Car aircon not working

Put in on today for the first time since the autumn and it wouldn’t get cold no matter what I did. Does it just need a regas or is there a fuse for the compressor or something else?

What car is it?

might be corroded due to lack of use/lubrication

Do the revs drop when you turn it on ? Of not compressor?

Obviously check fuses, but hopefully it’ll just be a regas. Had ours done yesterday after it not working at all last summer. Ooooh…the feeling of cold air coming out of those vents for the first time in a year (first properly warm day doing a couple of hours in the car too) was lovely. Cost around 50 calamari.

You should run it once a week to lubricate the seal on the compressor or it will dry out and refrigerant will leak. Many issues it can be, so best to get it checked by someone who knows, which isn’t a fast fit emporium . Yes I am in the air con business….

Open the windows if they work…

You should run it once a week to lubricate the seal on the compressor or it will dry out and refrigerant will leak.

This is the kind of thing it’d be very useful for manufacturers to actually tell you. Our AC hasn’t worked for years, it died and too expensive to get it fixed – if we’d known that it would die without regular use we’d have saved it.

This is the kind of thing it’d be very useful for manufacturers to actually tell you

It’s in my car handbook (Ford,), fairly sure the gf’s fiat one says the same thing.

Don’t think it’s in my Forfour one. Or if it is, it’s certainly not in bold with underlining 😉

Simple regas I’d expect. The wife’s Merc just chucks out warm air! (as does she) 😆

You should run it once a week to lubricate the seal on the compressor or it will dry out and refrigerant will leak.

does this apply to climate control too, is it the same thing? i got an octavia L&K, no aircon button as such, i was led to believe you just set the temp and it uses air con to attain that. so……is my aircon on all the time then?
i ask as it doesnt get cold any more, so wondering about a regas myself.

I’m surprises people even switch the aircon off. In the winter it helps remove condensation so useful all year.
If you need a regas then you have a leak (and I guess it will all leak out again), never switched the aircon off on our XC90 in 12 years and it could still freeze a penguin when we sold it.

I made the mistake of turning my aircon off for the winter with one car. It leaked refrigerant forever after. I had loads of investigation and it got to the dash out stage (compressor behind dash) and lots of £££’s. I traded it in.

I run climate control all the time now, its false economy switching it off IME.

something else?

that – there will be a reason the gas leaked out

mine’s gone too, despite regularly running it since owning the car 🙁

Climate control is just computer controlled air con/heating. So it’s probably on a lot of the time that it’s trying to cool down the inside of the car.

Many issues it can be

Roger that, Yoda.

Likely to be a simple Regas. Even the vey worst outfit (Kwikfit) will do a leak test before refilling so worth it just for that.

[Quote]bails – Member
Climate control is just computer controlled air con/heating. So it’s probably on a lot of the time that it’s trying to cool down the inside of the car.[/quote]

Well yes if it’s switched on…

The Kwik-fit deal is pretty good, I’d go there. Although I’ve had mine booked in this week and on both occasions, at 2 different branches, the machine wasn’t working.

It’s a good deal if all you need is a regass. However, it’s a waste of money if there’s a leak as the new gas will just escape again. They’re not supposed to regass if there’s a leak. Bad for the planet apparently.

I run climate control all the time now, its false economy switching it off IME.

ROFL. I open the windows when it’s (rarely) hot. It’s no economy at all having a hugely inefficient heat pump working for no purpose whatsoever. The number of days per year that air-con is genuinely useful in the UK can usually be counted on the fingers of one foot. Or do you all live in Nevada or something?

Car aircon systems naturally loose 10% of the gas each year whether you use it or not.

Car aircon systems naturally loose 10% of the gas each year whether you use it or not.

That sounds like something a kwik-fit type place would tell people. It’s a sealed system, it shouldn’t lose any.

Chances are it’ll have a leak and be short of gas, about 80% of leaks I’ve found have been on the condensers (in front of radiator) due to stones etc flicking up off the road. I’ve only seen one seized compressor before and that made a hell of a noise when the ac was switched on. Otherwise it’ll probably be a faulty pressure switch. But my money would be on tiny leak somewhere.

It’s no economy at all having a hugely inefficient heat pump working for no purpose whatsoever. The number of days per year that air-con is genuinely useful in the UK can usually be counted on the fingers of one foot.

Well it is really compared to the several thousand pounds to fix it once fecked from (mis)use. You open your windows if you like, I’ll use my aircon.

You should run it once a week to lubricate the seal on the compressor or it will dry out and refrigerant will leak.

I didn’t run the aircon on my mk1 Focus for 2-3 years as it was broken and having checked the obvious i.e. leaks, fuses/relay etc it seemed to be the compressor which would make a repair uneconomical. Then whilst googling another issue found out about the resistor pack behind the glovebox which is a common reason for aircon not working on Fords apparently. Changed it for one from a car bound for the scrappy and the aircon started working again perfectly much to my surprise. Result!

If it’s a Vauxhall Astra (52 plate vintage)the radiator original design only had fixings at the top so over time as it vibrated it put a hole in itself. Funnily enough the replacement had fixtures top and bottom.

I use air on in the winter too to clear condensation

Could be re-gas, compressor, condenser, leak etc.

If you have a re-gas with an underlying leak it will work for a while and then die again.
When the compressor on my Ibiza failed there was no way of telling from revs of the engine etc…..the climate control system doesn’t noticeably affect the car in anyway.

I’d get it checked over by a place that is set-up and qualified to do air con work. Otherwise you could pay for a re-gas and be back to square one in a matter of weeks.

Well it is really compared to the several thousand pounds to fix it once fecked from (mis)use. You open your windows if you like, I’ll use my aircon.

This.

Also when buying a s/h car, ensure the aircon works properly – if it doesn’t either walk away or negotiate a serious discount.

1/Condensers can leak through stone chips also made of alloy, which with salt on the roads can be eaten by corrosion and perforate.
2/If you open the system or replace a part of the system, good practice is to replace the drier component before dehydrating with a vacuum pump. Something a kwik fit company type wont do.
3/ Compressors are an open drive unit , running off an auxiliary belt. They have an open end, hence the name and have a ceramic/ carbon seal to prevent refrigerant leaking, but they dry out through lack of use and it can leak, hence the requirement to run it regulary.
4/ Climate control is just a system to give more precise control of temps. Its no different in the mechanical workings under the bonnet, just motors and flaps under the dash.
5/ Car systems are not great at holding refrigerant. They have flexible rubber hoses in areas of vibration , which is like any rubber item, can weep over time.
6/ Unit behind the dash is the evaporator , which is a very unusual item to leak as runs on lower pressures, but not infalliable.
7/ Running your aircon all the time is like your fridge at home. When it gets to temperature, it will disengage the compressor and not use energy or consumption .

Hope that answers a few more questions 😀

Not enough gas is the main reason, leaks or natural loss, they stop working but also check the fuses and if your engine fan isn’t working it will stop the AC compressor cooling down which will trip a fail safe to protect the compressor.
If it is the fan other than not hearing it whirring around the AC will normally work whilst driving at speed but when in slow or stationary traffic will stop blowing cold.

hecaptain – Member

ROFL. I open the windows when it’s (rarely) hot. It’s no economy at all having a hugely inefficient heat pump working for no purpose whatsoever. The number of days per year that air-con is genuinely useful in the UK can usually be counted on the fingers of one foot. Or do you all live in Nevada or something?

Hmmm. I have compared the fuel economy of my car with and without the climate control on and any variation is lost within the noise of normal mpg variation.

Admittedly, my Wife’s old Ka took a noticeable hit in fuel economy when the air con was on, but that was only about 56bhp to start with…

Mine stopped working (Yeti). Took it to the dealers who found the compressor had significant stone damage and was beyond help. 2 years 11 months old and they fixed it under warranty! In a slightly tangential move, I notice our MX5 has air con which seems a bit ridiculous as surely the solution there is to put the roof down!

Car aircon systems naturally loose 10% of the gas each year whether you use it or not.

What crap.

Air con…. Thats the flaps on the front right ?

If it is the fan other than not hearing it whirring around the AC will normally work whilst driving at speed but when in slow or stationary traffic will stop blowing cold.

Not necessarily. The condenser has fans that run to keep air moving through it and the efficiency wont be as good as running at speed, due to the compressor not running quick, but it will still give a decent amount of cooling even in traffic or stationary.

Sorry, its not crap at all. A quick google will bring up links to a Government paper about global warming which mentions leakage in aircon systems (car and others). 10-30% a year is fairly normal.

ROFL. I open the windows when it’s (rarely) hot. It’s no economy at all having a hugely inefficient heat pump working for no purpose whatsoever.

Opening the windows substantially increases your car’s drag, making it consume more fuel. At speed, it’s more efficient to close the windows and run the air con.

Opening the windows substantially increases your car’s drag, making it consume more fuel. At speed, it’s more efficient to close the windows and run the air con.

Yes, but at speed the vents will blow in plenty of air. Windows down at low speed. Air con was great driving across Australia but can people really not put up with being a bit warm?

Car aircon systems naturally loose 10% of the gas each year whether you use it or not.
What crap.

Tis true, due to the molecular structure of the gas and the slight permeability of the flexible hoses or aluminium pipework. Rule of thumb is around 50 to 100g per year.

And on another note, a lot vehicles with AC will turn it on when you select ‘screen’ anyway.

Hth
Marko

but can people really not put up with being a bit warm?

LOL. Why would you? The cars equipped to make your journey comfortable yet you choose to travel 70’s style; sweaty with the windows down increasing fuel consumption and sending yourself deaf. Oh, and not running the aircon might result in a hefty bill to fix it. Yep, good plan 🙂