We have a 2005 HDi which we have owned from new, mileage now 32,000, and the air con has been used most of the time. Today it was really hot so I turned the temp dial to cold but it didn't seem to be working.
The light above the switch comes on but it just blows out normal temp air. When we got back I turned it off and on but I couldn't hear the compressor start like it used to. Also the revs didn't drop which they always used to do.
Any ideas?
Edited by Webmaster on 02/04/2009 at 21:56
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You've either:
got low gas. Solution - get it re-gassed - approx £35
got a leak from one of the many pipes that makes up the system or the condensor - cost anything from £30 up to £400 inc labour approx.
Both our cars' air-con stopped working last week! I got one re-gassed but within a few hours it had stopped working again. You need to get it checked by someone who knows what they are doing. There are mobile people who come out to you but if it's a new condensor the car will need to be in a garage.
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Thanks for the reply.
If it was just low gas would I not still hear the compressor start?
Could it be an electrical connection to the compressor or a fuse?
We don't want to spend too much on it as we will be changing it in less than a year.
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I should make it clear I'm not an expert - but having had two cars with broken A/C in one week I now know more than I did!
In reply to your first question - no - if it's low on gas, for whatever reason, you wont hear the compressor start.
Yes it could be an electrical problem but I suspect not.
Don't bother taking it to a dealer. As a start take it to your local Kwik-fit or similar and get them to test it / re-gas it. You can lose 10-15% of your gas per year so it may work fine after a top-up. They may tell you there is a leak but may not be able to tell you where it's coming from.
So, if it works after being re-gassed fine. If there is a small leak it may take a few hours or a few days to stop working again.
If there's a leak find a local independent garage who has the necessary know-how and equipment to localise the leak: re-gas with ultraviolet dye and using UV light see where it comes out.
If it's a new condensor the part will be around £100 plus fitting. The pipes often crack when you remove the compressor so you may have to buy a new pipe or two and depending on your car they may have to remove your bumper to get at the thing, so it can turn into a relatively long job. One of our cars has been quoted at £300 for a new condensor and fitting.
It's worth doing as whoever buys it off you will want it to work and will knock you down more than the cost of the job to pay for the hassle of fixing it.
Edited by ho chi minh on 03/04/2009 at 16:31
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Halfords now sell do it yourself re-gas cannisters. About £30.
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Just got my air con fixed.
I had it regassed last year cos I thought it needed it ( I was wrong)
The company that sorted it expected it to be the condensor ( prior to me presenting the car)
They immediately said "plenty of gas in it so NO leak. I needed a new compressor as the old one was siezed up.
Get an "expert" to look at it before considering a re gas.
I do not know your location but www.ac4cars.co.uk/ has a list of people on his web site in various areas
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Halfords now sell do it yourself re-gas cannisters. About £30.
Best to avoid.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=62...4
It will only cost you a few ££ more to get it refilled by someone who knows what they're doing, as well as most probably doing a leak test for you.
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Thanks for the responses guys. Much appreciated! I will get our friendly mechanic to have a look at it if he can. If not I will try Kwik Fit as they are very near to where I work.
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Much appreciated! I will get our friendly mechanic to have a look at it if he can.
Only if he knows about aircon. :-)If not I will try Kwik Fit as they are very near to where I work.
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IIRC they have an auto machine for regassing.
Like me you do not know what the problem is. Like me you are likely to waste £45 - £60 on a re gas when it is not required at this time.
( of course after a repair you will need a re gas)
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Kwik Fit use a fully automated machine so as long as they select the right model of car on the machine and its bottles of lube oil and gas are ok there should not be a problem. The machine will not recharge the system if it detects a leak during its vacuume test.
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The machine will not recharge the system if it detects a leak during its vacuume test.
Yes that is my understanding but it is a total waste of money if you do not have a leak but another problem hence my comment of first checking if there is still good pressure in the system.
>>.....there should not be a problem.
The problem I see is a company, any company, will happily plug their automated machine in and ring up the till for £45 -60 without checking if a re gas is the answer.
This is my personal experience.
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>>The problem I see is a company, any company, will happily plug their automated >>machine in and ring up the till for £45 -60 without checking if a re gas is the answer.
>>This is my personal experience
I am no fan of KF but they do not charge the £35 if they dont improve the performance of your AC. Or didnt last year when mine was done. Mine was regassed after 3 years of continious use and it improved the performance considerably.
Edited by Old Navy on 04/04/2009 at 17:26
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Missed the edit:
I have checked the KF website and the no improvement no charge (cash) policy still applies.
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could be the ignition switch /melting the contacts inside the switch ,when was the last time you changed you,re pollen filter as it is imperitive that this is changed or cleaned quite regulary as it is also quite a well known fault with citroen cars that cause the ignition switch to melt
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