air con re gassing

[davidlandy]

The air con on my wifes car is not quite as cold as it should be so i think it needs regassing.  its a '52 plate audi a4 diesel.

is this a diy job , if so how do i do it , or dealer?

anybody know?

[TimM]

If your sure it just needs new gas then there is a DIY kit from Halfrauds.

I bought the 'kit' for about £25, and then gas is about £15 a tin.

You can do it as a 'one-off' for less money by buying a combined kit, but if you do it 'my way' then if you need it again yu save as you only need to get more gas  

Or get it done professionally for probably not much more  :?:

[davidlandy]

is the kit effective?

[TimM]

It built the gas pressure up in mine no problem at all, so yes.

But in mine, when the compresser kiks in, the pressure drops back to not a lot, so I've got more investigation work to do, must have bashed/cracked something off-road I suspect  :roll:

Assuming your car's system is OK then it will work fine, but just ask yourself WHY it needs regassing? Is it leaking?

If you do get a kit make sure you use the LOW pressure valve  

[davidlandy]

the bit about leaking has crossed my mind - was going to regass then see how long it lasts then determine whether to do anything more.

thanks for your help so far Tim

[Moneypit]

Took mine to an independant Aircon Specialist, after taking it to a garage to get regassed first and then told I had a leak.

He was able to confirm that I did have a leak, tighten the bits that should be tightened and then put some UV dye in the system to find it.

He then told me the part that needed to be replaced, I sourced it and he fitted and regassed.

Aircon now working.

Cost for a regas was £50.

He warned about the Halfords kit as it might not put the correct amount of oil in the system, I haven't looked at it so can't comment.

Quite a lot of garages around me were offering Aircon Health checks for £30 so that could be an option if you think you have a leak.

[V8MoneyPit]

I understand that the system seals 'dry out' when not used in the winter. Proper re-gasing will include a full system purge, then refill with coolant and a seal oil to revitalise the seals.

The cheap DIY ones simply pump more coolant gas into the system. A false economy if you ask me.

The best way to make your air con last longer is to never switch it off. The cost of extra fuel used in running it through the winter is far less than the extra servicing it needs when the seals harden and leak through lack of use. This advice was given to me by someone in the trade.

[jjsaul]

picked up a business card from a bloke i keep seeing in our local LPG garage (gassed V8 disco!)

Beechcool
Airconditioning Mobile Re Gassing Service
01902 564484
07743 983605

He is Wolverhampton, West Mids, dunno how far he will travel....

[vtrdaz]

I'm almost sure Lucas do free aircon checks - might be worth a trip/call?

[beast5680]

here,s a neat little site with som FAQ,s on aircon
http://www.airconditioningforcars.co.uk/ACpage01.htm

[corrosiverob]

Hi all,

I re-gas cars for a living, i am based in west yorkshire and offer a full mobile service.

I also have a 350psi leak checker to find any problems on your system.

The cost for a regas is £50.00 which includes a pressure test (vaccum).

Drop me a Pm if you are interested

[winchman]

My mate from Liverpool (he is on here but I wont expose him) he is a fridge engineer and will do re gassing in the merseyside area.
The problem is regassing is easy its fixing the leak that often involves taking the car to bits.

[spy]

I can do regassing in st helens, merseyside.  Ã‚£50 including vacum and pressure test, UV dye and oil.

I have used the kits in the past and found them to be false economy.  The advice above about leaving on permenant is correct. The cost of fuel is minimal with modern aircon systems anyway.  

You dont have to have a leak to require gas.  As the compressor is fitted to the engine and the rest of the system is mounted to the cars structure there has to be a flexi hose.  This rubber is porous to an extent anyway.  it shouldnt pour out but if it loses the gas to the point it wont work over a few years then there is probably nothing wrong with it.  

Your a bit far away from here though!