Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Sat 21 Jun 2014 12:01
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

Hi all, I am looking for some advice with regards to an 08 model Citroen C5 air con system. The air con was not working so I took it to an independent garage to have it checked and re-gassed. On checking the system they told me that a pipe coming from the condenser had split and had to be replaced but this was aluminum and had welded itself to the condenser and couldn't be removed, the condenser therefore also had to be replaced. I got this work done for £430 picked the car up on Thursday evening, everything was working okay and on Friday morning the car was parked in my rive and I heard a pop from the engine area and all the gas then escaped from the air con system. I returned to the garage and they checked it again and told me that the air con pump was producing too-much pressure and popped the hose again. They have now quoted me £700 for replacing the air con pump. I have queried with them why the system could not be pressure tested or something before hand and was informed it is trial and error and they would not have known about the problem with the pump until the condenser was fixed in the first place. I Have checked with a local Citroen dealer and they told me they never heard of a pump doing this and I have booked it in with them for diagnostics test before deciding whether or not to replace the pump.

If anyone has any experience of this any help or advice would me very much appreciated. If Ihad known the cost to begin with i would have just put the window down but I am out £430 and nothing has been fixed.

Thanks

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 21 Jun 2014 13:55
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - elekie&a/c doctor

The compressor can't produce too much pressure,but if the system has been overcharged with gas ,then there will be excess pressure in the system.Also has the operation of the cooling fan/s been tested.Again any problem here will cause excess load on the system and may cause a hose to pop.hth

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 21 Jun 2014 14:10
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

The compressor can't produce too much pressure,but if the system has been overcharged with gas ,then there will be excess pressure in the system.Also has the operation of the cooling fan/s been tested.Again any problem here will cause excess load on the system and may cause a hose to pop.hth

Hi, thanks for teh reply. The garage said the air con pump is producing too-much pressure and that is what is causing the problem. They haven't checked the fans. Could the fans cause this problem with the air con? Just out of curiosity. The car wasn't switched on when the hose popped. Would there still be a lot of pressure coming from the system if not in use?

Thanks

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 21 Jun 2014 14:36
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - elekie&a/c doctor

The cooling fans are a critical part of the a/c system.If they are not operating correctly,then the system will over pressurise and put excess strain on all the components.There is still pressure in the system,even when switched off or not in use,but not as much.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 21 Jun 2014 16:13
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

The cooling fans are a critical part of the a/c system.If they are not operating correctly,then the system will over pressurise and put excess strain on all the components.There is still pressure in the system,even when switched off or not in use,but not as much.

Hi, I have noticed that the fan will come on quite frequently when I'm driving, mostly around town or if sitting in traffic, is this normal? Thanks

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 21 Jun 2014 18:33
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - elekie&a/c doctor
Looks like the fan system is functioning,but you need to check it works ok with ac system.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 09:48
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Railroad.
The compressor cannot produce too much pressure. This is impossible because pumps do not create pressure. They facilitate flow, pressure is created by opposition to flow. Your problem is most likely due to a blockage in the condenser or a pipe, or receiver drier, or something having been incorrectly fitted.....
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 14:16
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Railroad.

The cooling fans are a critical part of the a/c system.If they are not operating correctly,then the system will over pressurise and put excess strain on all the components.There is still pressure in the system,even when switched off or not in use,but not as much.

If that were the case then the high pressure switch should activate and the compressor should be switched off.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 15:08
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Cyd

I returned to the garage and they checked it again and told me that the air con pump was producing too-much pressure and popped the hose again.

Can you illucidate on the highlighted bit please. What was the failure? And was it the new parts which failed?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 16:47
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

I returned to the garage and they checked it again and told me that the air con pump was producing too-much pressure and popped the hose again.

Can you illucidate on the highlighted bit please. What was the failure? And was it the new parts which failed?

Hi, the hose that had been replaced split again. I am not sure what the name of it is but they said it comes from the condenser and along the underside of the chassis. The garage told me the only way to repair it is to replace the pump at a cost of £700 as the air-con pump was producing too-much pressure. Thanks

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 21:19
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Cyd

sorry, it's still not clear to me:

are you saying they repaired a hose and the repair failed
OR
did they replace the failed hose with a new one and the new one then split in the same place (or similar) to the old one

???

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 22 Jun 2014 22:09
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

sorry, it's still not clear to me:

are you saying they repaired a hose and the repair failed
OR
did they replace the failed hose with a new one and the new one then split in the same place (or similar) to the old one

???

Yes they replaced the hose with a new one and it has split in the same area as the old one.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 23 Jun 2014 12:22
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Railroad.
In that case the hose has split because it's the weakest part of the system. I refer back to my earlier comment that something is either blocked or has been incorrectly fitted, leaving the condensed refrigerant with nowhere to go. Perhaps the expansion valve is blocked or something in the receiver drier. Whatever the case the compressor is not the cause of increased pressure. Fitting a new one will not solve your problem. Instead it will only relieve you of £700.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 23 Jun 2014 22:59
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang
In that case the hose has split because it's the weakest part of the system. I refer back to my earlier comment that something is either blocked or has been incorrectly fitted, leaving the condensed refrigerant with nowhere to go. Perhaps the expansion valve is blocked or something in the receiver drier. Whatever the case the compressor is not the cause of increased pressure. Fitting a new one will not solve your problem. Instead it will only relieve you of £700.

Hi, thanks for your help with this. Where is the expansion valve located and would there be a lot of work involved in replacing it?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 24 Jun 2014 08:06
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - Railroad.
The expansion valve is actually a tiny nozzle and is located in the high pressure pipe at the entrance to the evaporator. Following the two pipes under the bonnet to where they go inside the car the smaller one is the high pressure going into the evaporator via the expansion valve, the larger one is the low pressure returning from the evaporator to the compressor. With all the refrigerant evacuated you could disconnect the pipes here and make sure the high pressure pipe especially is clear all the way back to the compressor. If it is then the expansion valve may be the problem.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 24 Jun 2014 09:13
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - elekie&a/c doctor

Before you start playing parts darts with this car,has anyone actually checked the operating pressures of the system?It is very easy to say could be this or could be that,but without any analysis of the system I would not replace anything yet.I have yet to see a modern a/c hose "burst",I have seen them porous or rubbed out on other components.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 24 Jun 2014 10:26
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - bathtub tom

>> the larger one is the low pressure returning from the evaporator to the compressor.

Eventually!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 25 Jun 2014 20:37
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

>> the larger one is the low pressure returning from the evaporator to the compressor.

Eventually!

Just to update with what has happened. I had the car checked today by a Citroen dealer for a second opinion from the garage who did the initial repair and they have said that the freon tube has split and this is the high pressure pipe.They said the pipe replaced by the garage is still intact. They also said that the aircon pump appears to be working fine. From anyone's experience could the aircon pump cause the freon tube to split and am I being suspicious or does it seem like the garage who did the initial repair and said the pump needed to be replaced is taking the p*** and trying to get £700 quid for nothing.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 25 Jun 2014 22:06
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - elekie&a/c doctor

So,the story so far.An indy a/c garage has replaced the condensor and a pipe.The car drove away with the a/c working.We now have another split/burst pipe but not the one that was previously replaced.The a/c pump cannot cause a pipe to burst.but the fact that new parts have been fitted puts pressure on any weak point in the system.I would suggest get the damaged pipe replaced and the gas pressures tested to make sure the system is working within spec.Is this an aluminium pipe that has split (probably from corrosion)or a flexi hose?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 25 Jun 2014 22:14
Citroen c5 1.6hdi - Citroen C5 Air Con Problems - cowang

So,the story so far.An indy a/c garage has replaced the condensor and a pipe.The car drove away with the a/c working.We now have another split/burst pipe but not the one that was previously replaced.The a/c pump cannot cause a pipe to burst.but the fact that new parts have been fitted puts pressure on any weak point in the system.I would suggest get the damaged pipe replaced and the gas pressures tested to make sure the system is working within spec.Is this an aluminium pipe that has split (probably from corrosion)or a flexi hose?

Thanks for the reply, it's an aluminum pipe that has split this time, so going to get it replaced to see how things go.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?