My AC doesn’t appear to be working (2003 Vogue 4.4). Allegedly the system was re-gassed a month ago.

Are there any ways to test the compressor, and where does it live?

Or is it a trip to the specialist?

Cheers Chaps

I had mine regassed a couple of weeks ago. It a slam panel label saying it had last been done in 2007. My chap said there was no refridgerant in the system but he refilled it with the UV dye in the refridgerant. Didn't work first time so he drained it and refilled it and got the car down to 5.8 degree C. Which is fine for me.

Only cost £59 and he came out to me.

McSwerve wrote:

Allegedly the system was re-gassed a month ago.

I had my P38 regassed by kwikfit, they sucked all the gas out but didnt put any back in, I only noticed because I looked on the print out. They even had the cheek to say the system was cooler than before.

So get it done by a garage you trust before you start worrying unduly.

Dan 

Does the electric fan work?

I had mine re gassed and it worked for about a week then no cold air.

Re gassed again with dye and again only worked for a week and no sign of the dye leaking.

After about five re gasses turned out ot be the pipes at the front of the car.

New pipes and labour over £400 now works.

Ian

With the recent good weather have been driving the soft tops, but was in the FFRR a couple of days ago when it was hot and no air-con. So took advice (from here) to head down to Kwikfit.

45 minutes later (and only 5kg taken out and 510kg put in !!!! ) I had air-con again. The car needed to start and stop (ignition) a few times to get the blowers working properly but all is good now. £49 seems reasonable value.

Some advice though - stand outside the car with engine running and get someone else to turn on the air-con (Snowflake?) You should hear the magnetic clutch on the compressor activate. This tells you that everything appears to be working OK.

And check the air-con is working / much cooler before you hand over the money - Kwikfit offer a no charge deal if it doesn't get any colder (by 10 degrees at least) .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

5kg out, 510kg in , that's one gigantic air-con system you've had installed!!  Steve

Main car : FFRR L405 Vogue SDV8
Other car : Vauxhall Lotus Carlton
Past cars : FFRR L322 Vogue TD6 SE (Sept 2006 MY07) ; LandCruiser SWB ; 4-Runner ; Supras; XJS V12 LeMans

RRVSE wrote:

5kg out, 510kg in , that's one gigantic air-con system you've had installed!!

That's what the Kwikfit man told me and I saw it on the readouts, whatever, it works now  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Can someone pleease tell me if the electric fan spins when compressor engages? Mine has been replaced and still doesn't turn...

Which electric fan? I've not looked specifically at the FFRR yet (as my aircon would still freeze the balls off a brass monkey).

However, generally the compressor, driven from the alternator belt kicks in when an electrical clutch engages. This clutch does not engage though if your refrigerant drains or drops to below a preset pressure.

Hope this helps.

I'll have to take a closer look at the LM's electrics, but generally there are 2 switches on the high pressure lines of an AC (well 3 actually): low/high for the compressor and a somewhat-less-than-high-high switch for the fan (condenser fan all the way in front). Generally, the low / high is somewhere in the vicinity of 2 bar / 30 bar (the compressor will only switch on in between) and 18-25 bar for the electric fan.

Adara, you'll have to wait for a very hot day and traffic (fans only help below ~35mph - if you're going faster, there is enough air to cool the condenser) 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

Joe90 wrote:

RRVSE wrote:

5kg out, 510kg in , that's one gigantic air-con system you've had installed!!

That's what the Kwikfit man told me and I saw it on the readouts, whatever, it works now

It's just I have never seen that electric fan spinning, ever! The viscous one does a lot when it's hot but never the electric (the one in front of the radiator) one...

GKP wrote:

Joe90 wrote:

RRVSE wrote:

5kg out, 510kg in , that's one gigantic air-con system you've had installed!!

That's what the Kwikfit man told me and I saw it on the readouts, whatever, it works now

There's no way you've had over half a tonne of gas added to your system.

So what did the readout mean? .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999