I have a 99V Nissan Primera. In June of last year air con packed up. Car still under nissan warranty so took it in. Advised that no leaks in system and re-gas required which I had to pay for as not covered by warranty. (Main dealer used outside contractor).
June this year air con inop again (car now out of warranty). Got local independant specialist to check out system. Needed re-gassing again so clearly a leak somewhere.Dye added to system but no obvious leaks.
After three weeks specialist re-checked system pressure and sure enough pressure is down.Taken into workshop and found compressor case leaking. Going to be an expensive job.
Two questions;
1)As its a slow(ish)leak do I need to have the expansion valve replaced? (I'm OK with the filter /dryer replacment along with the new compressor).
2)Not really technical but the nissan main dealer that I bought the car from is now out of business. as the car was under the nissan assure scheme do I have any grounds (forlorn hopes)for asking nissan to contribute?
Many Thanks in advance for any advice.
SeanO
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Depends of course what it says in your warranty documentation whether or not they cover air conditioning but even if it says not I would still try Sean.
I once had a three warranty from Rover which didn't include the battery. It went after two years and after some pleading on the phone that I always buy Rovers etc they replaced it for me f.o.c.
The worst they can say is no. Try them out..
alvin
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Hi Alvin,
Thanks for the feedback. Yes the air-con parts were covered under the warranty, not the re-gassing which is why I had to pay for it (dealer did'nt find any leaks etc-etc)
Anyway I will try Nissan to see what happens.
SeanO
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I'll answer back to front. No, you don't need an expansion valve. This is only stipulated when a compressor is replaced if the original compressor broke up internally. Unfortunately, Nissan use Calsonic compressors, and these are pretty rare, therefore they are hard to get hold of in the aftermarket. If you can do without the car for a while, you could try and find a rebuilder that will reseal it for you, assuming they can get the parts. But to be honest, by the time you get it off, send it away, put it back on etc, you might not save a lot.
By rights, the original dealer is responsible, as you brought the problem to their attention whilst it was under warranty, the fact that they couldn't find the source of the problem (the leak), should be neither here nor there. Unfortunately, a lot of dealers just keep shoving gas into systems till the warranty runs out.
To all backroomers, a little advice:- If you a/c system has little or no gas in it, (and assuming no-one has been messing around with it, engine out etc.)then it has a leak. No if's or buts. Unless someone got in there and stole your gas, then it must have leaked out. Where else did it go otherwise? Normal leakage rates are 5% per year, so it will be quite a few years for enough to have been lost before you will notice in our climate, as most systems will still work reasonably well with only 40% of the proper charge. Most systems hold about 750g of gas, therefore at 5%/year loss, it will take 8 or 10 years to noticeably impact performance. What invariably happens before natural losses are significant, is something breaks/corrodes/rubs through and your gas is lost.
Therefore, if you have it recharged is it's empty or very low, and they add dye (which they should always do), then make sure you go back there in 2/3 weeks time to get it looked at again. Don't just leave it thinking your problem is solved, because it isn't. Just like pumping a punctured tyre up, as sure as eggs is eggs, it will go down again. If you leave it to long, firstly you'll be running the compressor will an ever decreasing quantity of gas (not a good thing), the evidence left by the dye decreases with time, plus you'll want it working again at just the same time as everyone else who've left their system with a leak, plus all those who've just discovered their system is now empty and has a leak. I tell all my customers this, but virtually none ever come back until it's all gone, then get the hump when I can't find the leak as the car's been through a winter, and charge them all over again to regas and start the ball rolling again.
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DaveN
Just as a matter of interest (I don't need one, I hope!) is there a good aftermarket supplier of these Calsonic parts, or does one have to buy from Nissan?
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On my \'infamous\' Omega my Aircon button lights up when pressed and the revs if in Neutral shift up from about 700 to 900. Is this normal?
Also the air con button makes very little if any difference to the coolness of the air, however it is cooler than my wifes Cavalier that does not have air con but on a particularly hot day it really does not feel like it should.
The main problem is that I\'ve never had a car b4 with air con so am not really sure how much difference it should make.
I was led to beleive by setting the dials cold it could get almost unpleasant?
I take it my seals are gone as well?
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On my \'infamous\' Omega my Aircon button lights up when pressed and the revs if in Neutral shift up from about 700 to 900. Is this normal?
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Yes, it is normal. Does sound like gas is very low - any means of checking level?
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How do I go about checking the level pls?
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How do I go about checking the level pls?
Unfortunately you have to pay an expert to do it for you. This is beyond the means of the average home diy mechanic.
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A general question following Das' rising revs. I have a Megane with a/c, the revs rise considerably when a/c is working hard ie full cooling on hot days, when engine very hot, sitting in traffic etc. Normal idle is dead on 750 but will rise and stay at 1500rpm. Other times when it is less hot revs will only rise to 800ish if atall.
Am I correct in thinking that the higher the revs, the harder the compressor etc is working. Could this be a result of low gas levels ie, less gas, system has to work harder therefore more load on engine therefore higher revs to compensate?? Or am I just writing rubbish?
(Car is 4yrs old but a/c is still v cold, although not quite as painfully cold as some other cars I've driven. Car will 'cough' as you switch ac on/off but assume this is normal)
Thanks. MC
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To be honest I dont think the Omega air con is really "up to the job" for such a big car. I have a GLS 2.0 16V with manual air con and 3 yrs old. If I leave the air con on and fan at 3 with it blowing over my head and face, with outside temp's currently at 26-27 deg C it's nice and cool after 10-15 mins but not freezing cold. I can cool the inside of the car after 1/2 to 1 hr if I use recirc also, but compared to a new BMW it's not really freezing air con. Dont know if it needs regassing as its only a few yrs old, they should be a gauge for you to see what the gas pressure is!
Also yes, when I turn it on the idling speed changes a tad and the engine feels slightly rougher (slight idle vibration). I guess the compressor puts a bit more load on the struggling 2.0 engine! As long as it keeps me cool though, i dont care!
Simon
_____________________________________
SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
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Aprilia, compressor parts are hard to find, and Calsonic (and Panasonic for that matter) seem to be harder than most. I've given up trying to get parts like clutches and seals as you go to a lot of trouble with no real guarantee of success. Special tools are needed for most compressors, plus it has to come off the car and can't be tested until it's back on and gassed. I've used a few rebuilt compressors, but I've had a 50% failure rate, either they're noisy, don't pump, leak, or last 2 weeks before puking their guts in the system and giving more trouble than I had before I started. So I just stick to brand new parts now, as you never get any money back from the suppliers, as they always wriggle out of any liability, and at best only give you back the purchase price, nothing for the rest of the work that has to be done. Plus, of course, I like to think I have a good reputation, and want to maintain that.
I know it goes against the grain of most backroomers (and me)to buy whole new complete units, when in theory the existing one can be repaired, but when you take into account possible hiccups, it doesn't usually cost much more to do it properly first time with a 99% certainty of success. If it's your own car and it doesn't work out, then that's fine, but when it's someone elses, it's a different matter.
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Daz, this may only apply to older systems. I have had cars where, in the a/c circuit there has been a small \'window\' in a \'T\' connection and covered with a small click lock plastic cover. If you look in the glass, with the engine running and the a/c selected, and you see white bubbles a bit like soda water, then there is something in the system other than refrigerant. I stress that this info may not apply to 21st century cars!
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Dave,
Thank you, you have just saved me £80. My air-con specialist has quoted me £335 + VAT + labour for the compressor. At that price do you know if it would be a new /remanufactured /repaired unit?
SeanO
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If it's pre 06/99, then it looks like a new unit, but check with them to be sure. If it's post 06/99 then it looks a bit low for a new unit. Up to 06/99, my disc shows a new price from Nissan of £342, so he should be able to beat it ny a bit.
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Dave,
Thanks again, I really appreciate your help. My car is post 09/99, I will talk to the guys doing the repair. As a point of interest I did get another quote from a local garage who have moved into air-con servicing / repairs (Delphi agent)and they quoted me £248 +VAT+labour but no mention of receiver/drier replacement. My original quoter is quite a bit higher for the whole job but I feel happier with their set up.
Best Regards,
Sean.
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SeanO, post 06/99 cars use a Zexel compressor, rather than Nissan's own Calsonic one. My disc shows a price of about £520 for a new one from Nissan, so anything much less should raise your suspicions. They may just get a good price on a new one. Don't get me wrong, there are good rebuilds out there, but there's plenty that would be more use as anchors.
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