Air Conditioning Top Up

[samurai69]

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, is it an expensive job on a car, and how long does it take..............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

is it just likely to be gas

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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[Mike_Mac]

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, is it an expensive job on a car, and how long does it take..............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

is it just likely to be gas

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.

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.

[TigerFish]

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.

[samurai69]

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.

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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[Mike_Mac]

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

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.

[samurai69]

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

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.

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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