Air Con Question for Dave N

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Tue 12 Aug 2003 13:28
Air Con Question for Dave N - DenisO
My SL500 is currently at the dealer having the air con tested. It was running cold but not as good as it has been in the past. The dealer called to say it needs re-charging and, incidentally, that they will charge me £152 for the priviledge.
Is it normal for systems to need re-charging as a normal course of events or does it suggest there may be a leak somewhere which may require replacement of some horrendously expensive part.
The car is still under it's 1 year Signature warranty until end October so I would like a diagnosis before then so I can get any work carried out under warranty.
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Tue 12 Aug 2003 15:07
Air Con Question for Dave N - daveyjp
How about a reply from a dave p?!

How old is the car?

Aircon loses 10-15% of its efficiency/pressure per year and will require recharging at approx 5 year intervals. If the system isn't used this can lead to component failure and premature pressure loss, they can test the system by injecting coloured dye, running the system and looking for dye staining around the system. £152 is steep - most other cars are less than £100, but that's the price you pay for owning a high cost motor!
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Tue 12 Aug 2003 15:56
Air Con Question for Dave N - Ivor E Tower
If the system is working OK, 5-year re-charge seems to be what is recommended - but at 5 years, rather than just top-up, you should get the gas taken out, dried (?) and re-filled including new oil for the compressor. I'm just looking into getting this done on my 5-year old Renault. Local independent specialist wants £75 plus VAT, local main Renault dealer wants £75 including VAT!
Top-up on its own is about £50 if you need it.
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Tue 12 Aug 2003 16:35
Air Con Question for Dave N - DenisO
Thanks for the reply guys. Dave N was only mentioned as he seems the resident Back Room expert but advice from anyone is welcome.

The car is actually almost 6 years old so it appears it's about due. I do use the CC pretty much all the time so hopefully no components will be damaged.

Your right that the ownership of expensive cars comes with expensive repair costs but if it only happens every 5-6 years then it's not to bad. Once the warranty is finished it will go to a specialist for all work.

Thanks again.
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Tue 12 Aug 2003 19:45
Air Con Question for Dave N - Dave N
Probably not a bad time to get it done. In theory they should only lose about 5%/year. The key is to ask them how much they got out of it, that will tell you a lot.

The price is a bit on the high side, but it is a main dealer.

Maybe it's time to put my prices up a bit!
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