air con re fill

[skoda300]

how do you refill your aircon in skoda octavia 2? mine hasnt worked since i bought it ,

[NicholasD]

how do you refill your aircon in skoda octavia 2? mine hasnt worked since i bought it ,

Get it done by a local independant, as they can test/find leaks which is could well have! £30 cash for a bloke i go to in Farnham

[roynhayley]

Definately go to an independant air con engineer, don't use the ebay / halfords route of diy, overcharging of the system is not a good idea, also the aircon should never be switched off as all the oring seals will dry out then the refrigerant leaks out all my cars since 96 have never had the aircon switched off.

[Raglits]

Definately go to an independant air con engineer, don't use the ebay / halfords route of diy, overcharging of the system is not a good idea, also the aircon should never be switched off as all the oring seals will dry out then the refrigerant leaks out all my cars since 96 have never had the aircon switched off.

It is safe to switch the aircon off, I'd just make sure it's on for an hour or so each month if you normally leave it off... I just leave the climate control in Auto though and have done for years as I'm too idle to change anything

[mrose]

how do you refill your aircon in skoda octavia 2? mine hasnt worked since i bought it ,

Has it never worked? When you turn it on while the engine is ticking over do the revs drop slightly and the pitch of the engine drop?

If not it's likely to be the compressor. If the revs do drop it may be that it just needs re-gassed.

There are also a couple of sensors that can fail. If it works for a very short time after you start the car from cold but then fails it could be the evaporator sensor. This was certainly the case with my old 2001 Fabia. It may be the same on the Octavia.

What ever you do don't use any DIY re-gas products like the ones from Halfords. These things may wreck your air con system by over charging it. They have a pressure gauge on them! Absolute nonsense! Air con gas is measured by weight and the old gas must be removed (and safely disposed of) to make way for the new gas.

Get a pro to trouble shoot it for leaks. They will use a special fluorescent gas and filtered glasses to see where the gas is escaping to identify the leakage points.

Best Regards,

Mark

Edited 15 April, 2010 by mrose

[maherto]

Hello All,

I have a problem with my air con in my octy, the air con pipes from compressor get cold and the hp pipe is hot when running but the air from the ducts does not seem to be as cold as it used to be? i have taken the glove box and side cover out to check the flap motor out all well its working fine ( i have climate control) and their is no fault codes storered for the hvac. may be a gas change would help! the cold pipe from compressor used to collect condesation on it, it does not now may be its not cold enough. i checked pressue when running 38 psi on low side @ 17 deg ambient. Any ideas any body. Its not the compressor if it was their would be no cold. the air from ducts does go colder but no a cold as it used too. sorry for jumping in on an other persons thread

[psycholist]

I called into an aircon specialist today hoping I'd just need a gas refill. They refilled the gas and nothing changed. They reckon the compressor is at fault (And given there's no noticeable change in engine load etc. whether the econ mode is on or off, it seems their diagnosis is likely to be correct). They did say there were no fault codes from the car though, so I would have thought the compressor not working would have flagged something. The car is definitely not cooling the air anyway. The aircon worked last summer, but it was never very strong - windows fogged up on wet humid days with 4 in the car.

I've been given the option of getting a second hand/reconditioned compressor or a new one, but not sure what the price will be overall - they'll get on to me when they know themselves. What should I expect to pay? Thankfully they will not charge me for more gas after the new compressor has been fitted, but they did charge €80 for the fill - expensive, but OK value by Irish standards, given the dealers quoted €150 for the same work...

[drefaldwyn]

I called into an aircon specialist today hoping I'd just need a gas refill. They refilled the gas and nothing changed. They reckon the compressor is at fault (And given there's no noticeable change in engine load etc. whether the econ mode is on or off, it seems their diagnosis is likely to be correct). They did say there were no fault codes from the car though, so I would have thought the compressor not working would have flagged something. The car is definitely not cooling the air anyway. The aircon worked last summer, but it was never very strong - windows fogged up on wet humid days with 4 in the car.

I've been given the option of getting a second hand/reconditioned compressor or a new one, but not sure what the price will be overall - they'll get on to me when they know themselves. What should I expect to pay? Thankfully they will not charge me for more gas after the new compressor has been fitted, but they did charge €80 for the fill - expensive, but OK value by Irish standards, given the dealers quoted €150 for the same work...

My A/C compressor packed in last year - made a squeaking noise when switched on + no cold air. Estimated cost for sorting ...... over £750!! (maybe more!!) so I decided to live without A/C (I am in UK so A/c only needed on a few days a year LOL!). I spoke to my local independant (DSB Autocare) and decided to "short circuit" the compressor pulley by fitting a shorter drive belt - £28 all in! I'll live without A/C and enjoy the improvement in MPG. How on earth did I manage in the 1960's without aircon? Easy - opened a window!

Dave

[gwm97e]

how do you refill your aircon in skoda octavia 2? mine hasnt worked since i bought it ,

Kwikfit (spit..) do a 'recharge or no charge' deal - 'We will replace and recharge lubricant and refrigerant levels in line with your manufacturer’s recommendation. If we cannot improve the coolest vent temperature from your car by more than 10% when measured in degrees Celsius - then you pay nothing at all'

see http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?f=1&t=924 for more detailed discussion

If they can't acheive the temperature drop, because there is a leak or your compressor's goosed, then you pay nothing, at which point you take it to a specialist to find out what is actually wrong with it.

Edited 14 May, 2010 by gwm97e

[WaveyDaveyGravy]

Yes but if you go to Kwikfit they'll point out how all your dampers are leaking and want to put on a new set...