Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 14:50
Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning - mcb100
We've got a 2006 Grand Scenic (yes, I know...) with air conditioning that currently has me a little baffled. It has been gassed, and the light comes on the dashboard when it's switched on, but to no effect.
Knowing that the pressure switch on the end of the condenser is a known regular failure, I changed it. Still no change in temperature at the vent. Putting 12 volts direct to the compressor sees the clutch on the pump engage, but no drop in engine revs or temperature showing that the compressor is doing anything.
Has anyone got any ideas?
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Tue 4 Nov 2014 16:34
Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning - Railroad.
The compressor is the only moving part in the air conditioning system. You said that applying a direct feed to it wil engage the clutch, but the system still does not work. If that's the case then the refrigerant gas must be lost or very low. The compressor could have an internal fault, but that wouldn't prevent the clutch from engaging when you switch the system on. How do you know the system is properly gassed? That's where I'd start looking.
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Tue 4 Nov 2014 17:05
Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning - mcb100
Thanks, Railroad. I'm assuming it's gassed because I had it done a couple of weeks before replacing the pressure switch. It held a vacuum for 30 minutes before being refilled. It'd be more impressive if it could be pressure tested rather than vacuum tested. Granted, it was done at Kwik Fit, but I'd hope that they'd have the knowledge of how to work the machine. They didn't, incidentally, take any money because they didn't reduce the temperature at the vents.
I guess it's off to somewhere else to get it re gassed again.
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Tue 4 Nov 2014 17:39
Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning - elekie&a/c doctor

Unfortunately with this model ,Renault have decided to make up their own rules about the ac system and not follow convention.So we have car with only one service port (most other modern cars have 2)which is on the low pressure side ,but it is fitted with a high pressure fitting.It is important that these are re-gassed correctly otherwise they will not work.The high pressure reading can only be checked through the diagnostic system ,so I dont understand why the hp switch was changed?Powering the pump directly with no cooling effect tends to suggest that there is inadequate gas in the system ,the pump is u/s or there is a fault within the pipework or expansion tube.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 19:33
Renault Scenic - Air Conditioning - mcb100
I changed the switch as a few Renault specialist forums suggested that, because of its exposed location, it was the first thing to fail on this system.
I will get it re gassed by a specialist and report back.
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