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Car air con issues - HELP

Cliecost
Cliecost Posts: 633 Forumite
edited 1 August 2015 at 11:42AM in Motoring
Hi,

No idea if this is the right place to put this but to me 'all things cars' means it goes here.

I have an Astra (07) 1.3 The air con stopped working just before winter and today I got around taking it somewhere to be looked at.

They refilled the gas and oil and told me it had been at 0 for the oil which is the main reason it stopped working. Apparently the compressor notices when it has no lubricant and stops.

He told me that although the gas and oil are where they should be the air con won't kick in. He suggested it's because the sensors haven't yet registered the oil has been replaced and recommended I press the air con button a few times on the way home to try and kick start it.

He said this was odd because the compressor is engaging when the button is pressed and the light does come on, something he said doesn't happen if the compressor is broken.

I must have pressed the button 100+ times and still nothing is happening. I can hear the rev slightly increase and I can hear something in the engine turning on but no cold air!!!

I am at my wit's end!!!


Can anyone suggest anything that might help?


Thanks.
«1

Comments

  • facade
    facade Posts: 7,410 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Cliecost wrote: »

    He said this was odd because the compressor is engaging when the button is pressed and the light does come on, something he said doesn't happen if the compressor is broken.

    Take it to an air con specialist for diagnosis.

    If the compressor is running, it should work. As it seems not to, there are several things that could be wrong, e.g. blocked expansion valve.
    A specialist can diagnose this from the pressure readings when it is running.
    I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....

    (except air quality and Medical Science ;))
  • Cliecost
    Cliecost Posts: 633 Forumite
    facade wrote: »
    Take it to an air con specialist for diagnosis.

    If the compressor is running, it should work. As it seems not to, there are several things that could be wrong, e.g. blocked expansion valve.
    A specialist can diagnose this from the pressure readings when it is running.

    Is this the kind of thing where it'd be cheaper to buy another car?
  • Swipe
    Swipe Posts: 5,502 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Cliecost wrote: »
    Is this the kind of thing where it'd be cheaper to buy another car?

    If you don't want to waste money on it, no need to buy a new car, just wind down your window a little. If the engine revs change when you switch it on it suggests to me that the compressor is working so could well be a stuck valve as someone has suggested.
  • Cliecost
    Cliecost Posts: 633 Forumite
    edited 1 August 2015 at 12:39PM
    Swipe wrote: »
    If you don't want to waste money on it, no need to buy a new car, just wind down your window a little. If the engine revs drop when you switch it on it suggests to me that the compressor is working so could well be a stuck valve as someone has suggested.

    I've gotten on fine without it. It's not like we live in the med lol. It's just on long motorway journeys where it'd be appreciated.
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 33,847 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Cliecost wrote: »
    They refilled the gas and oil and told me it had been at 0 for the oil which is the main reason it stopped working. Apparently the compressor notices when it has no lubricant and stops.

    He told me that although the gas and oil are where they should be the air con won't kick in. He suggested it's because the sensors haven't yet registered the oil has been replaced and recommended I press the air con button a few times on the way home to try and kick start it.

    He said this was odd because the compressor is engaging when the button is pressed and the light does come on, something he said doesn't happen if the compressor is broken.
    I hope he didn't scratch the car with his spurs. Please tell us where you went as their is a fair chance he broke the law simply re-filling the system.
  • Really sounds like the guy you spoke to doesnt have a clue how AC actually works, and anything other than needing a regas is beyond his capability. Take it to a specialist or good independent
  • Cliecost
    Cliecost Posts: 633 Forumite
    molerat wrote: »
    I hope he didn't scratch the car with his spurs. Please tell us where you went as their is a fair chance he broke the law simply re-filling the system.
    Really sounds like the guy you spoke to doesnt have a clue how AC actually works, and anything other than needing a regas is beyond his capability. Take it to a specialist or good independent

    I went to ATS Euromaster. Do you think I should log a complaint against them for not checking this first?
  • facade
    facade Posts: 7,410 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Cliecost wrote: »
    I went to ATS Euromaster. Do you think I should log a complaint against them for not checking this first?


    He regassed it, like you asked and paid for.......
    The machine performs automated tests. You can't test an aircon system much, apart from leaks unless you fill it with gas.

    Don't they still have that deal where if it doesn't blow colder, you don't pay?

    Try taking it back and saying that it still doesn't work.

    They will probably give you your money back.

    Raising a complaint may get the same result, but it will be between gritted teeth, try the reasonable approach first: it usually gets you further.
    I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....

    (except air quality and Medical Science ;))
  • facade wrote: »
    He regassed it, like you asked and paid for.......
    The machine performs automated tests. You can't test an aircon system much, apart from leaks unless you fill it with gas.

    Don't they still have that deal where if it doesn't blow colder, you don't pay?

    Try taking it back and saying that it still doesn't work.

    They will probably give you your money back.

    Raising a complaint may get the same result, but it will be between gritted teeth, try the reasonable approach first: it usually gets you further.

    I agree with this. Tell them your AC is still inop after they gassed it and hopefully they will just refund you as the fast fit chains normally do, try to avoid lodging complaints if possible nobody wants to go down that route if it can easily be solved.

    The machine they use does an automatic leak test but as this is done under vacuum on a circuit that works under pressure it rarely detects a leak, especially a small one. Besides that point as he said there was already enough gas in the system a leak is not your problem, and will require diagnosing by somebody with a better understanding of your car and/or AC systems.
  • Cliecost
    Cliecost Posts: 633 Forumite
    facade wrote: »
    He regassed it, like you asked and paid for.......
    The machine performs automated tests. You can't test an aircon system much, apart from leaks unless you fill it with gas.

    Don't they still have that deal where if it doesn't blow colder, you don't pay?

    Try taking it back and saying that it still doesn't work.

    They will probably give you your money back.

    Raising a complaint may get the same result, but it will be between gritted teeth, try the reasonable approach first: it usually gets you further.
    I agree with this. Tell them your AC is still inop after they gassed it and hopefully they will just refund you as the fast fit chains normally do, try to avoid lodging complaints if possible nobody wants to go down that route if it can easily be solved.

    The machine they use does an automatic leak test but as this is done under vacuum on a circuit that works under pressure it rarely detects a leak, especially a small one. Besides that point as he said there was already enough gas in the system a leak is not your problem, and will require diagnosing by somebody with a better understanding of your car and/or AC systems.

    Like I say, they knew it didn't work when they gave it back to me.

    I guess I got what I paid for; re-gas and re-oil. It just that car is a piece of junk.

    It just feels like a waste of money.
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