Air Con Refil Time

[craggy]

Hi all

my car is now 3 years old and he air con needs topping up. Toyota want to charge me £125 for this but a local independanat garage can do it for £45. Toyota put he dye through the pipes to check for leaks and some antibacterial agent to get rid of any smell whereas the independant garage says it will show up on their system if there are any leaks.

Can anyone give me some advice on which service to take. I am aware that there are some services inbetween at around £80 too.

Cheers

[uumode]

If you need to top up that suggests there is a leak somewhere, which needs to be fixed, otherwise you'll be topping up again.

(and I read somewhere, though not sure it it is correct, that it is illegal for an operator to knowingly recharge a system with a leak without fixing it as it will leak into the atmosphere and bad for the environment).

Though it might be beneficial to give the system a service, which involves removing the moisture from the system.

Removing the refrigerant, sucking out the moisture and refilling again also adding in oil for the seals to keep them supple so they don't crack - this should be about £80 from independant guy as you say.

http://www.brianjonesgarage.co.uk/aircon.htm

I 'think' Toyota's price is for a service? not a plain top up.

[Penfold]

try these from Halfwits.....

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...pcategory_33958

Colleague at work tried it and got on OK. His was an R-plate Mundano.

Check the yellow label inside the engine bay before buying. It will tell you which gas you have in your system so that you can match the type. Mine is on the underside of the leading edge of the bonnet.

[vmssys]

Some dealers are doing air-con servicing for £49.95. This includes cleaning the system out and relubricating etc. If you need a fluid topup they charge an extra £5 per 100ml of fluid.

Ring round dealers.

John Roe in Grimsby are doing this offer at the moment.