Air-con issues?
Discussion
I finally bought my first Chim today its a 98 400 im really pleased with. The car has air-con and as i understand it a fairly uncommon option. The current owner had never used it and was unsure as to how it worked and after some messing around neither of us could sort it out. The button on the side of the gearbox tunnel doesnt seem to light up and the system doesnt seem to switch on. Could anyone shed some light on to why this may be?
Cheers James
Cheers James
Try turning the heater control to full cold as there is a micro-switch that will turn the air-con on.
Adrian@
With the engine running you should hear the compressor clutch pull in and engine note change as the compressor then runs. The pressure sensor will stop this from happening if there is no pressure in the system.
Adrian@
With the engine running you should hear the compressor clutch pull in and engine note change as the compressor then runs. The pressure sensor will stop this from happening if there is no pressure in the system.
From what I've heard .. if you do manage to switch it on .. you'll be lucky to get any cooling .. I was told of garage that spend £1000 on a car to try and make it work because they advertised it with aircon.. and it still isn't working... a few fundemental design flaws with Chim/Grif aircon , I understand. So don't spend loads of money trying to fix it.
On any car aircon should not be left used, and occasion switch on is recommended even in winter, I think you lose the R134A gas and need a recharge.
On any car aircon should not be left used, and occasion switch on is recommended even in winter, I think you lose the R134A gas and need a recharge.
Edited by glow worm on Thursday 17th April 09:22
As per Adrian@ the aircon is activated by requesting full cold on the dashboard control (you should hear a microswitch click). If the ignition is on, you should hear a click from the relays in the footwell too. It's probably degassed if it's been left more than a couple of years.
I can't remember if the button on the transmission tunnel (near left knee) lights up, but this supposedly controls fresh air/ recirc air for the cabin. If it's working, I can hear a quiet whining from the passenger footwell when I press the button.
I *did* spend several hundred pounds getting mine working again after a cracked condensor meant that I had to have the whole system overhauled. I believe it's worth it....
I can't remember if the button on the transmission tunnel (near left knee) lights up, but this supposedly controls fresh air/ recirc air for the cabin. If it's working, I can hear a quiet whining from the passenger footwell when I press the button.
I *did* spend several hundred pounds getting mine working again after a cracked condensor meant that I had to have the whole system overhauled. I believe it's worth it....
Mines a Griff, but when you do get it working right it justifies all the trouble and expense.
I can make ice on the inside of my windscreen and you just don't leave it on your legs blowing fully cold.
There is a top man for air conditioning near me. It would be worth you travelling to Kent to get it right. A lot of places struggle to get TVR’s right. King’s Auto’s is the place. When other A/C specialists get stuck they send it to Ken King. Some TVR main dealers ship the cars to him too.
The heater box design is seriously flawed and a modern replacement is being developed at the moment. The non-A/C prototype is working, but the final version will be good for A/C and allow people without A/C to consider retro fitting A/C.
The early cars were fitted with the fuel rail heat exchanger is from a series 3 Jaguar XJ12. These are no longer available new. Later cars were fitted with the same one as a Cerb. I don’t know if that was a TVR special or from another car.
TVR used sub standard crimping on the A/C hoses. The number of points on the TVR crimp tool was wrong. A 12 point crimp tool will align with the original crimp points and add the new ones that you will need if you are going to make the system gas tight on a long term basis.
I can make ice on the inside of my windscreen and you just don't leave it on your legs blowing fully cold.
There is a top man for air conditioning near me. It would be worth you travelling to Kent to get it right. A lot of places struggle to get TVR’s right. King’s Auto’s is the place. When other A/C specialists get stuck they send it to Ken King. Some TVR main dealers ship the cars to him too.
The heater box design is seriously flawed and a modern replacement is being developed at the moment. The non-A/C prototype is working, but the final version will be good for A/C and allow people without A/C to consider retro fitting A/C.
The early cars were fitted with the fuel rail heat exchanger is from a series 3 Jaguar XJ12. These are no longer available new. Later cars were fitted with the same one as a Cerb. I don’t know if that was a TVR special or from another car.
TVR used sub standard crimping on the A/C hoses. The number of points on the TVR crimp tool was wrong. A 12 point crimp tool will align with the original crimp points and add the new ones that you will need if you are going to make the system gas tight on a long term basis.
Thanks very much so far. I did try to listen for the compressor to kick in while the car was at idle but the fans kicked in at the exact same time so wasnt easy to notice. I pick the car up next week so will have a play with it then and try to get it sorted. I may have to come back again for some further advice!! Cheers
jamesclarkson said:
So does the switch on the gearbox tunnel, switch the air-con on or does the micro switch you mentioned on the temp control activate it?
The micro-switch on the heater control (full cold) switches it on. (which in turn switches the power to the pump clutch and fans are switched on to via a temp sender, and the ECU to up the RPM......and).The switch on the tunnel is the recirculation flap switch, this allows you draw air in from outside or not (used when you get stuck in traffic IMHO to stop the air con from drawing in fumes) you should hear the flap motor running from limit switch to limit switch as you press it.
Adrian@
AND edited to say ...turn the fan speed control ON ....thanks to Nick see his post below.
Edited by Adrian@ on Sunday 20th April 09:11
If it's working correctly, the sequence is something like (whilst idling): turn to full cold on the temperature dial until you hear the microswitch click; the ECU winds up the revs a little and the compressor kicks in with an audible click; air gets cold; after some time the compressor will disengage and the engine revs drop back to normal; some time later the ECU winds up the revs and repeats....
You should get the engine cooling fans kicking in occasionally to cool the condenser which is immediately in front of the radiator. This is unrelated to engine temperature.
When my system got degassed *and* blocked, I had the ECU winding up the revs and a relay click but no compressor kicking in. I believe there's a pressure switch that detects low pressure to protect the system.
For the recirc setting, I've no idea which way is fresh or recirc air, but you may be able to detect colder air on one of the settings, this should be recirc.
You should get the engine cooling fans kicking in occasionally to cool the condenser which is immediately in front of the radiator. This is unrelated to engine temperature.
When my system got degassed *and* blocked, I had the ECU winding up the revs and a relay click but no compressor kicking in. I believe there's a pressure switch that detects low pressure to protect the system.
For the recirc setting, I've no idea which way is fresh or recirc air, but you may be able to detect colder air on one of the settings, this should be recirc.
I think the recirculation is not particularly useful,and often malfunctions,if it is stuck in the recycle position the car interior is going to get very hot with or without airconditioning,so if the switch doesn't work, I would suggest blocking the recirculation intake.
Edited by davvid on Saturday 19th April 12:55
JonathanT said:
If it's working correctly, the sequence is something like (whilst idling): turn to full cold on the temperature dial until you hear the microswitch click; the ECU winds up the revs a little and the compressor kicks in with an audible click; air gets cold; after some time the compressor will disengage and the engine revs drop back to normal; some time later the ECU winds up the revs and repeats....
I too agree with most of the comments here EXCEPT to say that this is not a bad system, notwithstanding the heater box already mentioned. Mine works well, cools the cabin, demists the windscreen and makes the handbrake freezing cold to touch
BUT you've all overlooked one very important piece of advice to the OP!! In the sequence described above you MUST depress the 'heater' fan switch to switch that on and turn up the rehostat to something above the slowest setting for the cold air to be drawn through the system. Nick.
Cider Andy said:
I'd agree with most other replies: it's a great system when it's working. The recirculation flap switch does illuminate when the vehicle lights are on, not when the system's on.
You can see the recirculation flap in the footwell to the left of the battery.
Hi Andy, do you have a picture of the recirculation flap please? I was looking at around the footwell - I can find the temperature flap and the air flow direction flap but not the recirculation flap ...You can see the recirculation flap in the footwell to the left of the battery.
Thank you very much in advance!!
glow worm said:
From what I've heard .. if you do manage to switch it on .. you'll be lucky to get any cooling .. I was told of garage that spend £1000 on a car to try and make it work because they advertised it with aircon.. and it still isn't working... a few fundemental design flaws with Chim/Grif aircon , I understand. So don't spend loads of money trying to fix it.
On any car aircon should not be left used, and occasion switch on is recommended even in winter, I think you lose the R134A gas and need a recharge.
My experience with my Chimaera that had aircon was completely opposite to the above.On any car aircon should not be left used, and occasion switch on is recommended even in winter, I think you lose the R134A gas and need a recharge.
Edited by glow worm on Thursday 17th April 09:22
After a few years of ownership, the 'cooling' was gradually deteriorating, until the compressor would not clutch in. Took the car around to a friend who did the full system check - evacuate system, hold vac' for 20 mins to prove no leaks, then filled refrigerant gas and oil. The blown air now coming out of all the vents was icy. The aircon working perfectly..
Nick
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