Air Con query, and yes I've tried searchng....

[mud skipper]

was the system re gassed correctly, was the system vac'd out, leak detected and refilled and run all with the use a gauges?

if you need any second hand parts then ask as my system was all working OK
before the engine failed

[Wolfracer]

was the system re gassed correctly, was the system vac'd out, leak detected and refilled and run all with the use a gauges?

if you need any second hand parts then ask as my system was all working OK
before the engine failed

The machine they use read "empty" when they vac'd it. No leak detection done. He couldn't find out how much to put in so "educated guessed it" but before it got to his guess m/c read "full". He tried reattaching hoses few minutes later and m/c still said "full" So, no, no guages as such. Why? What you thinking? I know too much can be a bad thing, but it would still work, just not as efficiently? (I think?)

[mud skipper]

The machine they use read "empty" when they vac'd it. No leak detection done. He couldn't find out how much to put in so "educated guessed it" but before it got to his guess m/c read "full". He tried reattaching hoses few minutes later and m/c still said "full" So, no, no guages as such. Why? What you thinking? I know too much can be a bad thing, but it would still work, just not as efficiently? (I think?)

i don't know alot about them but my brother is a fridge/aircon specialist so i tend to pick up bits of useless info from him, if you want i'll ask him for advice on yours

[Wolfracer]

Cheers that would be very kind. They are a bit of a mystery to the layman aren't they? As this motor will be the "family camping truck" next summer I'm trying to get it all sorted before too long!

[mud skipper]

Cheers that would be very kind. They are a bit of a mystery to the layman aren't they? As this motor will be the "family camping truck" next summer I'm trying to get it all sorted before too long!

will do. diagnosis via description over the internet is never acurate but hope he can give some pointers

[mud skipper]

just spoken to him.

1 don't use a garage for air con
2 find a fridge engineer ( usually found in tesco's or morrisons in the chilled food isle) they will usually gas your system in the carpark as a forgeiner for £25
3 is the clucth pulling in on the front of the comp when you turn the a/c on?
4 if you can see bubbles in the sight glass then theres no blockages.
5 if you can see bubbles then the system is not full
6 if its not comeing down to temp and the clutch is pulling in and you can see bubbles in the sight glass then it all points to there being insufficiant gas in the system.
hope this helps

[Wolfracer]

Though the sight glass I can see a "wash" of liquid squirted across, not exactly bubbles......
Clutch is spinning up.
Can you ask at what point should I feel cold pipework? Is it straight out of the compressor? If so, I don't,,,

TIA

[mud skipper]

Though the sight glass I can see a "wash" of liquid squirted across, not exactly bubbles......
Clutch is spinning up.
Can you ask at what point should I feel cold pipework? Is it straight out of the compressor? If so, I don't,,,

TIA

bigger pipe should be cool, thinner should be warm/hot. he is adament you are low on gas.

the cold pipes are up under the dash.

the system has to be emptied by a special pump that will put a vacuum in the system and then it is refilled from vacuum not just topped up from normal pressure. he said if you paid more the £2.50 then you have been robbed as the mechanic has not worked on your aircon...just opened the bonnet and looked

[Wolfracer]

could be the expansion valve, changed a few of these before, its piggybacked to the evaporator housing behind the dash.

Had chance to look at the pipe work.
It appears there are 2 lagged pipes entering bulkhead behind glovebox. The little one is freezing cold.

How do I get to the expansion valve/evap housing? How do you know if its working?
Getting there, and I WILL have A/C for next summer!

[legendgamesmaster]

hurry up and solve this - i've got same issue....... need you to tell me how to sort it! I regassed with a can from 'frauds, and it was cold for a while, now its not. has 'fog' visible in sight glass, am just going to check if the pipe gets cold right now......

Right, not much fog moving across the sight glass. (guess this SHOULD be liquid - perhaps it is, and it just looks like fog, or its small bubbles?)
pipe out of compressor becomes HOT, so we are getting compression
pipe in stays AMBIENT or just a bit colder than ambient, so somewhere its loosing its heat as it should.
I have good pressure in the HIGH side side of the system, not much pressure in the LOW side, so i guess its NOT got enough gas.

I regassed using a can, I didnt have it vacuumed first.

if the expansion valve is fubar'd what are the specific symptoms?

check this out:
http://www.airconcars.com/html/how_it_works.html

[Wolfracer]

Tony!

Hope you had a good b'day yesterday, now back down to business... any help would be appreciated as it seems this ac thing is quite common. be good to get a resolution so we can post the whole process for once?

Comment from the above link...

"The refrigeration cycle then runs continuously, and is regulated by the setting of the expansion valve."
Seems this valve is pretty important then! Does anyone know how it works, or why it doesn't?

[Wolfracer]

Still trying.....

Took lower panel by glovebox off this evening to see what i could see.
2 odd shaped boxes, one with the fan on it and recirculating/outside air vent, and the other just a big box. I took the screw driver to the big box, but couldn't get it open more than a few mm's. putting the fan on revealed a lot of air was being pushed througfh this unit.
Air con on/off made no difference, but pipe from engine bay into back of this unit was cool, whilst the larger one below it was ambient.
I'm convinced there is enough gas, just need to figure whats going wrong in this last link. Anyone know?

[shokenore]

air con woes

the only correct way to check ur air con is working is with a set of gauges.
the refrigerant has a specific temperature/pressure.
too much or too little and it will not work.
BUT as a ruff guide if you can find the air con compressor the little pipe on top usually on the left will be hot and the big pipe will be cold.
the window should have some movement visible,
if you can be bothered bring it round and i will have a look

[Wolfracer]

@ Shokenore
I will take you up on that offer. It's very kind of you to offer your support.
Yes the High pressure side is red hot and the Low pressure "feels" ambient - however with a great big mass of superheated iron and alu only cm's from it, I'm assuming the liquid inside is "coolish"?
So when to pop over?
Well its time rather than distance that is the pressing issue for me, our baby girl is due any day now, and my mrs is "furiously nesting"!
If it's alright with you, I'll contact you after the birth, (when I'll need an escape!) and pop down one saturday?

[Albannach]

Did you ever take it back to the people who didn't re-gas the system correctly in the first place?