titters
Member Since: 27 Apr 2013
Location: london
Posts: 419
  
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| aircon recharge at Mr Clutch |
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got a deal via ukhotdeals for a anti-bac and recharge for the aircon at mr clutch - 32 quid. Never had an aircon service on the d3 (rear aircon) before - I know it should take 810 gms of aircon gas but are there any other tips to avoid the inevitable 'you should never have gone to kwikfit-esque monkey disaster'? 2006 TDV6 HSE Wrapped Matt Black STOLEN NOT RECOVERED
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 25th May 2017 11:14 pm |
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BLFarrar
Member Since: 02 Aug 2006
Location: Deepest, Dankest, Darkest, Dingiest......Le Halifax, West Yorkshire...with strong links to Ireland
Posts: 6222
 
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Any leaky pipes first...otherwise the gas just leaks out = wasted cash. BREXIT - done properly.
Right now ...We need Government - not Politics
Save the Dipstick Flagbearer-keep it simple, less likely to fail campaign-agenda items:Starting Handles, Acetylene Lamps.
Founder: Dipsticks-R-Us Inc
D3 HSE-perfectly formed, passenger friendly...has real DIPSTICK
Jag XK-but sadly no DIPSTICK...HUGE design fault
FL2 has DIPSTICK..."real comfort in rear seats"
VW Golf wondermobile (?)..has real DIPSTICK
Morris Minor..original DIPSTICK technology..and a real KEY.
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| 26th May 2017 12:53 am |
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MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1384
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I had mine done on a Mr Clutch deal after I blanked the rear aircon. I'd put a sticker over the higher fill value and mentioned it when I booked it in. The bloke initially said they might not be able to do it if the car had been "modified". I explained it wasn't modified - just reverted to no rear aircon. They did it and it was fine but for a moment I thought they weren't going to touch it... 2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
<gone>2009 FF Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue</gone>
<gone>2015 BMW 520D SE (not my favourite car)</gone>
<gone>2009 D3 HSE Galway Green</gone
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| 26th May 2017 1:50 pm |
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kayble
Member Since: 01 Aug 2015
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 147
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| Re: aircon recharge at Mr Clutch |
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titters wrote:got a deal via ukhotdeals for a anti-bac and recharge for the aircon at mr clutch - 32 quid. Never had an aircon service on the d3 (rear aircon) before - I know it should take 810 gms of aircon gas but are there any other tips to avoid the inevitable 'you should never have gone to kwikfit-esque monkey disaster'?
Not sure I go with the 'don't go kwik-fit/ats/a.n. other national chain argument, for aircon service at least.
They pretty much all use standalone computerised purge/test/charge gear - and each one I've been to won't ask for money if your car fails to hold vac prior to charge, i.e the system is leaking.
I got my mine done at ATS Euromaster when they were doing a deal - £28 odd quid for vac/test/charge, following DIY condenser/drier change.
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| 26th May 2017 3:40 pm |
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Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10524
 
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If you are confident your car does not leak, these chains are ok.
If you have a slow leak and what some diagnostics, your need to goto a decent place.
Going to a chain first is a waste of your time.
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| 26th May 2017 6:26 pm |
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JMack
Member Since: 02 Aug 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 1517
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If you didn't have a leak why would you be going for a re-charge?
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| 26th May 2017 6:52 pm |
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philm
Member Since: 02 Oct 2016
Location: Manchester
Posts: 732
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I was told by aircon engineer that if you don't run it during the winter, it starts to leak through the seals and pipes. L633 Defender
Range Rover Velar-gone
Discovery 4 Landmark-gone
Gap IID Tool
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| 26th May 2017 6:59 pm |
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Soldierboy
Member Since: 27 Jan 2016
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 728
 
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You naturally loose refrigerant through the seals and unions over time it's an absolute bitch on challenger 2 main battle tank usually after 5 years you should get a re gas but it's also good to get excess moisture out the system too  God created heavy armour on 06 sept 1916, on the 7th the devil stood to attention!
Fuji white D4 MY11 GS 3.0 SDV6 MODS:
SMD LEDS INSIDE, SIDE LIGHTS, REAR FOG AND REVERSE
OEM SIDE STEPS
STAINLESS STEEL SCUFF PLATES
RUBBER MATS
SHORT ROOF BARS
RETROFITTED CC
BLACK HUBS & DUST CAPS
GLOSS BLACK GRILLE, SIDE VENTS AND WHEELS
BLACK BADGES FRONT REAR AND STEERING WHEEL
MUD GUARDS FRONT AND REAR
GLOSS BLACK DOOR HANDLES AND LETTERING
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| 26th May 2017 7:01 pm |
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JMack
Member Since: 02 Aug 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 1517
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Most modern cars will use nitrile seals in the unions, these don't leak when they 'dry out' like the old rubber or fibre ones did. Not sure about the tanks though! (knowing the MoD they are probably still on old R12 gas...)
No moisture should get in if there is gas in there anyway, and there is a 'drier' to absorb any that does get in.
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| 26th May 2017 7:25 pm |
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Soldierboy
Member Since: 27 Jan 2016
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 728
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God knows what seals they were but whatever they were I'm guessing they were pony!  God created heavy armour on 06 sept 1916, on the 7th the devil stood to attention!
Fuji white D4 MY11 GS 3.0 SDV6 MODS:
SMD LEDS INSIDE, SIDE LIGHTS, REAR FOG AND REVERSE
OEM SIDE STEPS
STAINLESS STEEL SCUFF PLATES
RUBBER MATS
SHORT ROOF BARS
RETROFITTED CC
BLACK HUBS & DUST CAPS
GLOSS BLACK GRILLE, SIDE VENTS AND WHEELS
BLACK BADGES FRONT REAR AND STEERING WHEEL
MUD GUARDS FRONT AND REAR
GLOSS BLACK DOOR HANDLES AND LETTERING
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| 26th May 2017 7:30 pm |
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geoffsnook
Member Since: 13 Jun 2014
Location: south wales
Posts: 3169
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Went to have my gas recharged today and low and behold to much gas done a vac and leak test now i have full working aircon  Discovery 3 se gone
Range rover sport supercharged here:)
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| 26th May 2017 7:31 pm |
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lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
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Rough rule of thumb used to be std loss is 10 percent per year.
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| 26th May 2017 8:25 pm |
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JMack
Member Since: 02 Aug 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 1517
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When in the 80's-90's?
My 2000 Impreza has never had a re-gas or any work done on the air con, still blows lovely and cold.
If it lost 10%per annum it would be in a vacuum now...
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| 26th May 2017 9:33 pm |
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lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
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Next time you replace an air con flex hose cut it in half and see how many layers theres are in an attempt to stop the gas permeating through the walls.
Using your sample of one car isnt really conclusive.
At work we have 200 refridgerated trailers, 150 trucks all with a/c and the two fridge guys are never quiet.
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| 27th May 2017 2:27 am |
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lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
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Some interesting reading here, last paragraph os what the D3/4 has fitted.How long does the refrigerant last?
Dont forget air con regas should also add some PAG oil, just imagine what your a/c oil is like after 17 years?
It varies a lot depending upon a number of factors. Exceptionally I have serviced AC systems on cars that were still working - just - after ten years without being recharged. In 2005 I saw a Mercedes that was 22 years old and the AC was still just about working. It is almost 100% certain that it had never been recharged in its entire life.
A more usual time for the first recharge would be around four years. The old R12 systems would usually last slightly longer than R134a systems as the R12 molecule is larger and the type of oil used with R12 provided a better seal on the compressor shaft I believe. At four years old the AC system would still be working reasonably effectively even with a good proportion of the original charge missing but by this time for slightly complex reasons some moisture would have been able to penetrate into the system. Some of this moisture would then mix with the chemicals making up the refrigerant, creating acids within the system which will do no good at all and will start to corrode the system from the inside.
A good rule of thumb would be to recharge a new car after no more than four years and then to recharge at three-year intervals. If you have a fairly recent car it may need recharging slightly more frequently now. Newer developments in AC technology are resulting in systems which are able to cool well with much less refrigerant than just a few years ago. In addition to this all new cars from 2008 are obliged by law to have very reduced natural losses. In spite of this it seems that if a car has only a small amount of refrigerant in the system, the loss of perhaps only 50 or 100 grams, a fairly small percentage, seems to have a serious effect on the performance of the cooling. As a result I am having to revise my thoughts - three year intervals may be fine for any car pre-2000 but for some cars built after 2000 it may be necessary to recharge every two years to keep the AC sufficiently effective especially if driving abroad.
Most problems occur when the system is struggling because it has insufficient gas to do it's job properly, and some of the results can be expensive to put right. It's usually much cheaper to maintain it regularly every three years than to wait for a breakdown and possibly an expensive repair. Particularly do not leave a car with a low charge over the winter months - this is when the air contains most moisture in it and it is likely to enter the system. This is particularly important with Variable Displacement Compressors. These run all the time once they are switched on and during the colder winter months are compressing very little refrigerant. If in addition there is a low refrigerant level there may be insufficient gas being moved to keep enough lubricant in the compressor. Each early spring we have to replace quite a number of variable displacement compressors that have seized or partially seized and broken up during the winter. Get it sorted when you first notice it and you will still have a system next spring - leave it and you take a big risk.
In the last six or eight years a new clutchless type of compressor has emerged and is being fitted to a wide selection of cars. This type is constantly running and electronically controlled but cannot be turned completely off, in fact the OFF button will leave the compressor turning all the time but compressing only 2 or 3% so in effect virtually OFF. In theory these systems cannot be left safely without a refrigerant charge in them, so repairs will need to made when the fault occurs and not left until it is convenient to do so, unless you are prepared to take the risk of having to replace the compressor as well.
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| 27th May 2017 2:31 am |
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