Best place for an air con regas?
Discussion
My daily (98/S-reg) hasn't had a re-gas since I got it in 2007 and it's still chilly.
The MPS we got re-gassed at KF, worked for the drive home, went to use it a week later and it was warm. Now need to get someone out (or go somewhere) to diagnose it (probably either condenser or a known fault is a pipe that wears/breaks on the Mazda 6).
For the price of the pipe I may just replace it anyway but if I do that will just a 're-gas' sort it or do I *need* to go to an air-con specialist?
The MPS we got re-gassed at KF, worked for the drive home, went to use it a week later and it was warm. Now need to get someone out (or go somewhere) to diagnose it (probably either condenser or a known fault is a pipe that wears/breaks on the Mazda 6).
For the price of the pipe I may just replace it anyway but if I do that will just a 're-gas' sort it or do I *need* to go to an air-con specialist?
Mr-B said:
varsas said:
That does sound reasonable however my mum massively abuses her air-con system. It's never been serviced/re gassed in the 7 years she's had the car, she never uses it during the winter (so it goes months without being used) and yet it works incredibly well, much better then the air-con in my E36, which had a new compressor/regass when I bought it and is regularly exercised.
I would be surprised if air-con systems are allowed to be leaky by design, given that the refrigerant is quite polluting.
Indeed that's what I thought. I think the info came from a firm that did regassing/servicing of A/C systems so not exactly impartial in their advice I do think that the systems lose their effectiveness through whatever reason though, my A/C is definitely not as cold as it could be so a regas maybe on the cards.I would be surprised if air-con systems are allowed to be leaky by design, given that the refrigerant is quite polluting.
Anyone tried those DIY canisters from Halfrauds? Heard they were a pile of...
S50B32 said:
Do you know if there are superior machines / gasses, or if it's much of a muchness? I had suspected I had a leak somewhere late in the system as my car tests okay on their machine and stays cold for a while, but seems to need attention every summer. I was gearing up to have the system properly checked, when a friend said he'd had a re-gas there with similar results.
Much of a muchness, no matter where it is, they need the proper gas.I had a friend of a friend, an industrial aircon specialist check a couple of my cars.
All they need to do is:
1. Check that the system works - switches on and off.
2. Check the system for pressure- its "pumped up" if it holds the pressure, it doesn't have any leaks.
3. Fill with the coolant.
Everything else is the usual garage BS to get a bit more money out of you!
1 hour on the "machine" is justifying their £50-100 bill!
One thing he did say, the condenser radiator can clog up with rubbish - dead insects/leaves etc so it loses its optimum working range.
Give it a jet wash/clean and then try it.
He gassed my Jeep and C36 up for £20, Jeep didn't have aircon for the previous 3 years and it will now blow ice cold air out at about 4deg C!
C46 wasn't quite as good at about 8deg, but he said to give the rad a clean and it should improve.
sim16v said:
Everything else is the usual garage BS to get a bit more money out of you!
1 hour on the "machine" is justifying their £50-100 bill!
Having watched them do it the machine actually runs through a fixed cycle, empty the gas, vacuum for a period to remove all traces, then hold and monitor the pressure for 10 minutes to check for leaks. Then refill. IMO it's not BS and does take up a bay for the time it takes to do it (although only about 2 minutes work).1 hour on the "machine" is justifying their £50-100 bill!
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