aircon recharge help

[galloot633]

Luckily I've got a BBS reader that reads all modules
Thanks again Dave

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by galloot633

I've got a BBS reader

I can't say I've ever heard of one but if it can read live data, recalibrate the CCM and remotely activate multiple elements in the climate system, great..... Otherwise, for a problem like you have, it'll be found wanting.

If you still think too much gas has been replenished, I'd be taking it back to the garage. It'll take them seconds to confirm or rule out.

[galloot633]

It doesn't read live data , but no DTC's anyway , I've Googled myself silly today and every thing points to it being overcharged , cycling compressor , engine noticeable under load when it kicks in and compressor louder than before , the garage ( hopefully) will be sympathetic , but I'm preparing myself for the worst
Thanks again Dave

[galloot633]

Just returned to Ats , their first response was " your compressor must be on the way out " followed by " it's impossible to overfill it would be squirting out everywhere " , they did offer to repeat the regas , but by then I'd lost the plot and told them what I thought of them ( nothing like burning your bridges ) so I popped round the corner to an air-con specialist , who reassured me in a way by saying the system was working , but he did agree the compressor was cycling a little too much ( good of him to take a look in the circumstances) all he could do would be repeat the recharge himself , at about 70 ukp , I'm tempted to buy a set of gauges and monitor myself (measurement was my specialty when I worked ) or maybe that would be throwing more money at it , mmmmm
Dave

[XJSDriver]

I would go for a re-gas so you can rule out a faulty charge i.e. either too much or there may be air in there: fast cycling suggests it is reaching maximum pressure too quickly and having to de-clutch which can be either because to much charge or there is air in there.

[galloot633]

Thanks, that's what I think, I was hoping an xc owner would tell me how often his cycled at tickover , just to give me an idea
Dave

[oragex]

Did the aircon specialist plug the high pressure gauge? I would ask him to read the high pressure.

Do you know what gas did the first garage recharge with? The 12a gas (not to be confused with the R12 gas) is much more efficient than the 134a the car should have. Maybe if the guy put 12a instead of 134a then the system may cool down much more that with the same amount of 134a. Then, as the air cools down to some 5C inside the evaporator box, the thermistor reads the temperature and turns off the clutch plate - so everything works properly, just that maybe the system has now some 12a which weight by weight is much more efficient than the 134a so the whole system is more efficient (may even say too efficient because if refilling with 12a a lower quantity must be used).

[galloot633]

134a, it's my own fault , I took it to a service centre that are more used to fitting new tyres , they just hook a machine up and that's it , when I questioned them it turned out I knew more than them ! May buy a couple of gauges just to see what's happening , the specialist I spoke to after , talked me through the system and to a degree put my mine at ease, but he wouldn't touch or measure anything
Thanks again Dave

[john langrick]

Hi, just to say again, yours seems to be operating same as mine. That being said, I really only drive short distances and switch aircon on full as car has been in sun all day and although volvo green silver) has black seats. Mine was recharged by my disti, (who fitted the pump) and he is ex local volvo so assume he did it correctly.

Now here is a strange thing and wondering if it may help someone.

I have had this xc90 about 18 months and always when I start it, the starter seems to remain engaged as it 'Whirred' a short while after..

Now I have had the aircon pump changed, there is no noise after start up.

I think that the aircon pump fires up when ignition starts the engine whether aircon switched on or not. The thing was so noisy that I thought it was the starter running on!

Some other member might think they need to change the starter as I thought I might have to.

Not sure this info is worth a seperate post, what do you think?

John l