Air-con recharge. Best place? Kwikfit?

Air-con recharge. Best place? Kwikfit?

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CoolHands

Original Poster:

20,603 posts

209 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Mine is cold but I think probably not as cold as when new. But hard to know (2013 car). Although I’ll doubtless come out with new discs and pads, is kwikfit the best place to go for air con recharge?

I’m thinking because they probably do a lot of them then they’ll actually know what they’re doing. Where’s a backstreet place may not be as familiar.


steveo3002

10,798 posts

188 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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probably one of the worst places you could use

Challo

11,437 posts

169 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Is there not a local aircon specialist you can go to?

sherman

14,349 posts

229 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Go to your local garage. They wont do it themselves probably but will have ghe number of the local A/C specialist.

Kwikfit are only good for simple jobs that are straight replacements tyres exhausts etc. They are not a diagnostics place.

Tim330

1,223 posts

226 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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I can't fault Kwik fits guarantee on air con refills. I took my wife's car there in the week. They drained it topped it up and it still didn't work, no charge. They couldn't say what was at fault so I'll need to go to my usual garage.

sherman

14,349 posts

229 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Tim330 said:
I can't fault Kwik fits guarantee on air con refills. I took my wife's car there in the week. They drained it topped it up and it still didn't work, no charge. They couldn't say what was at fault so I'll need to go to my usual garage.
So they couldnt fix the fault but thought pumping gas into a leaking system was a good idea?

InitialDave

13,108 posts

133 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Groupon voucher for ATS is my usual choice.

rallycross

13,482 posts

251 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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sherman said:
So they couldnt fix the fault but thought pumping gas into a leaking system was a good idea?
They don’t put gas in the machine first does a vacuum measures how much gas was in then it does a pressure test then once that is done the machine does a final stage of adding oil and gas.

Quick fit are great if it’s just a gas fill, and they won’t charge you if it does not work which is very reasonable for 45 mins mucking around.

If it does not work they are not able to help or advise what’s wrong they don’t get involved in fixing ac problems usually.


Denis O

2,141 posts

257 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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InitialDave said:
Groupon voucher for ATS is my usual choice.
Mine too.
Just had the l405 done at 5 years old.
Don't forget, anything after 2017 will use R1234 gas at twice the price RR was £88.95 via Groupon, with the morse expensive gas.

Denis O

2,141 posts

257 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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That'll teach me to skim read. I note yours is 2013 so it's old gas all tge way.

Tim330

1,223 posts

226 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
rallycross said:
sherman said:
So they couldnt fix the fault but thought pumping gas into a leaking system was a good idea?
They don’t put gas in the machine first does a vacuum measures how much gas was in then it does a pressure test then once that is done the machine does a final stage of adding oil and gas.

Quick fit are great if it’s just a gas fill, and they won’t charge you if it does not work which is very reasonable for 45 mins mucking around.

Yes I should add it passed the leak test but has another probably more expensive fault. We will be making do with one car this week whilst it's hot.

If it does not work they are not able to help or advise what’s wrong they don’t get involved in fixing ac problems usually.

captain.scarlet

1,891 posts

48 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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Tim330 said:
rallycross said:
sherman said:
So they couldnt fix the fault but thought pumping gas into a leaking system was a good idea?
They don’t put gas in the machine first does a vacuum measures how much gas was in then it does a pressure test then once that is done the machine does a final stage of adding oil and gas.

Quick fit are great if it’s just a gas fill, and they won’t charge you if it does not work which is very reasonable for 45 mins mucking around.

Yes I should add it passed the leak test but has another probably more expensive fault. We will be making do with one car this week whilst it's hot.

If it does not work they are not able to help or advise what’s wrong they don’t get involved in fixing ac problems usually.
Experienced the same in June last year when there was a mini heat wave. Stood outside to take advantage and get a tan.

Kwik Fit cracked on and their customer service was excellent.

They were also (and tend to be, along with places like ATS) the best priced and didn't charge me in the end as my AC was still not working.

They didn't even do what other places usually do, which is to empty the refrigerant out of the car's system and back into their gas tank in the event it doesn't work. They just let me keep the gas in my car's system. I suppose they do that many of them that it costs them that little.

Obviously no use it being sat there and I still can't figure out what's wrong with the car's AC system as it won't engage unless, as I recently discovered, I permanently bypass the relay with a piece of metal wire.

However, thanks to Kwik Fit there is at least free refrigerant in there to help me with any future troubleshooting!

CoolHands

Original Poster:

20,603 posts

209 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
Denis O said:
Mine too.
Just had the l405 done at 5 years old.
Don't forget, anything after 2017 will use R1234 gas at twice the price RR was £88.95 via Groupon, with the morse expensive gas.
Good price as I noticed on kwikfit that gas is £120 (cheaper one is £60)

WonkeyDonkey

2,470 posts

117 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
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I just did it myself, seems to be working OK!

Chromegrill

1,113 posts

100 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
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Went to KF recently for a regass as aircon wasn't blowing cold. They topped it up, tried it and still wasn't working. In order to protect against leaks, they were kind enough to evacuate off all my refrigerant.

Took the car to an aircon specialist who diagnosed the problem immediately - the aircon pump fuse had simply blown. So I ended up having to have a regas just because the first place had taken all the gas out the system for me!

snotrag

15,153 posts

225 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
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Tyres on the drive.

Bought out by Halfords recently so there site redirects through there but the guy that did mine last year was good, knowledgeable, and bang on time. They can do it at home or in works car park etc which is great.

I imagine they might be a bit busy though currently!

CoolHands

Original Poster:

20,603 posts

209 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
quotequote all
Yeah I’ve sent a message to a mobile air con specialist hopefully he can do mine at work, any day to make it easy for him. Haven’t heard back yet though!

Draxindustries1

1,657 posts

37 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
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Odd that Kwack fit use air con machines that fill the system even if it has a leak. The latest typewhich are all automated will vacuum out any remaining gas but won't refill if a leak is detected..

M11rph

869 posts

35 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
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I've use a company called StayKool (SW of Derby,Littleover) a couple of times. Last time being 2 years ago.

He does offer a mobile service but I went to his home and he did the a/c leak check, regas and lube in about 25 minutes, only needed 100g of R1234 and the total bill was £35 iirc. All around excellent service,online booking etc. Good enough that even though I now live an hour away I'll book in for when I'm next visiting friends up that way.

I've zero connection other than as a customer, but he'd be my first stop for any a/c issues if he's in range.

Rozzers

2,684 posts

89 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
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Draxindustries1 said:
Odd that Kwack fit use air con machines that fill the system even if it has a leak. The latest typewhich are all automated will vacuum out any remaining gas but won't refill if a leak is detected..
They don’t, they use an automatic machine the same as everyone else. They just can’t really fix anything, but if it’s no fix, no fee, I’ve known people to benefit from that.