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having a couple of tyres fitted at kwik fit the other day and they had a sign saying spend 50 pounds and we\'ll do your aircon for 25 pounds. Having just spent £99 at a VW main dealer for the same thing I felt this was good deal so I\'m passing it on to others who might save themselves a few bob.
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There are many warnings on this site about having aircon regassed at bargain basement rates at chains of tyre fitters.
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How often does this need to be done on average?
I\'m thinking of getting air con in the next car I buy.
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How often does this need to be done on average?
How long is a piece of string? My car is 5 years old and hasn\'t had anything done to the aircon. I\'ve never experienced a car running short of gas so I don\'t even know what the symptoms are. I don\'t suppose for a minute it\'s a case of either it works or it doesn\'t. Exactly how can you tell?
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How often does this need to be done on average?
I suppose depends on the car but more importantly on usage of the aircon.
I\'ve had to have mine regassed once so far, after I had had the car 2.5 years. Car is now 8 yrs old and I dont know whether it was ever regassed before I bought it..
I don\'t even know what the symptoms are. I don\'t suppose for a minute it\'s a case >> of either it works or it doesn\'t. Exactly how can you tell?
On mine I noticed the chilling effect diminish over the space of about 10 months. The gas got low but not low enough for the compressor to stop running (on mine I can hear the compressor start up if the bonnet is open).
The aircon reservoir has a sight bubble on the top, and I can see the level does not appear to have changed, now nearly a year after the re-gas.
Had mine done at a small independant aircon specialist.
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I don't suppose for a minute it's a case of either it works or it doesn't. Exactly how can you tell?
Ironically it was precisely that, in my case, in my old Civic - rainy day, windows misty, pressed button, A/C light came on - and nothing happened. I experienced this twice with the car - first time was (allegedly) through not using it enough (although my supposedly inferior-quality Mondeo doesn't seem to suffer from a similar usage pattern), second time because a stone had bashed a hole in the condenser.
When the Mondeo was last in for service (Jan) the Ford dealer said that at 37k miles it would probably benefit from having the system serviced at some point, but that there was absolutely no rush and it wasn't about to pack up or anything. I may get it done before the summer.
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>>I don't suppose for a minute it's a case of either it works or it doesn't.
Usually, that's exactly the case.
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There are many warnings on this site about having aircon regassed
On the contrary, people who ahve had theirs done seem to be full of praise:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=53007&...f
Also, see Dynamic Dave\'s comment
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=41...5
\" {I\'ve removed some of the comments that were posted about kwik-fit following this post, as I felt they contravened the sites no naming / shaming rule. However, I did rescue Dave N\'s comment from one of the subsequent postings that I deleted as it explains Kwik Fit\'s a/c proceedure. - DD}
\"they\'ve got fully automatic machines and comprehensive instructions that take them through the job from start to finish. The machine has the refrigerant capacity for each car, and it weighs the oil recovered and automatically puts the same amount back in. So in theory, if they follow the instructions, all they have to do is connect the machine, pick the correct vehicle off the database, and hit the button. You should also get a printout as well. \" \"
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Cheers jbif. That saved me a search.
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I've also heard / read that aircon systems are much more resistant these days to losing gas than they used to be. Don't know if it's true or not.
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On the contrary people who ahve had theirs done seem to be full of praise: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=53007&...f
You obviously don't read that thread the way I do. Like this extract from the above thread?
[quote]By their own admission in the advert they will not do the job properly as they claim:
"In under an hour, our specially trained technicians will show you the difference in your Air-Con system."
Ask an aircon specialist and they will tell you the system must be under vacuum for AT LEAST an hour to recover the moisture in the dryer and ensure the system is clean otherwise you get the damp, musty smell inside the car. That's before they start with re-gasing.[/quote]
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I had mine done after seven years-the air was still coming out cold beforehand but was noticeably colder afterwards.Also check what you get for your money-some just regas-others clean and sterilize the whole system as well as regas.
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When the air con needs servicing I would go to an air con specialist.
If I wanted new tyres, I would go to a decent tyre firm.
I would not go to the mentioned firm for any reason at all. Never never never as a recently retired Ulster politician once said quite loudly.
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Mapmaker - I wouldn't pay too much attention the extract you quoted from another thread as it is incorrect. The dryer in the system is to remove the moisture from the refrigerent gas as it is pumped around the system.
Any damp musty smell in the car is nothing to do with the dryer.
BTW - my A4 air con has never been touched since new and still blows cold with no bad smells.
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Mapmaker - I wouldn't pay too much attention the extract you quoted from another thread as it is incorrect.
;-) moonshine - you are not saying Mapmaker is talking moonshine, are you?
Anyway, Mapmaker is entitled to his wrong opinion. I prefer to believe real people with real experience of having this work done at this outfit rather than people who never ever never ever go there but still feel qualified to comment just because their Grandpa once used them 50 years ago and had bad service. :-)
Edited by jbif on 06/03/2008 at 17:38
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A real air con specialist has a gas analyzer & test's the gas before he starts work . With the fully automatic units you have no idea what gas you may be recyling! or contaminating the filters & oil in the machine with! may be calor Gas or ICON49 gas you just don't know.
IJ
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I have lived in Dubai for 15 years and the air cons in Middle East cars are the highest specs you can get...I have found out that Japaneese cars are better than American cars , however Toyota have this built in redundency that after 140,000 to 160,000 km the AC compressor gives up......
Graeme
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I've heard of people putting propane into AC systems and apparently it does work. Not something I would like done on my cars AC though....
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Mapmaker is entirely neutral. Mapmaker has bought tyres from Kwik Fit often enough. Mapmaker was merely aware of an earlier thread that was exceptionally uncomplimentary about their service; some other person has kindly posted a link to it. I cannot read that thread in any other way than a whole list of uncomplimentary observations from a range of different posters.
Do what you like! My car's aircon has a hole in it that will cost more to fix than the car is worth. My car accordingly has no aircon.
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A bit like saying I'll 'do' your garden for £25.
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The Ford dealer did what they called a temperature check on the aircon of my 2002 Focus and said it was ok.
The old advice of using the aircon regularly throughout the year seems to work.
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The Ford dealer did what they called a temperature check on the aircon of my 2002 Focus and said it was ok. The old advice of using the aircon regularly throughout the year seems to work.
I was advised to leave the air-con on all the time - on a diesel, it makes very little difference to fuel consumption but lots of difference to bills for not using it.
I was told that by not using it, the seals dry out so leading to potential gas loss.
Time will tell!
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I think it's just a reminder that there is often incorrect information to be found on the web.
As for Mapmakers posts, one of the things I like about this forum is the differing views, without it this forum wouldn't be much fun. I like hearing both sides of an arguement, it helps you get to an informed decision. Over the years there's been a few things I've changed my view on after reading discussions on this forum.
I can't comment directly on the air con con as I've never had to have an AC system fixed. I forgot to say in the earlier post that my A4 is a 1999 model, so AC has been working for 8/9 years without ever being touched.
I've probably tempted fate now and this will be the year it stops working!
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