Bloody aircon!

[mjb]

Well I got my Golf's ac working the other week by replacing the condenser and chucking it at Kwik-Fit to see if their machine would fill it up, but I also took my coupé in to be filled up as its aircon has stopped too (probably following spending half the year in the garage ).

Unlike the Golf's first visit however, the coupé took the gas, and I left Kwik-Fit £50 lighter but with a nice air-conditioned car

That was a week or two ago. Took it out for a drive at the weekend, aircon running, and found myself turning the climate control down, and down, and down... Got home, popped the bonnet, saw the compressor clicking in and out, and heard the unmistakable sound of notrightness

I've got to drive it to Germany next week too

Called a recommended ac guy, and he can have the car in Thursday to find the leak. ARGH! Talk about cutting it fine!

Just looking at eurocarparts prices now... Ouch... £100 for a condenser, £465 for a compressor, £30 for a drier... What's the betting it'll be the damn compressor

Why can't this car just work?

[teamster1975]

Bugger
Would he fit the parts if you source them or are you going to fit them yourself? *cough sod the new law cough*

[eoin27]

Automotive AirConditioning. A paradox in itself.

When it does work its great. My coupe is the first 406 i have (3 in total) that has working A/C. Whats the bet that it wont work after the winter. Not that ill have it that long. Look at my sig

[mjb]

Bugger
Would he fit the parts if you source them or are you going to fit them yourself? *cough sod the new law cough*

I'll ask him if the law will let me fit the parts if he confirms there's no refrigerant in there (which will be the case as he's going to do a pressure test...)

[mjb]

Interesting... servicebox has 2 items listed for the compressor:

6453GP COMPRESSOR SVEX £443.99
6453AX NEW COMPRESSOR £737.70

but both of these carry a surcharge for some reason?!?!?:
6453GZ COMPRESSOR SUPP £85.46

[teamster1975]

Jesus!!!
Mind you I've never known a compressor go tits up, it's usually the condensor or pressure switch. Fingers crossed anyway!!!!

[mjb]

Jesus!!!
Mind you I've never known a compressor go tits up, it's usually the condensor or pressure switch. Fingers crossed anyway!!!!

It's not the pressure switch because the compressor clutch is engaging (is this just an over-pressure switch or what? ) and I don't think it's the condenser because that would leak with the car hooked up to Kwik-Fit's machine for a pressure test wouldn't it?

I'm pretty sure my run the other day started with the AC working, so if I'm right it managed to sit on my drive for a week without losing any gas, and only started losing it when the compressor was running... but I'm notorious for expecting the worst (although in my defence that's usually what happens...)

[teamster1975]

I'm notorious for expecting the worst (although in my defence that's usually what happens...)

The amount of faults you've so far put right on the coop I agree! By the time you've got it spot on you'll have rebuilt the bugger!
How is the clutch now? Any niggles or all sorted?

[mjb]

How is the clutch now? Any niggles or all sorted?

It gets a bit smelly at high revs, but other than that it feels fine thank god

[Welly]

When the gas is low the compressor will sound rough (it's called 'scavenging') but this normally rights itself when the correct gas and oil are added back in and to be fair the Peugeot-sourced compressors seem pretty tough. The worrying thing is that Kwikies may have filled a system that had a slight leak

There's a couple of other areas where leaks can occur and, assuming the coupe is the same as the saloon, it's the a/c pipework in front of the condenser (running along the chassis rail) and the pipework as it sets up and under the battery (at the pipe clip location) as always look for the green gunge of death

You could always nip back to Kwikies and explain but get them to check the pressure to see if it looks low.

Of course the acid test is what temperature you're getting from the vents! many a time I've continued to reduce the set point simply because I felt too hot not necessarily an a/c problem.

[mjb]

When the gas is low the compressor will sound rough (it's called 'scavenging') but this normally rights itself when the correct gas and oil are added back in

Aye, it sounded off before the visit to kwik-fit, sounded right straight after, and now sounds off again... which all says to me 'no gas'

There's a couple of other areas where leaks can occur and, assuming the coupe is the same as the saloon, it's the a/c pipework in front of the condenser (running along the chassis rail) and the pipework as it sets up and under the battery (at the pipe clip location) as always look for the green gunge of death

Aye the coupé's the same. I've had a look and can't see any gunge, but I think I'll (try to) take the bumper off tonight and see if there's any visible damage to the condenser... The Golf's was very obviously damaged and I knew where its slight coolant leak was coming from as soon as I saw it (what was left of the condenser in one area was pushed right into the radiator!)

You could always nip back to Kwikies and explain but get them to check the pressure to see if it looks low.

I may try to blag a refill if I can see and fix the leak quickly, after all I paid for a leak test didn't I...

Of course the acid test is what temperature you're getting from the vents! many a time I've continued to reduce the set point simply because I felt too hot not necessarily an a/c problem.

Where it gets to the point I'm just shutting off the climate control and opening the window to reduce the humidity, I think it's the AC that's knackered

[Doggy]

Matt,

Think I've still got a spare compressor I got before changing my condenser. Let me know if you're interested.

[mjb]

Here's a thought... is the AC filling valve the same type as a tyre? If so, presuming there's no gas in there, could I pump air into it to pressurise, then listen for a hissing?

Obviously I'd need to know what pressure it's normally at when running, and I'd need to replace the drier after, but I'm way against the clock on this...

[Doggy]

I was advised against this - some risk of an explosion apparently

Usual way is nitrogen, or a vacuum test, I believe.

[mjb]

ooh this doesn't look good. The condenser looks fine, front and back. Even turned off the garage lights and had a nose around with a UV torch and couldn't see anything.

Got underneath with the aforementioned UV torch and saw loads of green around the sump (which I'm about to take off and re-seal if I can get the horribly rusted screws out), saw nothing at all around the compressor, then looked over the battery side... ERK! There's a load of green splattered everywhere, centralised around one of the AC pipes (the one that goes to the compressor via some small attached cylinder next to the compressor. Looking with normal light I can see this is a redish coloured oil, and it looks fresh.

Looking at servicebox, the pipe is 646008 - £174.92

Reckon a 2nd hand pipe will do? I doubt I'll be able to get a replacement part by the weekend even if I take a gamble on it being the dud part and phone the dealers in the morning...