406oc.co.uk

Just a quick one - if there's no gas at all in the system should the compressor cut in when the a/c button is pressed? Qwikfit told me the compressor should always cut in, gas or no.... 406 HDI

No it won't cut in if its totally empty.
There's a pressure switch on the pipework of which sends a signal back if there's enough refrigerant.
I think kwikfit most probs c.b.a and are just fobbing you off.
Try a different branch if possible,

agreed, that is nonsense if there is low or no gas in the system the compressor will not cut in.

Q. Did they plumb in there doomsdays machine/phuck knows what its called

And then try to fill it.
If they did and nothing cut in on the air/con compressor side you may have a electrical fault.
They're supposed to pressure test the system with there dooms day device before doing the above .. iirc

As you said, mostly a case of c b a but armed with advice from here I asked them how they knew the compressor was faulty, had they checked for totally empty..... errr no they hadn't.

But fair play to them, when I told them that this car had a no-gas cutout they said to bring it in anyway - they did the whole fill-up thing on the understanding that if it didn't work, no charge..... it did work and I was happy to pay the forty quid. Thanks again to you lot with the valuable real-life experience!

concentrik wrote:it did work and I was happy to pay the forty quid. Thanks again to you lot with the valuable real-life experience!

Well keep an eye on it because I'll be amazed if it lasts any longer than a few days sorry to sound negative but there must be a leak and most likely the condenser up front. The 'empty' system must first be subjected to a high pressure test to look for leaks only I believe sometimes this bit doesn't always get the priority and time it needs. For example; a 5 minute test at 125PSi is not going to 'see' the same leak as 20 minutes at 250PSi

Let us know how it goes.........

Welly wrote: Well keep an eye on it because I'll be amazed if it lasts any longer than a few days :

Let us know how it goes.........

24hrs as it turned out - off for a refund today!

shocking but sadly no surprise yet again

Have a squint at the condenser (radiator) at the front but along the bottom edge - see if you can see a green oily fluid leaking out.

Welly wrote: see if you can see a green oily fluid leaking out.

If I can, is there anything can be done?

concentrik wrote:

Welly wrote: see if you can see a green oily fluid leaking out.

If I can, is there anything can be done?

Not really but it gives you a visual of where the problem is, and usually it's the condenser corroding at the bottom edge. They can be bought and fitted yourself and the taken for a gas-up. There's a How-To on here somewhere but you'd need to be fairly confident with the spanners etc.