Glad I had my aircon regassed

[gavin]

Had my 3200 aircon drained, cleaned and re-gassed at my local garage this morning. Icy cold now. Very happy as it was just too hot to drive yesterday!

 

[mjheathcote]

The worry with regassing, is why it needs regassing, is there a leak?
Fortunately with all the cars I have had with AC I have never had to regas. From new to around 5 years old. I never switch off the AC, summer or winter.
I will have to see how I get on with my 4200, it's the first car with AC that is older than 5 years old, okay so far regarding the AC.

 

[gavin]

This is the work they did:

Carried out a air condition service. Vacuum out old refrigerant, tested system for leakage, refilled with correct pressure, cleaned disinfected air system, for the elimination of microbes and bacteria, drained and refilled system with correct oil, checked operation.

All for £67 incl VAT. A little over an hour it took.

Not bad but only time will tell.

 

[conaero]

Its good value for money. I use KwikFit, a place I would normally give a wide birth, but they have done a very good job and put in leak dye, and have the very latest machine.

All for £50, cant argue, but as ever with KwikFit, always hover round the business end whilst they are doing it.....just to be on the safe side.

Tried the cans, they do work, but if there is an issue, you can spend nearly as much as getting it gassed properly, so my advice is dont bother with the cans.

Gav, we seeing you at Ace Cafe a week Thursday?

 

[Andyk]

I use my local Forza West...£25....

 

[gavin]

Ace Cafe? probably as I have never been there. Cant promise but will try.

Seems air con servicing prices vary widely. Maybe I paid too much.

 

[gavin]

Aircon condensor shot, can anyone recommend where I can get one please?

 

[conaero]

I would try ebay, you can bet your bottom dollar its the same as something else, probably an Alfa 156/GTV/147

The aircon in the GTV and 156 are rubbish, the 147/GT though, like an Alpine gale!

 

[conaero]

Does this help:

Most seem to be produced by a company called: http://www.nissens.com

CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

 

[dunnah01]

Probably not a huge amount of help but it's this shape with connectors as shown

 

[Andyk]

Ace Cafe? probably as I have never been there. Cant promise but will try.

Seems air con servicing prices vary widely. Maybe I paid too much.

Gavin, it all depends where you live I suppose...I live out in the sticks you are closer to London prices.

 

[gavin]

aircon leak - fixed

Thank you for your helps guys.

While the car was at the garage on the ramp (having had new lamnda sensors, oil changed etc) I arranged for a mobile aircon repair specialist to come over (within the hour he arrived, quick!) and he spent a couple of hours fixing it. It had a leak coming from an o-ring area. Anyway, looks like it did the trick and now buys me plenty of time to get a new unit perhaps in time for next summer though it may last a few years anyhow

 

[conaero]

What was it in the end, a split pipe or a bad joint. If a split pipe, how did he repair it?

Glad it's all working now, just intime for winter ;-)

 

[mjheathcote]

Looks like the set screw holding the flange in place had rotted/sheared or the tapped hole in the aluminium failed. Would imagine possibly corrosion between the aluminium and a poor quality mild steel set screw.
I guess they will have tapped out or helicoiled the hole, new set screw and O ring, job done.