How & Why did this fall off????

[surrey-surfer]

Today i noticed an odd smell comming into the cab whilst i was driving. It smelt a big eggy and now and then a bit like burning.
Anyway was doing some maintenance under the bonnet and lucky i had the engine running because i noticed a blast of air blowing in my face where there shouldnt be. I looked down and saw that the "H" cap on the aircon pipe was GONE and air blowing out where the cap used to be.

Question is, how on earth did this come off?? Its SCREWED on pretty tight!
Also im assuming the eggy smell was related to this?
Rather amazingly, i found the cap somewhere down the bottom on the engine bay and it hadnt fallen off onto the road so i was able to put it back on.
I havent driven her since so i cant comment on weather this has fixed the smell in the cab.
Also would this have effected the air-con in anyway? Im assuming that i wouldve "de-pressurised" my air con now since lots of air was escaping??
Any ideas guys?
Cheers.

[Albannach]

The air con will be 100% gas free. Also, I think that's just a dust cap, there should be a valve in there too.

A grown up will be along soon with a proper answer...

[Smego2]

That's the high pressure fill valve for the aircon I think as said above it will most likely be pretty empty by now.

[surrey-surfer]

I know what it is The air was blowing out the valve that the cap covers. Just trying to figure out how it could've come off. Has this happened to anybody before? How much does air-con regassing cost? Any ideas anyone??

[surrey-surfer]

The air con will be 100% gas free. Also, I think that's just a dust cap, there should be a valve in there too.

A grown up will be along soon with a proper answer...

Hello mate. Could there be a prob with the air-con then? Could the pressure have blown the cap off? I'd be surprised if that cap was designed to be an air tight fit to stop air blowing out so perhaps theres a prob with the air con?

[Albannach]

Also, I think that's just a dust cap, there should be a valve in there too.

Hello mate. Could there be a prob with the air-con then? Could the pressure have blown the cap off? I'd be surprised if that cap was designed to be an air tight fit to stop air blowing out so perhaps theres a prob with the air con?

It isn't. It's a dust cap.

[Growler]

Andy, you will have to stop talking to yoursef mate

[surrey-surfer]

It isn't. It's a dust cap.

It isn't. It's a dust cap.

Lol yeah i got that....i mean why is it blowing air out if its just a dust cap? You say there should be a valve in there too......can you elaborate a bit more for me. Is this valve something that couldve fallen out when the cap came off or is it fixed?
All i could see in there was something similar to a tyre valve thing. I take it thats the valve but is there something else thats meant to be there to stop the air comming out?
P.S only asked because you said you "thought" it was a dust cap

[TonyN]

Lol yeah i got that....i mean why is it blowing air out if its just a dust cap? You say there should be a valve in there too......can you elaborate a bit more for me. Is this valve something that couldve fallen out when the cap came off or is it fixed?
All i could see in there was something similar to a tyre valve thing. I take it thats the valve but is there something else thats meant to be there to stop the air comming out?
P.S only asked because you said you "thought" it was a dust cap

Its a dust cap, and you've seen the valve, theres nothing else to it. It must have failed.

[Bogus]

That thing with the H on could be a dust cap ?? What does everyone else reckon ?

Under that thing is a valve, pretty much like your tyre valve. If its blowing stuff out of it, it has malfunctioned and your a/c gas and probably oil, has all gone.

Bogus

[Albannach]

Andy, you will have to stop talking to yoursef mate

I'll try...

[surrey-surfer]

Its a dust cap, and you've seen the valve, theres nothing else to it. It must have failed.

Hello Tony. Sorry to sound dumb but which one do you mean has failed?
Has the valve failed, causing the cap to be blown off or just the cap has failed and as a result of it being off, air is gushing out??
I keep thinking of a tyre valve. If you take the cap off a tyre valve, air wouldnt be blowing out would it. So the valve must be nackered right??
Sorry but i have no ideaa of how it all works. Cheers.

[stormforce]

basically the valve is shagged and the pump is no good unless you get a new valve so you may as well strip it out now

[surrey-surfer]

basically the valve is shagged and the pump is no good unless you get a new valve so you may as well strip it out now

Bugger thats not good.
EDIT: sorry i read your post wrong. How easy is it to fit a new valve mate? Looking at the end of the pipe that goes back into the pump/compressor, it looks like its welded on suggesting it would all need to be dissasembled?? Is that right?

[stormforce]

i don't think you can get new valves but you will need to talk to an air con specialist to find out for sure tho.Either that or try to get hold of a 2nd hand unit.
Tell the truth i can't see the point of aircon over here as its never warm enough and if it is then you just got to open the windows