Just taken my 05 Octavia Estate to have the air con re-gassed but they said it has a leak. They put some uv dye in the system and said to go back in 2 weeks, still took the full £30 for the re-gas though despite my protests. My question for you all is whether anyone has had to have their air con system fixed following a leak and how much they had to pay out? I know it will depend on what's gone wrong and where the leak is, just looking for a high/low cost idea???

Can't complain at £30!

Knowing there is a leak, and still filling it is simply not allowed by EU regulations: You're exposing refrigerant to the air eventually. Only small amounts are allowed. But running 2 weeks will most likely expose more refrigerant.

 

They should do a pressuretest using nitrogen to find the leak, or use an electronic leak detector. Finding the leak can be done in 30min, unless its in a very strange spot. Most common issues are the condensor and dryer. In both cases, they have to be replaced (at the MK2 its usually 1 piece)

Also, there are some more blends which are working even better than a test with nitrogen. Commonly used is a blend of 95% Nitrogen and 5% hydrogen, along with a good leak detector or leak detecting spray. This also can spot leaks in the evaporator (altough they are less common)

 

With the AC running, pressures are high, and it doesn't take 2 weeks to find the spot. If you have an UV torch I think you can spot it within a few days, especially if its one of the common issues. 

 

For the price, its not that bad, but their way of work indicates me they use aircon as some additional profit, and they don't have much serious expertise in aircons. 

 

A good specialist can usually find leaks very fast and have the proper equipement to diagnose this.

 

Edited 17 July, 20187 yr by DJSmiley