Hi BR's
My air con seems to have stopped working. Before I take the car (00(W)Peugeot 306 2.0 SE cabriolet) to a aircon specialist.
I need to locate the fuse for the compressor. As previously when I pressed the A/C button I used to hear a click from the compressor now I hear nothing. The car has never been topped up.
In addition I took the car for its intermediate inspection at a Peugeot main dealer. They alerted me to the fact that my one of my cooling fans are not functioning correctly. Apparently it doesn't work at low speed. I think this may be just a relay fault perhaps. I have had a cooling fan changed last year. As I understand that the two fans run in parallel and have two speeds for cooling.
Before I changed my cooling fan last year my air con worked with just one cooling fan working.
Before anyone asks - Yes I have checked the handbook and it only refers to cooling there is no mention of air con or compressor in any way. The Haynes manuals don't cover the cabriolet.
Once I have checked the fuses I will then take the car to aircon specialist in Manchester (any recommendations welcome - none exist in NW area in HJ's FAQ) to check for leaks and gas level.
Can anyone help?
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 12/01/2008 at 17:21
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10 Air Conditioning specialists in Manchester at
tinyurl.com/zjsw7
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Thanks Armitage, I've already checked that this morning. I will be ringing a few up. But before I do, i'd like to check the obvious. As an Electrical Engineer I'd feel pretty stupid for not checking the obvious!!
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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You need to check if there's any gas in it first. Doubt it though. Time for some new pipes or a new condensor.
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Sounds like there is big money involved here....
Would I be right in thinking that the condensor/compressor shut down operation if no gas is present?
I had an ECU read out when I bought the car. It mentioned a ECU read out from the air con ECU and ABS ECU. I take it would be now showing a fault code.
Could the winter weather have made the air con fail? As I have always used it in winter and summer regularly to make sure I get no problems.
What sort of money should I look at for a new condensor or regassing if they are needed?
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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I'm not an expert on the 306, but ...
I know many aircons do not operate if the temperature is below a preset value, so if it is too cold it doesn't run. That sounds just as if the pump is not engaging!
If there is no gas, you should have noticed is was not cooling properly any longer, cvertainly before it stopped working. The change in cooling effect would have coincided with the loss of gas, if any.
Re-gassing the system is done by a machine that automates the process. It generally takes about 30-40 minutes and will completely vacate the system and refill with clean gas. Normally, the operator does not need to be present while the machine is 'doing its thing'. You should have a tell-tale oil added so you can check the pipe joins, etc for any leaks. A good UV light will help but a visual every week for the first 4-6 weeks after re-gassing should show if/where there are any leaks.
Air-con is not a job for the improperly equipped! The gas is still nasty to handle and is not nice to the earth.
My advice, consult an expert who knows that car's systems well.
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It may shut down due to low temperature, but as soon as the engine bay warms, it should start again. If it's no gas, there will be no ecu fault code set, they aren't that sophisticated.
It may well be they disturbed the condensor when doing the fan, but they break easily enough on their own anyway.
If you're having any work done around the fans/radiator, you would be well advised to replaced the radiator and condensor at the same time. They all fail early on these 306's, and it will save a possible over heat of the engine.
It will only take a minute to check if there's any gas pressure, no need to go through a whole recharge. If there's just a sniff, then you have a leak, period. If they pressurize the system with nitrogen, they can then check the infamous pipes, without recharging.
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On the 306 like all Peugeot / Citroen aircon set-ups if the gas level in the system falls below a certain level the pressure safety switch cuts in & stop the aircon running.
The safety switch saves the very expensive aircon compressor from being damaged.
Being a 306 expect to need a new set of aircon pipes along the front of the car behind the front bumper, they always go there.
Its the pipes & the metal clips rusting, 2 dissimilar metals together = expensive repair.
There is an known issue with a diode in the aircon control unit blowing the aircon fuse on the 306 but if the fuse is ok its gonna want at least a re gas.
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The 306 is well known for dumping it's air con gasses - the pipes down the front of the engine bay don't last very well.
Probably best to have a trace test done before replacing anything.
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Go to 'Forum search',type in 306 aircon. there is plenty of info on the subject. I learnt the hard (expensive) way!
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Fullchat
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Hmm I have read the replies - many thanks to all that have replied.
42yrs > I don't intend on touching the A/C system as I am not competent to check that (I having many dealings with incompetent engineers - so I'm not gonna fall into the same category as them). However it is very useful to know the process.
DaveN > I have tried the A/C after a 3hr motorway drive and it still failed to switch on. I don't seem to get that clunk I used to get when switching it on. Its as if the clutch is not engaging on the compressor. The cooling fan was replaced last year about January time. I used the air con many times since then. So its unlikely that the condensor was damaged. I am concerned that the fans are switching on at low speed. I'm a bit annoyed that the fan has failed so quickly. Especially as I know its a pig of a job to get the bumper off just to remove a few screws for the fan!! There are so many things to take off just to change a damn fan.
Lee >I thought there must be a safety switch for such an expensive device. Where is this switch located? I've had a look under the bonnet and noticed that a black knob on the air con metal tubing seemed to be a bit loose. What is this for? Is it a release valve? before I touch it i'd like to know if i'm gonna do more damage.
Where is this diode located that you are referring to?
I realise that the rubber pipe may need replacing, after all the car is 6 yrs old now. What sort of money are we talking about for the pipe? (I take it's a dealer only part!)
BlueH > I think this sounds like a good idea as the car has never been regassed. My dad's Rover 600 has more miles than my car and occasionally gets the air con used. The air con works every time. Must be the Honda engineering (can't be the Rover engineering!!)
Fullchat > I've had a look at those already. Couldn't see your posting though.
I will be looking to sell the car sometime this year (when the weather gets better) Is it worth while repairing the air con or just letting it go as is? I realise that the fans must be attended to. But if the aircon repair runs into major £'s is it really worth it?
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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Fullchat > I've had a look at those already. Couldn't see your posting though.
Might it be one of these?
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5962
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=10958
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The pressure safety switch is on top of the aircon drier bottle under the bonnet, Its a brown plug with 4 wires, With the ignition ON so the warning lights are on but the engine NOT running short pins 1 & 2 together on the plug, set the temp to the coldest setting & switch the aircon on.
If the cooling fans roar into life & the aircon clutch relay clicks then its re gas time
DO NOT under ANY circumstances run the engine with the pressure safety switch bypassed!
The diode is inside the aircon control black box, This has been covered lots of times before.
Click the link www.peugeotlogic.com/workshop/base/workshop.htm
Then click Electrical at the top & then on Short circuit in 306 A/C
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