Air Conditioning Recharge

[tropical_Z]

Hi,

I know its the winter months but I was thinking of getting a recharge of the air conditioning unit.

£25 from kwikfit - http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp

Any forum members done this? My demisting doesnt seem to be what it used to be when using AC, hence the recharge. It didnt occur to me that the AC was never looked at in the service intervals.

[three5]

Hi,

I know its the winter months but I was thinking of getting a recharge of the air conditioning unit.

£25 from kwikfit - http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp

Any forum members done this? My demisting doesnt seem to be what it used to be when using AC, hence the recharge. It didnt occur to me that the AC was never looked at in the service intervals.

Haven't had the RAV long enough yet to think about recharging the AC, but I did have it done on an Isuzu Trooper a few years ago. I went to a local refrigeration engineer that I found in yellow pages, took about 20 minutes and cost £25. They had to add about a "quarter of a pound of gas" as the guy put it. The difference was immediate and startling. I think that in most vehicles ( with AC ) handbooks it says to run the AC at least once / week as if you don't the seals dry out and leak. There is a lubricant ( oil ) in the pump itself that needs circulating to accomplish this. My last vehicle was a Vitara with AC. With that every time you put the demister on the AC cut in as well. My initial reaction was "what the he** for?", but it makes sense as you get the circulation of the oil in the system even if you switch it off after a few seconds. Never had any problem with the AC on the motor anyway. There is another recent thread on this forum on a similar subject where Anchorman talks about use of the "auto" function on the heater system and how the AC cuts in and out. This sound as though it would fulfill the same function.

Don't think that Kwik Fit are flavour of the month on here - see the thread on MOT failure! Haven't seen you post before on the forum - if you're new here, a big welcome to the best forum on the web - if you're not new, put it down to senility on my part! Let us know how you get on though - it all adds to the sum of knowledge.

[Plutus]

I'd wait for Anchorman or other techies to come along and advise before I did anything.

Might be the cabin filter.

[anchorman]

Yes, could well be the cabin filter - have you checked it?

You can usually tell if the aircon needs charging as the engine note doesn't change when it cuts in. If the system is healthy you will hear the compressor take up the load. Don't get me wrong they do sometimes benefit from recharging but just do a couple of checks to avoid wasting money.

[tropical_Z]

ah. Thanks for that. The note does change - i'll give the filter a check! Thanks!

[tropical_Z]

In the end the filter was changed - made no difference. n months later I finally got round to getting the air con recharged (ie, this week!). They just connected the two pipes from the machine to the engine parts marked H and L and the rest is automatic. Has it made a difference? Definately feel the chilled air now. I dont expect I will be getting another air con recharge for this car again - a once every 7 year occurance in my case.

[Nightstalker]

Hello all :D

I remember some dealership in the past advising that the aircon should be topped up every 2 years is that so or were they after extra money on the services?

I never go it done as I got rid of the car at the time... but with me Rav I will be getting to the 2 year point in September(should I not opt out and end up getting me-self a LC...)

Regards

Rob

B)

[tropical_Z]

I think every 2 years is a bit excessive. I only started feeling the slight change after 6 years. As long as the ac is used sufficiently often to allow the lubrication to circulate around the unit, it shouldnt need much attention. I dont expect to do anything to the ac again, for the remainder of the life of the car.

[anchorman]

Yeh I think modern systems are far better than they used to be so pressure loss is less of a problem and it probabaly isn't so necessary to run the A/C as often as it was. I won't have mine recharged as long as it keeps cooling on hot days - hopefully never!

[usedriceburner]

News: Most auto parts places are now selling a ac recharge bottle for $20 now. You have to turn on your car with ac running full blast. Then hook the bottle to your ac system, which is on top of engine, push button on bottle till empty, 10 sec. It is as easy as using fix a flat. My air went from warm to freezing. Has lasted 6 months so far. AC repair shops are hurting. Thanks Mike

[woodye85741]

don't know which refrigerant my '87 requires.Could I recharge it myself? Or go to a pro ?

[Mistermena]

don't know which refrigerant my '87 requires.Could I recharge it myself? Or go to a pro ?

Usually when you open up the bonnet you'll see a sticker that tells you what you need. Something like R134a

[El Bee]

Just my two penn'oth but...

If you run the motah into a vehicle a/c specialist say once every 4 years, said blokey attaches an expensive machine that empties out the old refridgerant, identifies it, pressure tests the system and re-fills it with the right quantity of the correct stuff and guarantees it's all how the manufacturer intended it to be, and it works like new for about 40 quid it's not bad VFM.

Lee

[ormi]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

[igormus]

Hi,

I know its the winter months but I was thinking of getting a recharge of the air conditioning unit.

£25 from kwikfit - http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp

Any forum members done this? My demisting doesnt seem to be what it used to be when using AC, hence the recharge. It didnt occur to me that the AC was never looked at in the service intervals.

your first enemy is pollen filter in the cabin that does not allow an air to be circulated by the fan and demist.

cheers/Igor

[Big Kev]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

Was not aware of any legal implications, Ormi, but people need to be aware that there is genuinely a proper mixture of refrigerant AND lubricant, which keeps all the seals healthy. If the seals wither and leak the refrigerant, what a waste of money adding the refrigerant was....? And Igor's suggestion of look at the simple thing first, the pollen/cabin filter. I have seen a couple so dirty it would make one boak. (boak....to wretch, to puke, to vomit : BK Dictionary.)

Big Kev

[acetip]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

if thats the case,i wonder why you can buy DIY recharging kits over the counter.

[Big Kev]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

if thats the case,i wonder why you can buy DIY recharging kits over the counter.

That, Ace, is a Meerkat special....simples.....they get your money, it works fine when you use it, and if a problem DOES develop, who do you go back and moan at...the mirror? For all Mr.T actually charged me, I would never now "diy" coz when a/c goes wrong, it usually goes wrong costing a pretty penny. When Toyota did mine, it apparently takes about an hour on the machine, as it self checks system for leaks whilst filling it....if I am being misled, perhaps Ormi could correct....?

Big Kev, not normally easily fooled.....

[*srjp*]

I've used Kwik Fit to recharge the a/c on an old Jap import; they didn't seem to have any problem finding the right gas for it even though I'd been advised elsewhere that it would be difficult. Job was done in half an hour while I waited.

As with many chains/franchises this size though, I think it depends *a lot* on the staff and management of your local branch.

Much better service than the Honda main dealer in Sheffield who refilled my a/c then told me it had all leaked out straight away due to a bust compressor, but charged me for the refill anyway even though they hadn't tested it first!

[acetip]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

if thats the case,i wonder why you can buy DIY recharging kits over the counter.

That, Ace, is a Meerkat special....simples.....they get your money, it works fine when you use it, and if a problem DOES develop, who do you go back and moan at...the mirror? For all Mr.T actually charged me, I would never now "diy" coz when a/c goes wrong, it usually goes wrong costing a pretty penny. When Toyota did mine, it apparently takes about an hour on the machine, as it self checks system for leaks whilst filling it....if I am being misled, perhaps Ormi could correct....?

Big Kev, not normally easily fooled.....

Hi Big Kev,when i took my auris in for its last service (still under warrant at the time)

i asked them to check the a/c as it did not seem to getas cold at lowest setting as other cars ive owned.but as they wanted £70 out of my pension to hook it up to a machine.so i dont know how much more it would have cost if it had needed regassing,so i declined.

they did what they called a visuel check and reported it seemed ok.

i have posted about this before and Ormi replied that they have to vacuate the system of gas to do the check.

[El Bee]

i asked them to check the a/c as it did not seem to getas cold at lowest setting as other cars ive owned.but as they wanted £70 out of my pension to hook it up to a machine.so i dont know how much more it would have cost if it had needed regassing,so i declined.

they did what they called a visuel check and reported it seemed ok.

i have posted about this before and Ormi replied that they have to vacuate the system of gas to do the check.

I think 70 quid is taking the p*ss!!!!

Phone around locally or as in your local motor factor if they can recommend someone, I bet you could get it done for about half that, and yes, the machine sucks out the old refridgerant, does a test for leaks and only refills after the leak test.

Lee

[Parts-King]

We do it for £59.99 and include a pollen filter. Whilst it is not a labour intensive job, it now has to be performed by a trained person, and the equipment itself is expensive. New oil and gas need to be purchased regularly and the machine itself maintained

Kingo

[Big Kev]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

if thats the case,i wonder why you can buy DIY recharging kits over the counter.

That, Ace, is a Meerkat special....simples.....they get your money, it works fine when you use it, and if a problem DOES develop, who do you go back and moan at...the mirror? For all Mr.T actually charged me, I would never now "diy" coz when a/c goes wrong, it usually goes wrong costing a pretty penny. When Toyota did mine, it apparently takes about an hour on the machine, as it self checks system for leaks whilst filling it....if I am being misled, perhaps Ormi could correct....?

Big Kev, not normally easily fooled.....

Hi Big Kev,when i took my auris in for its last service (still under warrant at the time)

i asked them to check the a/c as it did not seem to getas cold at lowest setting as other cars ive owned.but as they wanted £70 out of my pension to hook it up to a machine.so i dont know how much more it would have cost if it had needed regassing,so i declined.

they did what they called a visuel check and reported it seemed ok.

i have posted about this before and Ormi replied that they have to vacuate the system of gas to do the check.

I was £45.00 for my previous Avensis without pollen filter change, as I had not that long changed it. One thing I do like about the Toyota system is it doesn't go that unnecessary SKIN CHILLING cold, as some cars do (maybe where Lee has decided to live one would need it colder....?) I find it cools the car well without the need to chip recycled phlegm from the end of ma nose....!!

£70.00 from one of our most Senioristic Members is a bloomin' disgracement...!!!!!

Big Kev

[crofter]

it is against the law now to touch a/c systems unless you are trained and it carrys a £20k fine...we had to all go on a two day course to get our licences..

if thats the case,i wonder why you can buy DIY recharging kits over the counter.

That, Ace, is a Meerkat special....simples.....they get your money, it works fine when you use it, and if a problem DOES develop, who do you go back and moan at...the mirror? For all Mr.T actually charged me, I would never now "diy" coz when a/c goes wrong, it usually goes wrong costing a pretty penny. When Toyota did mine, it apparently takes about an hour on the machine, as it self checks system for leaks whilst filling it....if I am being misled, perhaps Ormi could correct....?

Big Kev, not normally easily fooled.....

Hi Big Kev,when i took my auris in for its last service (still under warrant at the time)

i asked them to check the a/c as it did not seem to getas cold at lowest setting as other cars ive owned.but as they wanted £70 out of my pension to hook it up to a machine.so i dont know how much more it would have cost if it had needed regassing,so i declined.

they did what they called a visuel check and reported it seemed ok.

i have posted about this before and Ormi replied that they have to vacuate the system of gas to do the check.

I was £45.00 for my previous Avensis without pollen filter change, as I had not that long changed it. One thing I do like about the Toyota system is it doesn't go that unnecessary SKIN CHILLING cold, as some cars do (maybe where Lee has decided to live one would need it colder....?) I find it cools the car well without the need to chip recycled phlegm from the end of ma nose....!!

£70.00 from one of our most Senioristic Members is a bloomin' disgracement...!!!!!

Big Kev

Chuffin eck, Kev, I'm getting worried about you,thats 3 posts this sassenach understood without the using of my new Scots/Ingerlish,translatering chamine.

Back on topic.I have just paid 60 bar for a re-gassing on a F--d F-c-s at a local one man garage and he explained everything as it was being done and was warned not to touch the machine as he was using it as it had a very delicate weighing mechanism inside to check how much gas(?)was being extracted.

Del

[acetip]

We do it for £59.99 and include a pollen filter. Whilst it is not a labour intensive job, it now has to be performed by a trained person, and the equipment itself is expensive. New oil and gas need to be purchased regularly and the machine itself maintained

Kingo

thats not too bad a price as the pollen filter is not cheap.

i was not faulting my a/c but as others have posted they do seem as cold as others a/c

and as the warranty was nearly finished i thought i get it checked out to be on the safe side.its climate control,which i leave on all the time.

ive done checking the pipes temp on the system,and they seem cold enough.which i suspect that is what they did.