Fixing Air Conditioning: OEM or aftermarket compressor

[volvo always]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

That might be an option James, thanks!

https://www.coolcaraircon.co.uk/contact-us/cambridge/

There is one as it happens, that should link to them!

Great! I had my Lexus AC system re-gassed and assured not leaking by a local garage and 7 weeks later warm AC.

Got Coolcar out and for £30 came to my house and tested the AC components/ pipes with a sniffer like tool and the tool went mad around the Condenser. Replaced condenser myself and all good.

Moral of the story don't bother going to your local garage type place with machine if AC not working as most likely say no leaks to charge you anyway. Much better to go to an AC specialist and save wasting the AC regas money. Charge in my case £30 to say what the issue is.
One company wanted me to pay £20 regardless of a leak being detected or not. Shop around, the legitimate ones wont charge if a leak is detected and wont just fill it and charge anyway.
The process with the AC machine takes at least an hour. First it sucks out the remaining gas and Lubricant. Then does a pressure test, then machine says if the pressure test has passed and then the re-gas can then proceed.

James

[Laird Scooby]

Very good advice there James - too many cowboys around these days looking for a "fast buck".

If the OP (Mitch?) ever gets out Kings Lynn way, Pat at Fenair is good. Bit on the pricey side but in his case, you get what you pay for and worth the extra. He would also come to you but charge mileage. Thing is, he knows his stuff and has been doing it a long time.

http://fenair.co.uk/

After typing that recommendation i went on the site to get the address and found this :

"WE ARE A MOTOR TRADE & BUSINESS ONLY SERVICE PROVIDER FOR A/C SERVICING"

Kind of makes me look silly and a nonsense of recommending him! Never mind, eh!

[haymitch]

Thanks for the help again - it sounds like the condenser is easily accessible! I'll have a look and see whether I can find any guides online / my haynes book of lies on how to do it. I'll also mention the dryer / receiver to the garage when I phone them back on Monday and see how it affects things price wise

[Laird Scooby]

You're welcome - should tell you in the Haynes Book of Fantasy anyway.

What it won't tell you is to use plenty of WMP (50/50 acetone/synthetic ATF, shake well before each application, keep in a sealed container to prevent evaporation, spray or dribble onto the fasteners) or at least something like WD40 on all the fasteners/unions, if available use brake pipe/flare nut spanners and also support the "fixed" part of the union with another spanner to prevent twisting damage etc.

Ideally have the system evacuated before you start so you don't let all the gas out to deplete the ozone layer and, if you smoke, don't while you're working on the A/C system.

Don't ask me the chemistry on it as i don't know but apparently refrigerant gas when inhaled through a cigarette can precipitate cyanide gas. That could just spoil your whole day!

[rwdkev]

Originally Posted by volvo always

......AC system re-gassed and assured not leaking by a local garage and 7 weeks later warm AC.....Moral of the story don't bother going to your local garage.....Much better to go to an AC specialist and save wasting the AC regas money.

My thoughts entirely James. I always go to a specialist because there are a lot of garages out there who don't know enough about air conditioning systems and if they do, they are too lazy to look for the root cause of any problem and instead simply do a re-gas and rip the customer off.

I'm lucky in the case that the place I use is literally around the corner from where I live. They always first do a pressure test with a sniffer as a matter of course and you can tell by talking to them they know their stuff.

Even if you do get charged for a pressure test before any other work, it's still cheaper than paying for a re-gas only for it to leak out soon afterwards.

[tofufi]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

After typing that recommendation i went on the site to get the address and found this :

"WE ARE A MOTOR TRADE & BUSINESS ONLY SERVICE PROVIDER FOR A/C SERVICING"

Kind of makes me look silly and a nonsense of recommending him! Never mind, eh!

It does also say:

PRIVATE CUSTOMERS PLEASE CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR PERSONAL REQUIREMENT AND A PRICE QUOTATION

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by tofufi

It does also say:

Dalmatian Jim - well spotted! I missed that somehow!

On a totally different subject, i'm going to drop you a PM shortly about a bit of trim i'm hoping you've got and maybe a couple of other bits.

[haymitch]

Update to my original post - the condenser has now been replaced and the air conditioning has been blowing cold for last 3 weeks without a problem. So far so good! Thought I should mention it in case anyone else in Cambridge is thinking of going to the garage I mentioned

[Jimsiss]

I'm pretty sure mine has leaked from the condenser, when I first got the car from my parents it had the bottom row of fins hanging off the condenser. In the end I ended up taking the belt off the compressor as there was no point in it being able to operate when the controls are changed.

I probably should get the Air Conditioning seen to as it would be useful. It's only been empty for at least 6 years...