Air con questions

[no2lurch]

My air con (2.2 sri estate) doesnt get real cold. even with the a/c button pressed, it is only like the fans are on without a/c.

whats involved with rectifying this?

is it diy able? costs involved?

[DiscoPol]

could well just need a re-gas, or maybe the condenser is knacked like mine

How old is the motor? and do you know if it has ever been re-gassed, if not this is where i would start, according to those who know a bit more than me the DIY re-gas kits arent really worth the hassle, especially as i saw them at near enough 50quid in halfrauds

go find yourself a local A/C specialist that can do a pressure test and re-gas for not much more, if not less than the DIY stuff.

Its somewhere to start and if the pressure test comes back bad, then at least you know where to start

[no2lurch]

its a 200o w reg.

cheers

[DiscoPol]

its a 200o w reg.

cheers

Dont want to be a "doom merchant" but my bet is on your A/C condenser being rotted through, go get a pressure test done somewhere then you will know for sure, fingers crossed mate i really hope its not and it just needs a re-gas

[no2lurch]

is it expensive to replace the compressor then?

[teamster1975]

is it expensive to replace the compressor then?

The compressor should be ok. The condensor (radiator looking thing) rots out at the bottom; cost is about £100 for the part.
Dogslife fitted his own condensor and took it to a specialist for filling up; have a look in the KB for his article!

[DiscoPol]

I believe that in the uk its about 250-350 ish, but our very own Doggy changed his himself for about 120 for the condenser and another 50 ish for the re-gas i think, there is a thread hiding in here somewhere about it.

the condenser is a common failure on 406's over about 8 years old, yours might not be the condenser though mate and i don't want to sound like the voice of doom on it so go get it checked, as i said you might be lucky and just need topping up with refrigerant, which is a 20 min job and a fairly low cost option .

think yourself lucky though,
it was 35+ degrees here last week I was nearly dying in the car when stuck in traffic, I drive into Warsaw 4 days a week (always around 1-2pm too )for work and the traffic is just as you would expect from any major European capital city "Feckin Sh1te" it can take me 2 and a half hours to do 10 miles some days and when your sat in the sun in temperatures of 35 plus it really makes you think you should get the A/C fixed all 4 windows down still doesn't cut it, if anything it just gets hotter in the car

EDIT bugger Teamy got there first, sod you i have typed this im posting it

[teamster1975]

I hate it when that happens!

[no2lurch]

just went accross the road to the dreaded kwikfit.

50 quid for the regas and if it leaks, its costs nothing.

cant grumble at that.

[DiscoPol]

yeah man,
thats not a bad deal i reckon,if it leaks nothing that's the best bit.

[no2lurch]

are the A/C radiators easy to change and cheap to buy?

[DiscoPol]

wouldn't know for over there, I'm based in Poland and cost wise they are about 600 PLN (zloty) here so around the £140 mark. Have a look on fleabay and gsf, eurocarparts and google shopping thing, i bet you will find em a lot cheaper than over here, be warned though, dont think of getting a scrapper one that's probably just as screwed as yours is I'm afraid

as for fitting have a search through the Knowledge base for doggy's how to from when he did his.

[jasper5]

Just a reminder folks...as from 4th July 2010 it will be illegal to work on mobile aircon systems (in motor vehicles) without the required qualifications/licence.

[DiscoPol]

Just a reminder folks...as from 4th July 2010 it will be illegal to work on mobile aircon systems (in motor vehicles) without the required qualifications/licence.

Not for me ...........................*oh sh*t, its not a European thing is it?

Would like to say that the uk is H&S crazy blah blah blah, that's why i left blah blah blah.................but to be honest i can see the point of the legislation the stuff in the systems is really bad for the environment and if it goes bang in your face its really gonna hurt too,

so Lurch if you're gonna do it yourself you better hurry mate ,

but be careful, its not a case of liberating the stuff into the atmosphere that is the problem though, as peugeot have seen to that with their substandard condensers they fitted

[steve_earwig]

Do you need to be Corgi (or whatever it is) registered to turn a tap on yet?

Can't see the problem, if the toxic waste by-product gas whatever has all leaked out.