Kwik Fit for air conditioning recharge?

baza52

PasturesNew wrote: »

Is it worth the cost for the 3 days/year it's a bit hot?

I've got another system in my car, it's called: windows that open.

My Aircon is on all year round. It does more than just cool

shaun_from_Africa

A couple of months ago, I took a car (Volvo) into a dealership as the aircon wasn't working due to a leak.
To find the leak they put in some refrigerant that contained a fluorescent dye then ran the engine for a couple of minutes and simply looked in the engine compartment using a blacklight.
It was only a tiny leak but it was found almost instantly.

I fully expected them to do the job using soapy water, they method I've used for finding airleaks for years.

molerat

forgotmyname wrote: »

They connect it to a machine and some struggle with that simple task. Do they know exactly which port it should be connected to?

They vacuum test a system that works under pressure not in a vacuum.

Think of it as sucking a baloon before inflating it to see if it leaks. It should be pressurised with an inert gas before filling to test for leaks not a vacuum test.

This. A system needs to be tested under its normal operating pressure. As many air con leaks are from dried out seals sucking them in may well fix the leak temporarily.

neilmcl

baza52 wrote: »

My Aircon is on all year round. It does more than just cool

It's all their in the name - air conditioning

A lot of people just don't get it.

Ectophile

PasturesNew wrote: »

Is it worth the cost for the 3 days/year it's a bit hot?

I've got another system in my car, it's called: windows that open.

Yes.

I've been stuck in slow moving traffic, on the M25, on a hot day, in a car with broken aircon. It's pretty grim. You can open the windows and let in all the traffic noise and fumes, or close the windows and cook.

I'd much rather have been in the other car with working aircon and feeling cool and relaxed.

Back to the original thread, my only experience was when I took the latter car to Kwik-Fit to have the aircon looked at. They stuck a thermometer in the air vent, and after a few minutes told me that there was nothing wrong with it and sent me on my way.

JustAnotherSaver

Regards the window argument, i'll cap that one real quick - i've had a car without air conditioning before. It's not as good. End of argument.

The thing is with my wifes car - the air conditioning actually works. We've owned it 12 months. I've no idea when it was last regassed. I know you're supposed to have them serviced every 2 years or something like but we've no idea when this system was last looked at at all.



Many years ago i took my own car to Kwik Fit. They couldn't do it because they said there was a leak on the system. Can't really break an already broken system.

My concern is that my wifes A/C system works at present. We don't want to be coming away with a system that doesn't work.

JustAnotherSaver

Fat_Walt wrote: »

If it works then why are you even considering taking it to kwikfit?

If your car works then why do you even bother with an oil change?



I was advised by the place i go to usually to have it serviced, regassed, whatever you wish to call it, every 2 years. I'm fairly certain that was the timeframe given.

motorguy

PasturesNew wrote: »

Is it worth the cost for the 3 days/year it's a bit hot?

I've got another system in my car, it's called: windows that open.

Where do you live - Aberdeen?

For the rest of us in mainstream UK for a good percentage of the summer months the temperature outside the car is higher than the temperature you would want on the inside of the car.

And likewise in the winter you benefit from the air con removing the condensation from the inside of the car and keeping the windows clean.

Windows open let in warm air during the summer, along with bugs and fumes.

motorguy

Fat_Walt wrote: »

They should do a full check of the system before re gassing.

Who says? Its an air con regas for £49, not a full diagnostic fault check.

molerat

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

If your car works then why do you even bother with an oil change?



I was advised by the place i go to usually to have it serviced, regassed, whatever you wish to call it, every 2 years. I'm fairly certain that was the timeframe given.

My last car did not have the ac "serviced" in the 10 years I owned it and it still froze my fingers when I put them close to the vents

Do you have your fridge and freezer serviced every 2 years ?