V70 aircon repair

[SteveSarre]

Hi all,

General question.

If the aircon is weak or non-existent, what are the most likely causes?

I know about the worn clutch on the aircon pump.
What about leaks in
evaporator
condenser?
drier
or a faulty pump?

Is it worth doing any of that myself, or should I leave the whole job to a specialist?
As I understand it a specialist should be able to sniff for and trace any leak, and purge the system before components are replaced or disconnected, and then I would revisit for the system fill.

Any indication of costs (obviously depends on what is needed)?

Thanks
Steve

[Martin Cox]

If it's leaked refrigerant, a leaking evaporator was a common problem on the Ph 1 V70s. That's what happened to mine and I decided it wasn't worth repairing. If I'd known how long I was going to keep the car, I might have thought differently.

I believe it's a bitch of a job since the whole of the dash has to come out and RHD evaporators now seem difficult to find. Most other Aircon jobs on the V70 seem straightforward by comparison.

If the refrigerant gas is low or non existent, then a leak test is probably the way forward before spending any serious money.

If replacement parts are needed, there's no reason why you shouldn't do the work yourself but regassing is a job for a suitably qualified person.

Martin

[SteveSarre]

Some useful info in here

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=233058

Taking the dash out looks like a serious job.

Steve

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by SteveSarre

Some useful info in here

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=233058

Taking the dash out looks like a serious job.

Steve

I have just replaced the evaporator on my V40. Found it leaking back in the spring, but put off the job, because I baulked at removing the dash.

Mugged up on VIDA and 1.5 hours later the dash was out on the garage floor. Very straight forward - the dash is designed to be removed. I then took the car to the specialist and they did the rest. I re-fitted the dash, that took about 3 hours or so as I took my time and ensured everything was spot on.

Admittedly a different car, but the design principles will be the same.

[Goupil]

Originally Posted by SteveSarre

Some useful info in here

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=233058

Taking the dash out looks like a serious job.

Steve

I took my dash last week end to fix the squeaky noise, took me 3hr. I was following Robert DIY video and putting every screw in labeled bag, so you can surely do it even faster if you know what you're doing