else, even an independant failed to spot it. I'm sure a service bulleten was issued on this one.

Good luck keep pushing!!!

[Guest lablover]

Thanks for that Gazza - could you tell me where the collector/dryer is? I know nothing about a/c... apart from it's rubbish in Galaxy's!

[johnb80]

Thanks for that Gazza - could you tell me where the collector/dryer is? I know nothing about a/c... apart from it's rubbish in Galaxy's!

No it's not..... YOURS maybe rubbish but mine isn't.

 

Regards - JB

[Andrew T]

[

No it's not..... YOURS maybe rubbish but mine isn't.

 

Perhaps you need to give it a bit longer to let you down - another year maybe ?

[Masked Marauder]

Thanks for that Gazza - could you tell me where the collector/dryer is?  I know nothing about a/c... apart from it's rubbish in Galaxy's!

No it's not..... YOURS maybe rubbish but mine isn't.

 

Regards - JB

Mine is good too.

[Velcrohead]

Has a sniffer test been done on it?

Dye is OK but if you cannot see the leaking area i.e. the evaporator then dye is useless.

Depending where you are I have all the equipment to test.

[johnb80]

[

No it's not..... YOURS maybe rubbish but mine isn't.

 

Perhaps you need to give it a bit longer to let you down - another year maybe ?

Should be gone by then and one of the new ones in it's place (if I like it that is). So it might even be yours if you're upgrading?

 

Regards - JB

[Guest lablover]

Thank you to johnb80 for being really helpful :huh: . I'm afraid, everyone I know who has a galaxy has had problems with their a/c, and imho, the a/c system in the galaxy is very sub standard, and just not man for the job - the a/c in my 13 year old Volvo 940 was far, far better.

 

Have now got my gal back with brand new alternator (not sure if it's recon, probably I spose!). A/c chap coming back on Thursday, and has hinted at evaporator - any ideas how much one of those is?

 

I think a sniffer test was done at the previous garage, and they couldn't find any leak Velcrohead....

 

Fraud have quoted me

[Velcrohead]

Thank you to johnb80 for being really helpful :huh: . I'm afraid, everyone I know who has a galaxy has had problems with their a/c, and imho, the a/c system in the galaxy is very sub standard, and just not man for the job - the a/c in my 13 year old Volvo 940 was far, far better.

 

Have now got my gal back with brand new alternator (not sure if it's recon, probably I spose!). A/c chap coming back on Thursday, and has hinted at evaporator - any ideas how much one of those is?

 

I think a sniffer test was done at the previous garage, and they couldn't find any leak Velcrohead....

 

Fraud have quoted me

[Andrew T]

So it might even be yours if you're upgrading?

 

Regards - JB

That would be nice...............unless you wanted some money for it? Having said that large chunks of my A/C system are only just over a year old, so it might be that it proves a better bet in the long term than a 3 yr old A/C system in a 3year old Gal'.

When I was talking to (alright, moaning at) the A/c specialist about the quality of Galaxy components he suggested that the condensor now fitted was an improved design - only time will tell.

[Guest lablover]

The plot thickens....

 

Air con guy finally came round yesterday, only to tell me that my a/c is working fine... :unsure:

 

About 4 weeks ago, it was blowing out warm air...

 

I was somewhat dubious of his conclusion (as it was a cold day) but it was blowing out cold air, and his guage thingy was showing the system was operating at the correct pressures. So he said there must be gas in there... He reckons it could be an electrical fault.

 

Ok, if any of you have read my other posting, you'll know my lovely Gal broke down tonight for the second time in less than 2 weeks - 2 weeks ago was told it was alternator. Alternator replaced. Car seemed fine. Major service on monday (