Can anyone tell me if these figures are about right, please?
1999 Xantia 2ltr Exclusive( non climate control)
Outside air temperature 21 degrees C (vehicle sensor)
Air vent (interior) temperature 7,5 degrees C (accurate thermometer)
Engine speed 2250/2500 rpm (tacho reading)
Road speed 50/55 mph (car speedo)
Interior fan speed low.
Air vent set to fresh, non recycling.
Bright sunny day.
Is the temperature drop of approx. 14 degrees C an indication that the air con is ok?
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All air conditioning units consist of a compressor condenser and evaporator. The gas is compressed in the compressor making it quite hot from the compressor the gas goes into the condenser where it is cooled then it goes to the evaporator. The use of a control valve just before the evaporator controls the gas flow into the evaporator where the gas will be at about 6 degrees C. The gas is then returned to the compressor where the whole process starts again. To check if the system is working check the temperature of the two pipes at the compressor. the pipe feeding the condenser will be significantly hotter than the return from the evaporator (at least 10 degrees C)the temperature at the air vent should be around 6 to 8 degrees C. If you monitor these temperatures any significant change where the input and output at the compressor are the same will indicate that your system is losing gas. Hope this helps.
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Temperature change from ambient isn't a reliable method, though it does look like yours is ok.
A better check is have the car at standstill, engine at 2000rpm, max blower, then measure the vent temp at face vents. It should still get down to 6/7 degrees within a reasonable time (less than a couple of minutes) assuming the ambient is above 20degC. This way, the system is running at full load.
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