i have had my mk 1 for about 5 months now

the air conditioning doesnt work for cold......its ok to heat, but with the control on 16c lowest setting its still warm air

i am hoping it just needs refilling

if thats all it is,[b] is it an expensive job on a car, and how long does it take[/b]..............i know to top up a fridge is easy enough if you have the gas.....but no idea with cars


there are no strange sounds or anything and the fans etc work fine


[b]is it just likely to be gas[/b]


in the engine bay theres a little black top on a pipe comeing from, what looks like the a c piping, is that anything to do with it at all


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[quote name='samurai69' post='686407' date='Aug 18 2009, 12:01 PM']i have had my mk 1 for about 5 months now

the air conditioning doesnt work for cold......its ok to heat, but with the control on 16c lowest setting its still warm air

i am hoping it just needs refilling

if thats all it is,[b] is it an expensive job on a car, and how long does it take[/b]..............i know to top up a fridge is easy enough if you have the gas.....but no idea with cars

there are no strange sounds or anything and the fans etc work fine

[b]is it just likely to be gas[/b]

in the engine bay theres a little black top on a pipe comeing from, what looks like the a c piping, is that anything to do with it at all.[/quote]
Yes it is likely to just need a re-gas, which should be around £40-£50 depending on area.

As you look into the engine bay you will see to your right a cylinder with two aluminium pipes coming out of the top - one with a plastic cap on it. This is the filler point for the A/C.

The only issues you might have is if the system's been de-gassed for a while some of the o-rings could have perished. This might not be apparent on initial gassing (although it usually is), so keep an eye on it once re-gassed in case a leak appears.

From what I can gather, a re-gas from somewhere like kwik-fit is around the £40 mark, main dealer £80-£100. The only problem in the main is the fact that for the system to need re-gassing, the gas must've escaped somehow, which generally means a leak. At a professional place (I'll let you make your own choice on kwik-fit ), they will add a dye which will highlight any leak points. If you buy your own cans (which you can get from halfrauds I believe), this will not be the case. The other thing is that the pro re-gas will suck out any air and moisture first, which you wont do yourself, which can just introduce other problems. As Mike_Mac also mentions, o-rings perishing and/or hardening is on of the more common leak problems. The less you use the aircon, the more like this is to happen.

[quote name='TigerFish' post='686453' date='Aug 18 2009, 04:25 PM']From what I can gather, a re-gas from somewhere like kwik-fit is around the £40 mark, main dealer £80-£100. The only problem in the main is the fact that for the system to need re-gassing, the gas must've escaped somehow, which generally means a leak. At a professional place (I'll let you make your own choice on kwik-fit ), they will add a dye which will highlight any leak points. If you buy your own cans (which you can get from halfrauds I believe), this will not be the case. The other thing is that the pro re-gas will suck out any air and moisture first, which you wont do yourself, which can just introduce other problems. As Mike_Mac also mentions, o-rings perishing and/or hardening is on of the more common leak problems. The less you use the aircon, the more like this is to happen.[/quote]


great info thanks


i may try the DIY method if its cheaper, if theres a leak i can then inform the company and make sure they check for leaks



its always a bit odd here.......many cars have AC fitted so the companies should be used to it.............anyway thanks


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[quote name='samurai69' post='686587' date='Aug 19 2009, 12:26 PM']great info thanks

i may try the DIY method if its cheaper, if theres a leak i can then inform the company and make sure they check for leaks

its always a bit odd here.......many cars have AC fitted so the companies should be used to it.............anyway thanks[/quote]
Be aware that the DIY kits aren't designed for a full re-gas, just a top-up. Plus if there's a leak then you've wasted your money. A professional re-gas will spot the leak before they put any expensive R-134a in there and don't cost much more than the DIY option anyway.

[quote name='Mike_Mac' post='686662' date='Aug 19 2009, 09:04 PM'][quote name='samurai69' post='686587' date='Aug 19 2009, 12:26 PM']great info thanks

i may try the DIY method if its cheaper, if theres a leak i can then inform the company and make sure they check for leaks

its always a bit odd here.......many cars have AC fitted so the companies should be used to it.............anyway thanks[/quote]
Be aware that the DIY kits aren't designed for a full re-gas, just a top-up. Plus if there's a leak then you've wasted your money. A professional re-gas will spot the leak before they put any expensive R-134a in there and don't cost much more than the DIY option anyway.
[/quote]


thanks

i just had a check and TBH cost of DIY gas and a pro re gas......i am going to get it done properly, also as you say they should find out re any leaks etc


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