Hi guy's, I'm new but really need to pick your brain's immediately if that's ok. My AC stopped working slowly last year, it became increasingly ineffective, so I took it for a recharged and they said it wasn't holding gas, there was an leak. They aborted the process and I wasn't charged. Given the expense of having it leak tested, and the fact it's 9 years old, and seems to be constantly bumped into at the train station I just took what seemed to be the most likely cause and changed the condenser.

 

I had a mobile guy come around, he told me that it holds gas, but the compressor isn't producing enough pressure, he said he could replace it for £350, plus labour. This set off alarm bells, I became suspicious and declined the work. It seemed very expensive, and also a bit strange. Is it worth taking it today for a regas elsewhere, do the compressors usually fail in that way?

 

From my previous and quite extensive experience of running high mileage cars when the compressor goes it becomes noisy, or it works but the gas is quite rapidly lost.

 

Many thanks

Just to add, cars done 150,000 miles.

I took it yesterday to Kwik fit. They were good, it held gas, but wasn't producing cold air. But they guy plugged in his code reader, and when he cleared a pressure too high code it started working, but only for a minute then stopped working. Each time he cleared it worked for a a while then stopped. We've ordered a new compressor, but could it be the sensor do you think? Would the sensor give it's own code? Thanks 

Take it to an air con specialist - Kwik fit aren't. If you are not careful without a proper diagnosis you'll end up replacing every component in the system and be in danger of damaging other bits. The N280 control valve is a common fail and is a cheap component.

Edited 27 June, 20205 yr by bigjohn

Yeah, thanks. I only took it there for a regas, and to be fair they weren't trying it on. TBH, it's my mums car, and as we struggled to read the label on the compressor, my father just got a new unit. I would have preferred to have spent more time on it, but at £175 he's happy. Although, they offered a recon at £125 but this isn't new IMO. Still, comes with a two year warranty, so one hopes there not just changing the CV.

There were quite a few options available for the valve, I needed to see the brand to get the right one, also, with 150,000 miles on the car, I guess the old one was probably quite worn?

I had the same problem last year, aircon started been intermittent. So I went with the process of immolation, cheapest part first. Went for a regas and they stopped straight away and said the pressure is way too high you must have a blockage and we cant do anything. So looked into it and the compressor had packed in, similar to yours mine was 9 years old.had it replaced about £160 all in and its ice cold. My father in law owns a spares shop so I get every thing at cost. Another is the pressure switch to look out for, if there's no gas, they are known for leaking and are only £17 from Euro car parts. They are easy to change if you have the tools and are the same as the Mk5 golf,Audi A3 and the SEAT Leon.

9 hours ago, Big Lee said:

I had the same problem last year, aircon started been intermittent. So I went with the process of immolation, cheapest part first. Went for a regas and they stopped straight away and said the pressure is way too high you must have a blockage and we cant do anything. So looked into it and the compressor had packed in, similar to yours mine was 9 years old.had it replaced about £160 all in and its ice cold. My father in law owns a spares shop so I get every thing at cost. Another is the pressure switch to look out for, if there's no gas, they are known for leaking and are only £17 from Euro car parts. They are easy to change if you have the tools and are the same as the Mk5 golf,Audi A3 and the SEAT Leon.

How many miles had your car done at the time? 

New compressor fitted today, all good. I'm quite impressed with the company that supplied it TBH. Too 36 hours to arrive too

On 29/06/2020 at 10:22, henrydiscipline said:

How many miles had your car done at the time? 

Sorry only just seen this my car had done about 83k when I had it done.