Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Sun 2 Jul 2006 20:55
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - adrianw46
I have a 2.0CDi Vectra - 1999 version which runs fine, however when the aircon is put on it only blows out warm air and no cold. Went to Halfords and purchased an aircon coolant refill kit, only to find I cant find the refill point under the bonnet. Also found a second fan internal to the engine bay which appears not to be working but looks as if it is connected to the aircon pipes. Any idea (a) which fuse controls this fan and (b) where the coolant filler point is and (c) is this a known Vectra fault?? Many Thanks
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 2 Jul 2006 21:36
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - bell boy
let an aircon man have a look for you but please choose carefully where you go as its a minefield of people with £2000 machines that havent the first idea how to use them
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 2 Jul 2006 21:39
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - Ian D
The refill poins are usually high up with screwcaps on them, follow the aircon pipes and you should find them. If no joy I am sure £70 to £100 at an aircon specialist should mean a charged system any leaks fixed.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 2 Jul 2006 23:17
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - Dave N
Ahhh, the old 'miracle in a can' solution. You just can't beat these things, though they tend to be a bit short on miracle, but plenty of can.

Has your system run out of gas, the can won't tell you that. Do you have a leak, the can won't tell you that. Does it say anything on the instructions about pulling a vaccum on the system? Does it come with high and low side gauges to properly diagnose the problem? Does it tell you how much to put in, and have you the means to weigh it in?

But best of all, they charge you £30 for £3 of R134a refrigerant, and some liquid sealant that will not seal any leaks, but will screw up your system so the resultant repair cost will be twice as high. Plus, when you finally take it to a specialist because the miracle didn't work, you may not tell him you've filled the thing full of junk, so he then has a £3K machine full of junk that he then has to repair. He can protect his machine with more equipment, and for this he passes the cost onto all his customers. Then his future customers all complain that he charges rip-off prices compared to a tin of miracle cure from Halfords.

It's a funny old world.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 3 Jul 2006 01:15
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - Dynamic Dave
Dave N,

Have you any objections to me quoting your post in another forum I frequent? So many misguided people are contemplating using these DIY cans, or have already tried them without a clue what they're doing.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 3 Jul 2006 13:25
Vauxhall Vectra Air Con Fault - Victorbox
DD. If it is the Vauxhall Owners Network, you will have translate it into text language so the GSi / SRi / Turbo / V6 brigade will understand it!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

10 warranty myths exposed

Here’s how to sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to car warranties.

Cheap Car Warranties

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide