^+1

@iphs. I'd be inclined to take your car to a reputable auto ac specialist so that the system can be totally checked over.
Halfords, Kwik Fit, ATS etc are ok ( if you must) for just a recharge but they won't fix or replace anything, they will simply evacuate the system, check the system holds vacuum for a short period and then recharge it. This is not always conclusive as regards leaks. You could end up losing refrigerant again in a short period of time. Better to have someone who knows what they are doing look at it and I don't mean a Main Dealer.

I understand what you are saying. However the car is 11 years old, i don't know if its ever been re-gassed. I have only had it a week so i ghog.etting to grips with it. When I tested the air con on a test drive it seemed to work but it was a fecking cold day.

ATS will flush it and re-gas for £33, I think I will go that route first and see if it works before going the whole hog.

But I do appreciate all of the advice.

Cheers

Ian

iphs wrote:

I understand what you are saying. However the car is 11 years old, i don't know if its ever been re-gassed. I have only had it a week so i ghog.etting to grips with it. When I tested the air con on a test drive it seemed to work but it was a fecking cold day.

ATS will flush it and re-gas for £33, I think I will go that route first and see if it works before going the whole hog.

But I do appreciate all of the advice.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks for the thumbs up Gazellio @ Prestige Cars.

That gives me a lot more confidence.

After that amount of time the gas could have indeed very slowly passed the seals (that have become more brittle over time anyway). So a re-gas for 33 GBP is not a bad strategy and if it then is going low after a short period of time, go for the full monty.

On my 4.2 SC the gas went, replaced the complete system (going on the advice of the AC specialist in Nigeria !!) and a year later it needed regassing. So I just had it re-gassed every year. Obviously there is a leak but no "specialist" is touching it again over there (well it is up for sale with a recently filled system anyway).

If the AC is not being used for long periods of time (mine was stationary for 2 years), the seals are not lubricated by the refrigerant and the oil they put in. This makes the seals brittle and cause them to leak. But after 10 years of sevice, with a hot engine close by, seals will also become brittle.

Good luck ! MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

soon after I bought mine, I had a kwik-fit regas, and it leaked out, in about a month. left it alone for a while. I then spent some more dough calling in a mobile air specialist. he dyed it, sniffed it, gassed it, and his gas went the same way. I then thought I should just change the condenser and the pump. so I searched ebay and got a new condenser for £90 and a secondhand pump from a v8 bmw x5, for just £35. -a flook! -I could have bought a new pump for about £250 I changed then both. whilst changing my water pump. it looked like my air pump had oil and grease from leaks, down the left hand side, so was probably the culprit. another kwik-fit pump up and its good for about 6 months now!

Gazellio @ Prestige Cars wrote:

I have re-gassed three Range Rovers at the Halfords Auto Centre and from warm air to perfect VERY COLD aircon working brilliant. My car was done 6 month ago and is still ICE COLD so there were no leaks. Older cars simply run out of gas...

Actually, this is not true, Gaz.

An auto AC is more or less the same thing as a refrigerator - only it runs in a much harsher environment (vibration, temp, road salt on aluminum parts, etc). Refrigerators run for 30+ (or even much longer) years w/o issues. Car ACs should do the same - unless they leak.

I was involved in the installation and service of auto ACs for 6 years - a leak as slow as you describe (6+ months) is the absolute exception. 90% of all non-working ACs due to refrigerant loss will not hold refrigerant after a re-gas more than a week or 2 at best. And as such, a re-gas w/o a very thorough leak check is a waste of money and taxes the environment unnecessarily (even R134a depletes the ozone layer) in 90% of all cases. And many cheapo Kwik-whatever places make money by duping customers with 're-gas' special offers. Especially because finding a small leak can be a real challenge (= very time consuming).

I'd take the car to a specialist who knows what he is doing. In the long run its better for your wallet and the environment. 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

OK I have been lucky then because mine has remained Freezing for months now.

Its also worth saying that Halfords Autocemtres are kitted out with the very latest equiptment and the mechanics seem very well trained.

Their service included a thorough check of the system and they can also do a bacterial clean at the same time as the service/re-gass.

Our extensive service includes a refrigerant recharge and replacement of lubricating oil, plus a comprehensive system components check. Don't put up with nasty smells in your car air conditioning. Those unpleasant odours are caused by bacteria which build up over time in the air con system and vents and circulate around your car.
Book an antibacterial air conditioning clean at your nearest Halfords Autocentre. This powerful deep clean eradicates 99% of bacteria and leaves your air con smelling fresh.
Our air conditioning cleaning service can also be beneficial for those with breathing difficulties.

As I said used them three times and the service is great and the garage spotless.

Last edited by Gazellio @ Prestige Cars on 19th May 2014 7:47am. Edited 1 time in total

^+1 @ Steve:thumbsup:

The reason domestic refrigerators last a long time without losing gas is the fact that the compressor is of the hermetic type ie it is contained within the refrigerant circuit and as such doesn't have seals that can leak refrigerant to outside.
This is in contrast to the compressors used in auto ac where the compressor is external to the refrigerant circuit and is connected to it by pipes which are jointed by o rings.
Contrary to popular myth modern synthetic o rings do not become brittle with use and age and do not in fact leak refrigerant as the original rubber o rings used to.
Any refrigerant leak is generally down to corrosion / mechanical damage to components.
My last car, a Discovery, which I had for 16 years never had the refrigerant recharged and could still produce air at 5C with an external air temperature of 26C.
If your car looses refrigerant you have a leak, it may be small and only cause a problem over a number of years but you still have a leak.
The idea put about by some that you should expect to have your system checked and recharged every year is complete nonsense.

leaks are normally caused by a damaged condenser because it sits right at the front of the engine bay and is prone to stone damage.
also i believe that kwik-fit and ats will refund your money if their ac charge doesnt hold.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

If it is the condenser which goes what sort of money should i be looking at to replace it ?

I have just put a call in to Guava who came back with £700 inclusive which is more than I had hoped for. Is it an 'easy' DIY ?

I think I will opt for a visit to ATS in the first instance but acording to the paperwork mine had a re-gas not long before I bought it so I am guessing they may confirm there is a leak

i'm not that mechanically minded but i replaced mine on my old td6 and it took about 4'ish hours ..cost of condenser was around £170 of ebay... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Had the RR in for re-gas, didn't work. Got a major leak they say. No time for them to look at it today and no charge for the test.

Got home and decided to take a look for the leak myself. After a load of faffing about with engine covers and belly pan, this is what I have found.

Looking down into the engine bay, the sheared pipework runs from the bottom of the pic. About centre is the remains of the other end of the pipe.

Sounds like you have definitely found a major leak.

Good luck with the fix and re-gas, fingers crossed that's all that's wrong.