Air con leak.

[Worms]

After an air con recharge last summer (first in 13 years) it lasted only a few days before it lost pressure, so obviously a leak somewhere. I went yesterday to see if I could get a recharge with dye, so that I could look for the leak, but the system will hold no pressure at all, so the garage was unable to put anything in.

I've checked all the pipes visually and had a good look at the condenser and there is no sign of the oiliness that I would have expected to see around a major leak. I've got a replacement receiver/drier and will order a new condenser. I guess if these fail to do the trick, the next step would be to check the compressor (it does look oily but then, it is in a much more oily position in the car). I think the amount of deconstruction required to replace the evaporator might be a step further than I am prepared to go.

Any other suggestions? I'm assuming that with no pressure, the compressor will not switch in, so it won't necessarily have been knackered by running with no refrigerant/lubricant? (2003 V40 1.8i GDI engine, 217,000 miles if any of that is significant).

[flyingtech55]

I feel your pain. My air-con stopped working due to no pressure. The leak was in the bottom corner of the condenser. I've renewed the condenser but unfortunately I'm still having problems. I didn't renew the drier at the same time and the evaporator ices up internally due to the moisture in the system.

The system has already been re-gassed in the past and happily they put dye in the system at that time, so there was was a big tell-tale stain visible under the ultra-violet light. Once the ultra-violet marker had identified the leak it was then easy to see the oil stain.

The garage I go to specialise in air-con work and when I went back to have the system de-pressurised and emptied to allow me to re-new the dryer the technician told me she had already renewed three condensers that week and was just preparing to renew another. The condensers do seem pretty vulnerable. Hopefully, in your case, renewing the condenser and drier will solve your problem otherwise I believe you can get a shorter auxiliary drive belt which will by-pass the compressor.

HTH

Tim

[Worms]

Thanks. I think I read somewhere that all re-gas now comes with the fluorescent dye already in it?

When I started to look for a drier, I phoned the local Volvo parts shop. The guy was really helpful, and explained that he had sold plenty of condensers but never a drier! So it would seem that the condensers are prone to decay/damage. The Volvo drier would have been £169, ordered from Sweden, but the aftermarket alternative was £17 from a local parts place!

My reading of things is that the drier really ought to be replaced every three or four years, at the same time as a re-gas. Since mine was working ok up to last year I was leaving well alone! Having had a year with no refrigerant, the drier will be well and truly knackered, so whether it is leaking or not, I am happy to replace it.

[pierremcalpine]

for what it's worth, I brought mine in to the dealer for a proper diagnosis last year and they recommended changing the condenser, the high-pressure hose located against the firewall, as well as the compressor. Interestingly, they did not recommend replacing the dryer.

In the end, I ended up replacing all of the above parts AND the dryer as I left the system open long enough that I was concerned that dryer was saturated.

Looking forward to the warmer weather so that I can fully test my handiwork.

Working on your own AC is not difficult but there isn't nearly as much info out there as most just bring their vehicle in for servicing. Here in Canada, getting a hold of some refrigerant is the most challenging part as only licensed mech's can purchase. Getting access to a set of manifold gauges is key to doing the job right.

[Worms]

Thanks. New condenser arrived today and on quick inspection, doesn't look like the right one .