Air Conditioning DIY Refill Confusion

[iammooks]

I just went out to refill my air conditioning with an A/C Pro home refill kit and let's just say I have questions.

Just some background info - I've never had the air conditioning serviced or refilled since I've had the car, and that's fourteen years.

I followed all the instructions - attached the trigger to the low pressure side (without the refill bottle attached) on the lower left side of the engine bay, checked the gauge and it went straight to the 'alert' reading.

Turned the engine over, turned on air recirculation and put the AC on high, and I saw that the needle dropped down to the 'filled' reading on the gauge.

When the compressor kicked in, the needle went down to 'low', but when the compressor turned off it went back to 'filled'.

Ran the engine for three minutes as instructed and the car wasn't getting any cooler. Turned the engine off and the gauge went way up:

There's a high chance I'm doing something wrong - maybe I should have attached the refill bottle or something instead of doing the check without it, but the manufacturer's video showed them doing it without the canister attached - but I know my car isn't icy cold and so something's gone wrong somewhere along the line.

It sounds like all the components are doing what they should, but something doesn't add up. If anyone's done this before or knows a bit about the AC system, I'd love to hear from you - I'm going to be driving through France in a fortnight and I'm really going to need some icy goodness...


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[SuperV8]

I just went out to refill my air conditioning with an A/C Pro home refill kit and let's just say I have questions.

Just some background info - I've never had the air conditioning serviced or refilled since I've had the car, and that's fourteen years.

I followed all the instructions - attached the trigger to the low pressure side (without the refill bottle attached) on the lower left side of the engine bay, checked the gauge and it went straight to the 'alert' reading.

Turned the engine over, turned on air recirculation and put the AC on high, and I saw that the needle dropped down to the 'filled' reading on the gauge.

When the compressor kicked in, the needle went down to 'low', but when the compressor turned off it went back to 'filled'.

Ran the engine for three minutes as instructed and the car wasn't getting any cooler. Turned the engine off and the gauge went way up:

There's a high chance I'm doing something wrong - maybe I should have attached the refill bottle or something instead of doing the check without it, but the manufacturer's video showed them doing it without the canister attached - but I know my car isn't icy cold and so something's gone wrong somewhere along the line.

It sounds like all the components are doing what they should, but something doesn't add up. If anyone's done this before or knows a bit about the AC system, I'd love to hear from you - I'm going to be driving through France in a fortnight and I'm really going to need some icy goodness...


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There are many parts to your AC system which all need to be working to get nice cold air.
Never used these DIY kits - but have used large AC re-gas machines, which basically suck out and measure the old gas + oil - then they pull a vacuum for 10 minutes or so to check for leaks - then they re-fill the correct g of gas + the correct g of oil.

Would be worth checking for fault codes? My old Audi A4 had a faulty pressure sensor + needed a re-fill of gas.

 

[Rich.T]

As sead.
Does the kit with something to vac the system before adding the gas?

 

[iammooks]

I haven't checked for codes for a few months now as I haven't got a Windows laptop anymore, but last I did (not more than six months ago) I didn't get any codes at all.

Everything seems to be working OK - the compressor kicks in, the fans work etc. but as it's something I've not paid much attention to over the past ten years or had serviced, there could well be something that's not doing what it should.

The kit is just for refilling the gas, so nothing for removing it first. Part of me is thinking I should just take it to an actual air conditioning servicing place so they can remove the old and put new in, and they can tell me if they have any issues refilling it.

It's a shame that it's part of the car that you can't go servicing yourself - no way do I want to be releasing any dodgy gases on the street. Well, other than the usual ones...

 

[smutts]

For more info than you need, yarchive.net has a whole load of stuff on air conditioning.
Bodger me would be weighing the gas by condensing it out into an empty blow lamp gas container using a bath of dry ice in methylated spirit. It should work, in theory, but the actuality might not be good.

 

[smutts]

Lots of physics going on. The big problem is that pressure is the same for correctly filled, as for nearly empty. Unless somebody has stuffed it full of another gas, like propane.
This is not regarded as a good thing.

 

[iammooks]

I'm starting to regret not having it serviced to be honest. If it's going to be this hot in France, I'm going to be in trouble and the girlfriend isn't going to be impressed.

Sent the refill kit back without any issues though.

Local garage quoted me £85 for a service, which seemed a lot, but it has been a while. Something to do when I get back.


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[Rich.T]

Cant you just ask a garage for a regas? Will be cheaper than that im sure. Will keep your missus happy too.

 

[Alexis27]

Hopefully it won't be the compressor and associated gubbins. £700 quote to fix my old LC, which my mum is currently melting in.

 

[Nam-uk]

last thing i did on the leon when i first got it after two years even though air con was working i had the system regassed as it tested the aircon system just for peace of mind , think it cost 65 quid in and out in an hour its not worth the faffing as it is pressured, I'd get a good garage todo it pronto as AC costs allot to fix when it breaks , i would not even use it till that's been done no matter how hot it is

 

[Nam-uk]

Hopefully it won't be the compressor and associated gubbins. £700 quote to fix my old LC, which my mum is currently melting in.

bet your mum is happy with you or do you drop bags of ice cubes lol, took mum today in leon to her brothers and shes a fan of AC lol

 

[Nam-uk]

Air-Conditioning Recharge with Optional Antibacterial Treatment at ATS Euromaster, Nationwide (Up to 39% Off)

Cars can have their air conditioning systems recharged and an optional antibacterial treatment provided at locations nationwide

www.groupon.co.uk

seen this deal on hotdeals other week will cost max
£45.99