Porsche air con £200!

Raymond Lin · 1 Jun 2020 at 21:35

I wouldn't trust Kwik Fit, or at least my local one. I noticed my C30's air con has been crap, barely gets cold so I took it there to check, they bleed the system dry and said it failed the pressure test. They told me to get that fixed at Volvo before filling it with gas again.

I then took it to my local Volvo specialist and they couldn't find any faults in their pressure test (dye etc) besides the complete lack of gas in the system. So they just filled it back up for about £40 and that's that.

Psycho Sonny · 2 Jun 2020 at 21:23

i'm sure i've seen youtube videos on how to fill it up yourself. it's pretty easy and the kits probably cost £30 or something. you attach a canister to the valve and depress it. much like a deodorant can.

Maccy · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:13

Psycho Sonny said:
i'm sure i've seen youtube videos on how to fill it up yourself. it's pretty easy and the kits probably cost £30 or something. you attach a canister to the valve and depress it. much like a deodorant can.

Yes, because your typical Porsche owner will be doing that...

bobuk · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:38

Take it to Kwick fit I'm sure they're do a "good job"

Psycho Sonny · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:42

Maccy said:
Yes, because your typical Porsche owner will be doing that...

It's a gas top up not an engine rebuild.

Do they not top up their tyre pressure either?

Both are similar in technicality.

Maccy · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:46

Psycho Sonny said:
It's a gas top up not an engine rebuild.

Do they not top up their tyre pressure either?

Both are similar in technicality.

No they're not similar, suggest you stop posting on this matter.

OldKitMan · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:54

It's not difficult to top up your AC but the cost of buying the gas, connector and possibly an extender cable might not make it worth your while. Probably worth finding an AC specialist in the area and go to them.

vanpeebles · 3 Jun 2020 at 09:57

DIY kits are a waste of time, any leaks will need to be fixed, then the air removed before the proper stuff can be put in.

jpaul · 3 Jun 2020 at 10:08

you'd obviously go back to kwik fit if they mis-diagnosed lilke Ray discussed,
Halfords's don't give you a price unless you give them your inside leg measurement, but I'm intrigued what a re-gas with the new type typically costs ..
guessing Ray's was the old type, mine similarly was less than £50 5 years ago, I now use it/a/c regularly to make sure oils are distributed to seals.

googling halfords threw up these folks https://www.whocanfixmycar.com/services/aircon-regas.
a recharge should be a commodity product if the machine is regularly tested ?

andy_mk3 · 3 Jun 2020 at 10:11

An aircon service is generally a regas plus a cabin filter and anti-bacteria spray. Still steep but the price of an aircon regas is generally a lot higher than it used to be.

jpaul · 3 Jun 2020 at 10:22

- down to handling aspects of newer gas from Kenais post.

hugobosslives · 3 Jun 2020 at 11:41

vanpeebles said:
DIY kits are a waste of time, any leaks will need to be fixed, then the air removed before the proper stuff can be put in.

If you have a leak I agree. Not a DIY task I'd recommend.

But if you are simply re-gasing a system that (as all systems do) very slowly loses pressure over a period of years (let's say 2-6 as the average good condition car does) then it's very much a DIY task I'd recommend. Last time around (recently) it cost me £13 for the gas. (Yes the first time you do it, you need to double that for the connector/valve/gauge too)

More generally the stance on this thread seems to be expensive car = no DIY work. Just because a car was expensive new doesn't mean you can't do more than refill a tire. Some people find working on cars half the fun/pride owning of them.

Psycho Sonny · 3 Jun 2020 at 12:18

hugobosslives said:
If you have a leak I agree. Not a DIY task I'd recommend.

But if you are simply re-gasing a system that (as all systems do) very slowly loses pressure over a period of years (let's say 2-6 as the average good condition car does) then it's very much a DIY task I'd recommend. Last time around (recently) it cost me £13 for the gas. (Yes the first time you do it, you need to double that for the connector/valve/gauge too)

More generally the stance on this thread seems to be expensive car = no DIY work. Just because a car was expensive new doesn't mean you can't do more than refill a tire. Some people find working on cars half the fun/pride owning of them.

+1

vanpeebles · 3 Jun 2020 at 13:26

I bet it doesn't cool well or last compared to a proper job with the right gas and machine. That's the only job I wouldn't do at home.

jpaul · 3 Jun 2020 at 13:56

yes - and in the OP's context of an extended warranty, you would have to present your A/C maintenance credentials, to the dealer, if the system then 'broke',
would/could your DIY be invisible to a dealer.

rhysduck · 3 Jun 2020 at 14:00

Surely if the OP has extended warranty and the system is leaking then that is a fault... which will be covered under warranty. Surely?

naefeart · 3 Jun 2020 at 14:45

I'd just pay the money. The car is with them now, you can get it done pick up the car and forget the issue. If anything amiss come later, they will sort it foc.

£200 isnt much by porsche standards, yes it may seem expensive compared to QF or some backstreet garage, but who would you rather carry out the work? Besides, vif the car is in for a service, another £200 for a regas and peace of mind seems OK.

My Cayman goes in for an mot next month. I'm happy for them to re-gas mine if it means I can have 3years + without thinking about it.

snapdragon69 · 3 Jun 2020 at 16:23

rhysduck said:
Surely if the OP has extended warranty and the system is leaking then that is a fault... which will be covered under warranty. Surely?

Depends why, usually it's a stone hit the condenser and so classed as road hazard.

Most DIY refill kits are just LPG (BBQ gas) not R134a. They will say something on the can like : A special hydrocarbon blend for R134a Systems.
They will work and far less LPG is required than real R134a but imagine if it leaked (and it probably is leaking) in a garage built into a house and mixed with the air and exploded.
They should be illegal.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aircon-Conditioning-Recharge-Refill-Regas/dp/B00JVVUSAG/
see photo

ezekial · 3 Jun 2020 at 17:59

snapdragon69 said:
Depends why, usually it's a stone hit the condenser and so classed as road hazard.

Most DIY refill kits are just LPG (BBQ gas) not R134a. They will say something on the can like : A special hydrocarbon blend for R134a Systems.
They will work and far less LPG is required than real R134a but imagine if it leaked (and it probably is leaking) in a garage built into a house and mixed with the air and exploded.
They should be illegal.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aircon-Conditioning-Recharge-Refill-Regas/dp/B00JVVUSAG/
see photo

This, definitely get the system evacuated and refilled properly

Psycho Sonny · 3 Jun 2020 at 20:05

rhysduck said:
Surely if the OP has extended warranty and the system is leaking then that is a fault... which will be covered under warranty. Surely?

air con is usually a consumable or a part which isn't covered like the exhaust.