Kwik Fit Aircon Problem

Jay_t

Jay_t

Jay_t

Associate
Joined
19 May 2005
Posts
734
Location
The Lake District
Hi,

I bought a Clio DCI 80 recently and used one of Halfrauds DIY aircon regas kits that came with a pressure gauge. This reduced the air temp loads, but made funny noises from the compressor and its clutch seemed to be engaging and disengaging about every 5 seconds. I then took the car to Kwik Fit to get the aircon done properly with their machine. The aircon system makes no funny noises but is not nearly as cold as it was. It was 7.5 degrees before the kwik fit regas and 17.5 degrees after!

I now find out that I should not have been charged for this as they guarantee that it should be 10% cooler or no charge. Is anyone aware of what might have happened to my aircon system?

Jamie
 
I was trying to get to about 35 PSI and according to the gauge I never got that far. (although i used most of a can)

Strangely though, kwik fit's machine added slightly more gas than it removed.:confused:
 
Odd, did you follow the guide (Run the AC for a few mins on its coldest setting) look at the pressure in the system and add gas to the low pressure line (thickest pipe).

With the engine off the high and low pressure side of the system should be the same iirc, about 60 - 90psi.
 
Thanks for your help.

I ran the a/c with engine on for a few minutes before starting and found the pressure on the low side to be about 21 PSI. My gauge only had a connection for the low side. I then started adding the gas moving the can about as per the instructions. The pressure gauge never really moved up past about 30 PSI and I had practically added the full can. Then the compressor started engaging/disengaging quite rapidly and the car shuddered slightly each time. It was lovely and cold but didn't sound right.

I'm sure what to do now. I've spent £40 on the halfords can and £44 at kwik fit and the a/c is warmer than when I started.:confused:
 
I'd have a flick through google, you need to know the system pressure and how much gas (Grams) need adding to the system, might be worth phoning the renault dealer and asking them, then stick your pressure gauge back on and see what PSI the system is at now.

Sounds like the Compressor was reaching its high psi trip and turning off and on to prevent the system from going bang!
 
That's the temp of the air coming out of the system, not the temp in the car itself.
Click to expand...

Incorrect - vent temps are typically between 2c and 6c in any good condition air con system.

My Scorp has vent temps of 3c when I set it to LOW for example. At that temp, you can here the compressor flicking on and off as the de-ice switch kicks in and out.

Don't confuse cabin temps with vent temps - let me explain.

Air outside is 30c. You set your climate control to 19c - that means the air cor needs to cool the incoming air by at least 11c to hit your desired temps. However, the sun is also heating up the interior so the sun load sensor tels the aircon to cool the air some more, say down to 9c in order to meet you desired cabin temp. Also, CC systems try to get to the required cabin temp as quickly as possible - so it floods in air at 2c to bring the temp down as quickly as possible.
 
amigafan2003 said:
Incorrect - vent temps are typically between 2c and 6c in any good condition air con system.

My Scorp has vent temps of 3c when I set it to LOW for example. At that temp, you can here the compressor flicking on and off as the de-ice switch kicks in and out.

Don't confuse cabin temps with vent temps - let me explain.

Air outside is 30c. You set your climate control to 19c - that means the air cor needs to cool the incoming air by at least 11c to hit your desired temps. However, the sun is also heating up the interior so the sun load sensor tels the aircon to cool the air some more, say down to 9c in order to meet you desired cabin temp. Also, CC systems try to get to the required cabin temp as quickly as possible - so it floods in air at 2c to bring the temp down as quickly as possible.
Click to expand...

Cool (lol), I never knew that. Learn something new everyday! :p
 
Kwik Fit do appear to charge for this air conditioning service when they know they shouldn't as it's not 10% cooler. They have these huge adverts on TV saying "ITS FREE IF WE CANT GET IT 10% COOLER". The reality is though the people in the actual Kwik Fit garage will still try and charge you even though they know it should be free.

I took a car down to Kwik Fit for a friend, and when they had finished the aircon didn't feel any colder than before. He'd already shown me the temperature "after" they had recharged, and when I asked what it was before, he tried to work it out so it came in at more than 10%.

He got it totally wrong though and when I worked it out based on his figures it came to about 3.5% cooler, not 10%. When I told him this, and suggested it should therefore be free, he started suggesting different figures. I told him he couldn't change the figure now just because it didn't suit him, and then he started saying OK it's not 10% cooler but I still want to charge you as it's taken a while to do, and we've filled it with lots of coolant.

I told him this was not their company policy and reminded him of the large TV adverts they run constantly about this offer. Eventually he walked off and went behind the counter without saying anything. I had to follow him back in and ask if I could take the car now............after a minute or so he grunted "yerr just take it".

As I drove the car away with warm aircon, there were about 5 people from the garage all glaring at me.

It's just a big ripoff. I doubt they actually honour their TV advert promises unless the customer kicks up a big fuss.

Oh, and the time before when I went into Kwik Fit with an old Astra, they didnt do up one of my wheels properly and it nearly came off about 1/2 a mile down the road. Managed to get all charges refunded via their head office (4 new tyres).

The whole outfit is a joke. They don't bother checking things like the receipt says they have, and they are staffed by youngsters who don't give a monkeys. I have certainly learned my lesson now..........
 
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I don't know why you would need to buy a kit when most garages/service places will do a re-gas for £40 any way? I'd rather someone did it for me with decent equipment then doing it myself.
 
They regassed mine (Never worked since I bought it) and it still didnt work (Even though they completely recharged it and it was empty). They suggested I take it to a proper aircon place and get it checked out. No Charge. Turns out it was just the fuse . . . . You would have thought they would have checked such a simple elementary thing . . .
 
Akira said:
:cool:
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It was also out of gas . . . .


Cheeky sod . . . . :p

And I did check the fuse myself, obviously the Trinary switch kept blowing it with there being no gas.
Actually, I should ave said, I never took it to a proper place, I checked the fuse when I got home and discovered it was blown. (Honest!)
 
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