Air Con

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Soldato
Joined
6 Mar 2008
Posts
8,801
Location
Leicestershire
Hi,

Got a 2008 Mondeo 2.0 and the air conditioning, although working, isn't getting ice cold anymore so needs a refill I think... is this easy enough to do myself? I bought the car in August last year and have no idea when it was last regassed.

If not who's best to take it to to get it regassed? ATS?
 
I know Kwik Fit are not the best of people, however they can't really go wrong with the machine, just plug it in and it does everything itself. Generally £49 for an aircon regas.
 
I got my - car - air con re-gassed by a Scania truck dealer for £20 last week!

Admittedly I'd mentioned it needed doing whilst dropping a truck into service, the fitter did it effectively for a drink...

When my iffy "hedgehog / fsr" is behaving(!) the air is bloody freezing now!! :)

Just make sure they check the system for leaks properly, most places have a guaranteed improvement or your money back deal going (not, I'm sure, in my case though!)
 
Last edited:
Django x2 said:
Err, yes it is, but its better left to someone who has no clue, but does have the actual automated equipment....
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The only people allowed to do it are fully trained to do so. Ok sure you will get the odd person not so good, but generally you wont have an issue.
 
Mines booked in at kwikfit for saturday 49 if it doesn't work u don't pay :) Mine may not work yet we shall see.

Id advise them if your unsure if it may be broken also.
 
Also they add a £10 refundable deposit.

Try local firms which specialise in vehicle A/C, as they should do a proper pressure test with OFN to test system integrity, chances are there might be a hole in the condenser, my parents Vectra appears to have this.
 
If it's gotten warmer over time then it has a leak and getting it re-filled is a waste of money, you need to find where the leak is and get it sorted.

Air-con can get very expensive, over here it is a necessity so I had to get mine fixed in the truck.
 
nitr0uk said:
I know Kwik Fit are not the best of people, however they can't really go wrong with the machine, just plug it in and it does everything itself. Generally £49 for an aircon regas.
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Oh yes they can.

It's fine if your aircon is just a bit low on gas. I had a faulty compressor. An aircon specialist would have checked it. Kwik fit just plugged my old Octavia into their machine and left it running. After some time they just told me it hadn't worked. Then the grinding noises started, as the aircon compressor clutch proceded to lunch itself shortly afterwards.
 
nitr0uk said:
I know Kwik Fit are not the best of people, however they can't really go wrong with the machine, just plug it in and it does everything itself. Generally £49 for an aircon regas.
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Plenty of ways Kwik Fit can get it wrong. Miss identifying the car and putting the wrong amount of gas in for starters or not extracting all the gas correctly (sometimes too lazy to use both the high and low pressure tappings) and so refill with too much gas again.

They also won't perform any post fill tests (such as monitoring the length of time it takes for the system to pressurise which can indicate potential faults with the compressor) and the temperature drop check is frequently carried out with different settings to the aircon, such as switching to LO when doing the post fill check.
 
Take it wherever is cheapest. Also make sure you use it often to keep it running well (used to leave mine on all the time before changing to a car with climate control).
 
acemastr said:
If it's gotten warmer over time then it has a leak and getting it re-filled is a waste of money, you need to find where the leak is and get it sorted.
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All aircon systems will gradually lose gas and eventually require re-gassing because seals are simply not perfect. This doesn't mean there is a gaping hole in the system.
 
I'd not use Kwik fit, for anything. Some good workers there but its pot luck and its possible to muck up your cars system if its not done properly.

I have always run my air con all the time, was told a long time ago that its much better for the system and will prolong its life, the hit on fuel economy being very little. My girlfriend was recently told that you should only use it when needed or it will run out by a friend "in the know" Still trying to convince her i'm right!
 
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