Air Con Problem

[geetee]

Just in time for the warm weather my air con's stopped working

The blue light comes on the switch and I hear a relay click behind the glovebox somewhere but nothing else.

I've checked the fuses in the car, fusible links in the engine bay and swapped the relay over - still no go.

If I short the contacts under the relay, I hear something click over behind the inlet plenum and hear the solenoid clunk down on the compressor.

Even when shorted like this with the engine running, it doesn't get cold.

So I'm thinking it just needs re-gassing and the ECU is not letting it kick in due to low pressure.


Just a couple of questions to confirm this:

1. Can you use a tyre pressure gauge on one or other of the little valve things on the air con pipes to see what the pressure is - and what should it be?

2. Where is the dual pressure switch - and should it be open or short if the
pressure is ok?

3. What's the F.I.C.D solenoid valve do????


<<editted to say>>> the relay coil side doesn't get power regardless of the switch position inside

Cheers
Graham

p.s. NO - I don't want to just rip it out thanks

 

[Fire & skill]

short of gas mate, a tyre pressure gauge wont fit - you can buy a diy kit from ebay for about £30 thats just for topping it up

the dual pressure switch should be closed if its ok for gas, only open on HP or LP fault

 

[rayman75]

i have seen the DIY kits in halfords, but probably cheaper from ebay.

 

[geetee]

cheers - thought as much.

There's an aircon place just a mile or so away from me so I'll probably just drop it in there.

<<editted to ask >>>> does the R use R134a anyway or will it need extra additives chucked in or anything?

Graham

 

[paz]

Could be the gas, or you could have lost your air con 'clutch?'

paz

 

[geetee]

Doesn't anyone know if the R has R134a refrigerant as standard or one of the older types that needs completely scavenging out before a refill ?

Please!!

Cheers
Graham

 

[Fire & skill]

the first R's had R12 (defunct) and the later ones had R134a

i would have fixed it for you mate if you weren't too far away

 

[vizi0n]

seems a bit like my problem ... if you ever get a clue, let me know

 

[geetee]

lol... so how do I know if it needs a full "retrofit" or whatever they call it or just some R134a gas chucked in? How do the aircon places know - do they take a sample?

And would it make any odds if all the old gas had escaped somehow?

Cheers
Graham

 

[vizi0n]

in my case, when i push on the kind of stem valve on the side of the big pipe that runs across the engine bay I can hear a (very light) pssht ... I guess mine's got about 1psi in there lol

 

[youngsyp]

lol... so how do I know if it needs a full "retrofit" or whatever they call it or just some R134a gas chucked in? How do the aircon places know - do they take a sample?

And would it make any odds if all the old gas had escaped somehow?

Cheers
Graham

If the place is any good, they will completely drain the system down and refill it with the R134a gas and special lubricant. They should also pressure test the system to see if there are any leaks.

I had mine done at Kwik Fit of all places and they used an automated machine to do all the work. Turned out mine wasn't missing much gas anyway but, better to be safe than sorry. They also stuck a bit more lubricant in there (the most important part in my book), just for good measure !

Cheers

Paul