2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use

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
Tue 5 Jun 2018 09:28
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - BeeJay71

I never use the aircon in my Duster, really don't see the point in this country. Anyway, I've read somewhere that the unit should be switched on every now & then, why?

& if it's isn't, what's the outcome?

Thanks

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 10:16
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - elekie&a/c doctor
The ac system holds an amount of lubricant oil to maintain the operation of the pump and keep the seals moist.By not using the system this oil is not circulated.On many cars,selecting defrost to the screen automatically puts the ac into operation,even though you may not realise it. My suggestion with ac operation is use it or lose it.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 10:20
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - skidpan

If you don't use the A/C eventaully the seals will fail and allow the refrigerant to escape. The system will then not work. The refrigerant contains lubricant for the seals and by not using it the seals simply go dry. At best ypu will need a recharge but if the seals have failed its a much more expensive job. Most salesman do a simple A/C test when taking a car in PX, they run it and if it blows cold all is fine. I would expect them to greatly reduce the value if the system does not work.

How you can say "really don't see the point in this country" is beyond me. A/C is one feature I would never buy a car without. Drove from Scotland last weekend, without A/C it would have been a very unconfortable journey, and it was not that hot. Summer is hardly here yet.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 10:52
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - gordonbennet

Some aircon parts can be scandalous prices, it could be interesting to see how much the aircon compressor condensor etc are worth used via the usual auction site and remove and sell them on if you really arn't going to use the system.

Luckily they are covering by warranty my sons new aircon compressor on their 13 plate CRV, it's something like a £1700 job apparently.

I seldom use it, but then my car has a decent sized sunroof and i really prefer to feel and smell real air, but then i don't drive in lethal places like London if i did it would be a different story.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 11:32
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - Peter.N.

Whether you feel the need to use the aircon or not depends on how you tolerate heat, I am always cold unless a in an ambient temperature of 25C or more, most peoepl are not including my wife.

The car I have at the moment is the first one for 10 years or more with working aircon and I even have had occaision to use it in the last week or two. I regassed it last year and probably as a result of not using it the efficiency has dropped off this year but with use it has steadily improved, I topped the gas up again yesterday,it wasn't very low but its made a considerable improvment.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 11:50
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - daveyjp

My approach to aircon is turn on and never touch the button again.

If I want warm air I set the temp to 21+ degrees and I get air conditioned warm air.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Jun 2018 18:19
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - Chris M

I wonder whether the OP drives around with misted up windows in the winter? Air conditioning isn't just for hot days.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Jun 2018 03:49
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - edlithgow

Mine was working OK when I bought the car, but that's about 7 years ago. Hardly used it at all in the interim (to save petrol) and am now scared to, in case its now empty.

I assume running it "dry" would cause serious damage, though maybe its screwed anyway.

Car does steam up in rain and it does sometimes get very hot here in Taiwan, so I'd quite like to make it usable if it isn't going to be hugely expensive.

I assume special equipment (and knowledge) will be required so DIY won't be an option, but are there any checks I could run before taking it to a specialist for a recharge?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Jun 2018 09:27
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - Chris M

If there is no gas it won't work, obviously. But the system will know because there will be a pressure sensor. No further damage will be caused by trying it out.

Don't know how it works in Taiwan, but in the UK, lots of fast fit places, indies and of course mobile specialists will do a recharge. A specialist would be best it work is required.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Jun 2018 13:43
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - skidpan

If there is no gas it won't work, obviously.

When the A/C in our Kia ran dry (hole in the condensor) it made a huge racket inside the car, it was obvious something was wrong (in addition to the fact it did not cool the car). If we had kept it turned on it may well have damaged the compressor. But a new condensor and re-gas (all under Kias 7 year warranty) sorted it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Jun 2018 15:36
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - Big John

If there is no gas it won't work, obviously.

When the A/C in our Kia ran dry (hole in the condensor) it made a huge racket inside the car, it was obvious something was wrong (in addition to the fact it did not cool the car). If we had kept it turned on it may well have damaged the compressor. But a new condensor and re-gas (all under Kias 7 year warranty) sorted it.

If that was the case then potentially a sensor has failed as well - If you loose pressure in an airconditioning system then there should be a pressure sensor that should effectively shiut the system down

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Jun 2018 16:12
2013 Dacia Duster Laureate 4WD - Non Aircon use - skidpan

If there is no gas it won't work, obviously.

When the A/C in our Kia ran dry (hole in the condensor) it made a huge racket inside the car, it was obvious something was wrong (in addition to the fact it did not cool the car). If we had kept it turned on it may well have damaged the compressor. But a new condensor and re-gas (all under Kias 7 year warranty) sorted it.

If that was the case then potentially a sensor has failed as well - If you loose pressure in an airconditioning system then there should be a pressure sensor that should effectively shiut the system down

Well ours still ran exactly as described, it was the noise (you could hear it above the normal road and engine noise) that allerted us to an issue before it became obvious that the air was not being cooled. Dealer knew from the description that the system was without coolant but he had to identify when it had escaped from. Luckilly for us it was a part that was replaced FOC.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link