Climate Control Not Cooling

[jkspoff]

My Climate Control A/C has now been to 3 garages for diagnosis, including a main Ford dealer, my warranty company will not pay main dealer prices, so now its going to a network garage - Nationwide, an approved warranty direct garage where the invoice will go straight to the warranty company for payment. It needs according to Ford:

 

1. New Compressor (even though compressor only 18mth old)

2. New Condensor (as its leaking from there apparently)

3. Regassing (obviously).

 

So all in all Ford quoted

[Masked Marauder]

Bloody hell, you would think Aircon is a black art or something!

 

There are only 4 main components, the Compressor, the drier, the condenser and the evaporator! All joined up with gas tight pipes!

 

How hard can it be?

[jkspoff]

Bloody hell, you would think Aircon is a black art or something!

 

There are only 4 main components, the Compressor, the drier, the condenser and the evaporator! All joined up with gas tight pipes!

 

How hard can it be?

 

Exactly, we all have our own chosen professions in life where we should excel, and I like to think I do in mine, but when it comes to some motor mechanics I really have my doubts.

[Masked Marauder]

I must confess. I used to work in a factory that made environmental control units for computer rooms. They heated, cooled, de-humidified, humidified and atomised any dust, all in one unit. The evaporators were made in the factory and all pipework was brazed on the line. My job was filling and sniffing, but it was done with a charging station. We had very few units fail in the factory and they all worked perfectly when they arrived in the USA.

 

We lost the contract to a Chinese plant.

[TinTentTourist]

I think it really is a black art. :) :o

I've spent the day trying to avoid going to the main Ford stealer, and I've had all sorts of advice.

The bottom line is bring it in (to the Ford garage) and we will eventually fix it, and then charge you an arm and a leg, and one of you children's limbs too, and perhaps you wife's as well

[Alhambra]

Its a case of good news/bad news.

 

This evening after pressurising the CC system, thanks to a comination of a Halford re-gassing gauge & hose cleverly connected to bicycle hand pump I wa sable to pressuise the sytem to 45psi.

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/pressurise.jpg

 

Then I found the leak:

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/leaking-pipe.jpg

 

Now the problem is repairing/buying or removing the pipe as its the looong one from the compressor that seems to snake the entires length of the car into the dash :)

 

HELP!!!!

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/pipe-bottom.jpg

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/pipe-top.jpg

 

BTW the undertray was covered in oil underneath where the pipe was leaking.

[Masked Marauder]

Well done chap, but don't forget that if you do change the pipe yourself you will need to have the system vacuumed out, you won't be able to fill it your self. It will need to be done as soon as possible after the work too!

[Alhambra]

Well done chap, but don't forget that if you do change the pipe yourself you will need to have the system vacuumed out, you won't be able to fill it your self. It will need to be done as soon as possible after the work too!

 

 

Stupid questions:

 

1. Could i get this pipe braised/soldered?

 

2. why does it need to be vaccuumed out?

 

3. could i not use a "halfords" re-gassing kit?

 

4. how do i remove the pipe .... do i need to remove the engine?

[Masked Marauder]

1. Possibly an Aluminium welder could run a weld over the crack.

 

2. Any moisture in the system is bad, even the moisture in the air on a normal UK dry day. In addition to this any air in the system will mean less expansion and compression of the refrigerant gas, so less efficient air con. In any case a vacuum out and fill should cost about

[Ogben Schmutzel]

Hi All,

 

My independent managed to replace the leaking o rings where the pipes that run across the back of the engine join the pipes that come through the bulkhead from the evaporator. Like trying to wallpaper the hall through the letter box, but they did it!!

 

I'm sure I have read somewhere here that someone has replaced the 'big long pipe that runs across the back the engine", without removing the engine :)

 

MM - do you know which parts of the system are high pressure and which parts are low. And do either increase in pressure when the system is working under load in hot weather?

 

Ta.

Oggy.

[Alhambra]

Ok, that all makes sense.

 

One more question where is the drier cartridge, that you suggested to replace, located ?

[Masked Marauder]

Ok, that all makes sense.

 

One more question where is the drier cartridge, that you suggested to replace, located ?

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/uploads/post-2733-1151144258.jpg

[jkspoff]

So where do we take our cars with failing air con ?? Not a main dealer as they charge you your house, not a network garage because they've never touched a Galaxy before, yet alone the air con system, not even an air con specialists can diagnose leaking systems unless its gushing out........so where does it leave the thousands of Galaxy owners up and down the country with inevitable eventual complete failure of their system. Where do we take it to get it fixed ???? :D

 

Where did you take yours (anyone) ??

[raymac]

So where do we take our cars with failing air con ?? Not a main dealer as they charge you your house, not a network garage because they've never touched a Galaxy before, yet alone the air con system, not even an air con specialists can diagnose leaking systems unless its gushing out........so where does it leave the thousands of Galaxy owners up and down the country with inevitable eventual complete failure of their system. Where do we take it to get it fixed ???? :D

 

Where did you take yours (anyone) ??

 

Well i would definitely look to take it to an aircon specialist, sounds like the one you are using are not to clever, the one i have used in birmingham are according to there website on eof the leading specialists in the country in that they have invented things and tools to do with aircon and also do training courses ;) here is the link have a look they also do recon compressors.

 

http://www.motorclimate.co.uk/

[jkspoff]

Thanks for the info raymac, they look good and I would use them straight away, but do you, or anyone know of a place they can also recommend around the West Yorkshire area ? :D

[TinTentTourist]

Or the South Cumbria area !!!!

[Alhambra]

The pipe pictured in the post above is located between the radiators & the engine sump. It comes from the CC condensor/compressor & continues up behind the rads & the curves off & on towards the bulkhead via the inner wing area.... its seems to be a bitch to replace.... cost

[raymac]

Thanks for the info raymac, they look good and I would use them straight away, but do you, or anyone know of a place they can also recommend around the West Yorkshire area ? :D

 

someone on here posted about having some work done in the bradford area and the price was very good and he rates them i think the poster was raykhan or something like that ;)

[pompadour]

DAMM IT

mine has just begun to flash with zero output

Fraud fitted new condencer under warranty two mths ago / 2650 miles ago and now the darn thing has gone t1ts up again.

booked in for diagnostic check tomorrow. on a plus side is the dye they added on repasir should show where the leak is... if they bothered fitting the dye that is

any ideas what excuse they will come up with this time!!??

[Alhambra]

Today I dropped the Alhambra off at a local air-con specialist. He told me that the pipe that leaking has a connection after the corner that brings the pipe along the inner wing...... therefore it not true that it runs continuously all the way from the compressor to the bulk head. The connector is a round "egg" shaped connector which requires a special tool to fit onto it. Its approx 4 foot from the compressor.

 

In the picture below its in the area at bottom left hand corner

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/pipe-top.jpg

 

As there is quite bit of "stripping" to be done to the RHS headlight, grill & other area's I told him to take his time & get it right the 1st time. So I'm expecting the car back on Tuesday evening.

 

All in its going to cost approx €250: €130 for repairs + labour & €120 for a full "service" ='s vacuuming & refilling of the system.

 

Lets hope it'll be ok for longer this time.

[MrT]

How did you test for the leak with the bike pump and pressure gauge? I assume you can tell if you have a leak as the pressure drops, but how do you locate it?

 

I would have assumed that as I have UV dye in mine I would have seen the yellow glow wherever there was a leak.

 

I also find the cost of replacement parts amazing. If you think of it you can buy a domestic split-system air conditioning unit at 4KW heat rating for

[Alhambra]

I had bought a re-gassing kit from Hlafords. By removing the canister end of the pipe that came with that kit I connected it to a bike pump, after removing its end connector, image below:

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/pressurise.jpg

 

When i removed the under tray i found evidence of a large compressor oil leak. The leak was significent so I was able to "feel" the flow of air with my hand.

 

The plan is as follows:

 

1. remove the lo-pressure pipe from its connection at the inner wing

 

2. weld the pipe at the J bend

 

3. pressure test that pipe before refitting

 

4. pressure test the entire system

 

5. vacuum the sytem once its ok

 

6. re-gas the system

 

7. test it

 

8. pay fo rthe completed job.

[Alhambra]

CC is now fixed. :D

 

My wallet is