Air Con

[roly1977]

hi every one :) ive got a new air con condenser are they easy to change what will i need to remove and special tools or will it be easyier to get a specialist to do it if so anyone know a good one in the south east cheers

[seatkid]

I hope you realise that when you change any major item in the a/c system, you will also need to change the dryer/accumulator, add the correct lubricant type and quantity to each item changed,and change all associated seals. Then have the system correctly refilled. i.e. vacuumed out (to remove air, moisture and check for leaks) and refilled with the correct weight of refrigerant. Its also common to add dye at the refill stage just in case of a slow leak ( :) ).

 

For most people, this will involve using an a/c specialist.....

[sniper]

While I was under there, I thought I'd check out the A/C condenser - but I can't find it?

 

Looking around the radiators etc. I've found nothing that looks anything like the pictures I've found here. Is there something different I should be looking for?

 

The aircon hasn't worked for quite a while, as the quote of

[sniper]

Any ideas peeps?

 

I read all the different A/C threads and found various references to checking the condenser for leaks. So I thought I'd try find mine - looked around the front radiator and can't find anything that looks remotely like any of the pics I've found here. (e.g. here)

 

Is this visible without dismantling the whole front of the car?

[davgree]

Hi,

 

Has anyone come across this problem before or seen a link to a thread please?

 

2004 Tdi 115 Auto

 

Aircon not working, the A/C light comes on the switch but the compressor will not kick in, all fuses ok, seems electrical rather than mechanical.

 

It started intermittently, I could tell this by windscreen misting up, then clearing fast, two minutes later the windscreen would mist up bad, then clear as aircon came back on again, now it has stopped all together.

 

All ideas welcomed!

 

Does the ECU have any reasons to switch the aircon off for any reason, I noticed in VAG COM there is an output test which states

[sparky Paul]

While I was under there, I thought I'd check out the A/C condenser - but I can't find it?

 

If you look through the front grill, the big thing that looks like a radiator is the AC condensor. The rad is behind it.

[sparky Paul]

Aircon not working, the A/C light comes on the switch but the compressor will not kick in, all fuses ok, seems electrical rather than mechanical.

 

It started intermittently, I could tell this by windscreen misting up, then clearing fast, two minutes later the windscreen would mist up bad, then clear as aircon came back on again, now it has stopped all together.

 

Its likely that the low pressure switch is acting.

 

From the symptoms, i.e. working for a while before stopping, then nothing at all, it sounds like the system needs regassing at the very least - there's a good chance that you have a leak somewhere. Check all the pipework for staining, also check for leakage under the small cap on the dryer end of the condensor - this is quite a common failure on the mk.2, and there's a thread about this on here somewhere...

 

check out this thread... http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php?showtopic=13221

Edited February 12, 2008 by sparky Paul

[davgree]

Aircon not working, the A/C light comes on the switch but the compressor will not kick in, all fuses ok, seems electrical rather than mechanical.

 

It started intermittently, I could tell this by windscreen misting up, then clearing fast, two minutes later the windscreen would mist up bad, then clear as aircon came back on again, now it has stopped all together.

 

Its likely that the low pressure switch is acting.

 

From the symptoms, i.e. working for a while before stopping, then nothing at all, it sounds like the system needs regassing at the very least - there's a good chance that you have a leak somewhere. Check all the pipework for staining, also check for leakage under the small cap on the dryer end of the condensor - this is quite a common failure on the mk.2, and there's a thread about this on here somewhere...

 

check out this thread... http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php?showtopic=13221

 

Ok, thanks for that sparky paul, I will have a good look around on the weekend!

[terry37]

My MkII 2001 Galaxy 1.9tdi air con is losing it's gas over a period of 2 to 3 days. I've had it re-gassed and leak tested twice (the second time being free of charge) only to see it leak out again.

 

All pipes (and conections that are visible) didn't reveal any dye leaks-exept for some dye down the sides of the charging point in the pipework, but I guess this could have occured when the dye was added to the system during a re-gas.

 

I've also had a new compressor fitted after discovering that the clutch had fallen off the old one and damaged the splined shaft in the process !

 

I removed the cap on top of the dryer which revealed some light corrosion but no signs of any dye, neither can I see any signs of dye on the condenser fins.

 

So now I'm considering buying a new condenser, as suggested earlier in this thread, and having a go at fitting it myself.

 

Before I do though... could such a slow leak be coming from the condenser or could it be another component ?

[MrT]

When my condensor went it was checked several times by different garages who could not detect a leak using dye and a sniffer. It was only when the compressor went and that was being replaced that there were actually traces of dye in the top of the condensor under the plastic cap. So you could like me have a slow leak in the condensor that you just can not find. Your year is one when when the problem condensors were made.

[terry37]

Thanks for the reply, MrT.

 

I've sourced a brand new condenser on the interweb from here http://www.autoairconparts.co.uk/ at

[terry37]

UPDATE:

 

Just an upadte on the situation regarding my aircon problem.

 

I went ahead and bought a new condenser, fitted it (which was fairly straightforward) and had it re-gassed by a local garage.

 

It's been a month now and all is still working well, now all I need is some decent weather to put the naircon to the test. :unsure:

 

Oh! and I the O rings didn't come with the condenser so I had to buy them from my local dealer at

[Nick A]

The aircon on my Galaxy stopped working last year (2001 tdi) and the condensor was at fault - when I removed the plastic cap on top of the receiver/dryer section and put some soapy water on it, a tiny bubble of escaping gas could be seen every few seconds. I bought a replacement condensor from the same place as you and it has been fine - fitted it myself and a local a/c specialist came and checked it/re-gassed it.