"Aircon needs regassing" - what if we leave it for a bit?

AdrianC

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

I'd also love to know the answer ti this.

Presumably, by measuring the gas pressure at the filling ports in the lines.

Is the aircon working?

If it is it's fine.

So it's "fine", right up until the time it ceases to work because there's insufficient. Does the same apply to coolant and oil?

Stoke

harveybobbles wrote: »

How?

By having the a/c on all the time:

I never have to buy cloths to wipe my inside windows.

My a/c system works fully and has never let me down or needed any parts in 9 years.


there is probably more drag caused by having the sunroof/windows open.

My car doesn't have air con and I've NEVER needed a cloth to wipe the inside of my window. It's called a bloody demister, most cars made in the last 30 years have them.

Your A/C works, great. Using them permanently is wasteful as the compressor requires more fuel to run, simple. Doesn't take a genius to understand.

Regarding the windows/sunroof, mythbusters did a comparison and at about 30-40mph, windows and sunroofs use less fuel. Any faster, and you should switch to air con.

That doesn't mean you need to use it constantly, like in the winter. Stop !!!!ing away fuel unnecessarily. The savings you make in economy will fix anything in the unlikely event your a/c breaks due to not being used. :wall:

Quentin

But have you compared the price of window wiping cloths cloths with the price to use your demister?

Makes you think!

A single cloth should last a lifetime and more if you look after it.

cajef

Stoke wrote: »

Your A/C works, great. Using them permanently is wasteful as the compressor requires more fuel to run, simple. Doesn't take a genius to understand.

That doesn't mean you need to use it constantly, like in the winter. Stop !!!!ing away fuel unnecessarily. The savings you make in economy will fix anything in the unlikely event your a/c breaks due to not being used. :wall:

All that rant from someone that does not understand how aircon works

Stoke wrote: »

I don't think you can damage anything?

The belt that drives the aircon is already being used by other components in the engine, the aircon pump only works intermittently when the clutch kicks in, the fuel wasted is minimal compared to other things that contribute to fuel usage such as driving style etc.

cajef

EdGasket wrote: »

You are an idiot, Sir.

Pot - Kettle springs to mind.:p

pinkteapot

deanos wrote: »

how did they know it was low ? did they hook it up to a machine ?

God knows. It was ATS. The car was hardly in there for any time. I'm always sceptical of these vehicle health checks. Like I said, touting for business.

That being said, the car is four years old now and we've had it from one year old. We've never had the aircon regassed so maybe it is overdue. Then again, had my last car for five years without regassing the aircon - hadn't heard of it until now...

We do run the aircon regularly - even if just 15 mins once a week over winter.

The car in question is a Ford so we have the magic electric front windscreen heater. Who needs any other demist ability?

AdrianC

pinkteapot wrote: »

The car in question is a Ford so we have the magic electric front windscreen heater. Who needs any other demist ability?

Mmm. Because feeding 100A of electricity doesn't consume any extra fuel...

cajef

pinkteapot wrote: »

That being said, the car is four years old now and we've had it from one year old. We've never had the aircon regassed so maybe it is overdue.

If it is run regularly it should not need re-gassing unless it is only blowing cool and not cold at minimum setting or it stops working, my last car only required work on the aircon when it was seven years old due to a stone through the condenser, which I had to replace and then re-gas the system.

pinkteapot

AdrianC wrote: »

Mmm. Because feeding 100A of electricity doesn't consume any extra fuel...

That's OK - I keep maxing out the Tesco Clubcard fuel deal thingy so we're getting 20p/litre off every time. I can afford to p*** away some fuel. Might start taking baths in the stuff.

cajef wrote: »

If it is run regularly it should not need re-gassing unless it is only blowing cool and not cold at minimum setting or it stops working, my last car only required work on the aircon when it was seven years old due to a stone through the condenser, which I had to replace and then re-gas the system.

It does still blow very cold, and not noticed any changes with it.

Ah well, we'll sort it out after our break.

Re my first post - I didn't mean that we definitely wouldn't use in the Lakes. Just that if it stops working while up there it probably won't be the end of the world.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

Aircon systems aren't expected to need regassing on a regular basis. They should not leak so some of the issue is about whether the gas stuff has degraded so it doesn't work.

On Mercs the aircon is expected to be on all the time, the warning light is for when aircon is off! Below 4c it doesn't run because the air at that temperature does not contain any water, so there is nothing to de-humidify. Basically they cool the air so the water drops out and then use the heater to re-warm the air into the cabin.

Most people don't seem to understand how to manage ventilation to keep windows clear (and it can be quite difficult on some cars) and aircon makes it trivial - I think that is quite a big safety bonus.

I think that if the aircon is able to cool the car nicely (except in winter!) then don't worry about it. I'd say that the aircon regas is one of those unnecessary services that garages try and encourage you to have.

I'd expect your service handbook will mention when or if the aircon needs maintenance.