Do you use your air con?

[phil1968]

In the C70 it's on all the time, just set the temperature & forget, everything else is taken care of. It gets turned off automatically when the roof's down. In the van I'll have it on apart from around town when I generally like to have the windows down. But yeah, even in Winter, it keeps the windows mist free.
I've travelled in the inlaws car & my MIL, sat in the front passenger seat, kept turning the A/C on & off, which after a while started to grate. I told her that all she need do is select "auto" & then everything is taken care of, all she then needs to set in future is the temperature. I still don't think it's sunk in.

[volvo always]

My 1996 940 I had to change the condenser and used compressor and had AC for last summer.

The garage only put in 500g of gas and it takes 950g this lasted 5 months as now does not work as had slight weep from condenser clamp. Clamp damaged slightly and NLA from Volvo.

Going to retry the O rings and have it re- gassed again as like AC. I use it all the time in hot weather and it turns on automatically when you select demist.

I have just bought a Lexus IS 220D and it's going well so far. The ECC was only blowing cool and thankfully a re-gas has it nice and cold. I set the temp to 17 degrees both sides/dual and leave on auto. Best £45 spent to have a cool car! Especially Thursday as outside temp in sun saying 28 degrees!

James

[green van man]

I have mine regased every 3/4 years at dealers. The gas carries a lubricant and like all oils it needs changing occasionally. For what it costs I consider it preventative maintenance and certainly cheaper than repairing a broken system.

Paul.

[phil1968]

Originally Posted by green van man

I have mine regased every 3/4 years at dealers. The gas carries a lubricant and like all oils it needs changing occasionally. For what it costs I consider it preventative maintenance and certainly cheaper than repairing a broken system.

Paul.

Not entirely true, the oil, if needed, is added separately, not with the gas, also the only time the oil gets changed is if the compressor gets replaced. There is oil spread around the entire system but the majority is in the compressor.

[biggbn]

Put the old beetles on today. First time in several years. Ice cold!!

[green van man]

Originally Posted by phil1968

Not entirely true, the oil, if needed, is added separately, not with the gas, also the only time the oil gets changed is if the compressor gets replaced. There is oil spread around the entire system but the majority is in the compressor.

Many thanks. I was going on what I had been told.
Seems car is connected to a machine that empties the system weighs the contents and adds new as needed. Seems the lubricant/oil keeps seals suple.
I know AC worked better after it was done last time and for what it cost am happy to have it done on a regular basis. Like anything used constantly you do not notice the gradual drop in performance.
A workmate buys the diy kits from halfords, guesses ambient temp and calculates psi needed from a table on the can and uses the gauge on the can adaptor to measure the pressure in the system. He swears it works as his AC is freezing. I prefer the more considered approach.

Paul.

[chrisfr]

I live in south west france which has the second hottest climate to the cote d'azur.
We can also get -10 in winter so the aircon is usually off then. Yesterday it was 36 degrees. It is usually on from march till November. But reading some of the posts maybe i should leave it on all year. I have a heated windscreen and tend to use that not the aircon to clear the frost.

[Phillg1986]

I tend to have the roof down.. although i put the aircon on still the other day to just keep it all moving etc

[Phillg1986]

Originally Posted by phil1968

In the C70 it's on all the time, just set the temperature & forget, everything else is taken care of. It gets turned off automatically when the roof's down. In the van I'll have it on apart from around town when I generally like to have the windows down. But yeah, even in Winter, it keeps the windows mist free.
I've travelled in the inlaws car & my MIL, sat in the front passenger seat, kept turning the A/C on & off, which after a while started to grate. I told her that all she need do is select "auto" & then everything is taken care of, all she then needs to set in future is the temperature. I still don't think it's sunk in.

Disnt realise it turns off with roof down?? Mine still blows cold :/

[biggbn]

Mine was on with roof down yesterday. I have roof down most days it's dry X