Hi,

 

I was hoping for some guidance/video on an air con regas for a 2015 Fabia. Has anyone found anything like this or has done it themselves and can offer some tips? Advice on parts required/VFM suppliers would also be a great help. Thank you.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

 

2 hours ago, RV3 said:

Has anyone found anything like this or has done it themselves

Not legally under UK laws anyway they haven't.

1. You cant acurately measure how much youre putting in

2. Its illegal to work with refridgerents without proper training

3. The system may have a leak

4. You are not purging the system properly to remove moisture and air

5. By the time youve purchased everything its the price of a regas

6. You cant fill your car with pressure alone, needs to be weighed in

 

7. Just dont do it, take it to somewhere with an actual machine that will do a leak test (albeit a useless leak test 99% of the time) and top your car with the correct weight of gas

 

 

Also, why does it need a refill, where has the gas gone?

I agree with all of the above especially the last sentence, I do however have a comment on number 6.

 

I have a manifold set, vacuum pump and R134a cylinder, I have tried using electronic luggage scales to show the weight of refrigerant going in but the things keep cutting out or resetting in the time it takes.

 

Its not the ideal situation but I have found that with knowledge and experience you can fill from empty or top up by watching the interaction of the high & low pressure guages, it is after all how all skilled AC fitters did it before they made idiot (not) proof machines to do the job for idiots.

 

Whether I am topping up or refilling from a vacuum I stop as soon as the guages react as they should, its probably a little bit less than a full charge and in the month that follows if I dont feel the system is performing as it should I will try again and usually there is a small uptake of refrigerant, this used to make me feel there was a leak but I havn't had to do it again in the 2 years since and its coping well with the constant 40° plus weather currently here.

Thank you both. I'll take it to the garage rather than attempt it myself then. Just trying to upskill and save money where possible. It looks like it is possible to do yourself on other cars. Granted they look like older cars in the online tutorials. 

 

I just assumed it needs a refill as the air isn't cold and it is generally all I recall seeing advertised for air con. 

 

Is there any troubleshooting I can go through to figure out what the issue may be if not a lack of gas? 

 

Do you use Haynes or any other useful manuals for repairs and maintenance? I know my father has used Haynes in the past for Fords but unsure if the Skoda material is any good. 

14 hours ago, RV3 said:

It looks like it is possible to do yourself on other cars.

Not legally. Oh and I wouldn't go near a Skoda stealer with a job like this; look in Yell.com for mobile air conditioning service.

What law am I breaking Ken and what are the penalties?

18 hours ago, RV3 said:

Just trying to upskill and save money where possible. It looks like it is possible to do yourself on other cars.

 

That was exactly why I invested in the gear, that and being fed up with Fast-Fit type places here ripping me off, stealing my refrigerant and giving me BS.

 

It can be done on VAG vehicles just like any others, they all have the standard dry break connection couplings, I'm just waiting for confirmation of how much jail time I will have to serve!!!

@KenONeill I do not believe there is actually a law preventing a private individual re-gassing their own aircon system, hence why you can buy the kit to do so. 
 

Please feel free to provide evidence to the contrary. 

 

 

27 minutes ago, Titanium_Man said:

@KenONeill I do not believe there is actually a law preventing a private individual re-gassing their own aircon system, hence why you can buy the kit to do so. 
 

Please feel free to provide evidence to the contrary. 

 

 

OK; it is illegal for anyone except a licenced practitioner of A/C maintenance to buy either of the main working fluids used in automotive A/C.

22 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

OK; it is illegal for anyone except a licenced practitioner of A/C maintenance to buy either of the main working fluids used in automotive A/C.

So, in English, it’s not illegal for a private individual to buy and use a self-regas kit. Do you agree?

If you feel that the fridge charge loss is just due to normal leakage due to the materials used or needing to be used, then maybe check out Groupon or some other source and find an ATS discount price for a recharge - if the system is still relatively leak tight.

 

My wife's August 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI seems to be relatively leak tight, or free from gross enough leaks, I've had it recharged twice, the refill keeps the system running during a normal British Summer, though the AC system starts logging "low pressure" from November onwards.

Now, I have an F-Gas certificate so I probably should not morally be doing this, but to date I have not been able to locate the actual leak site, I'm hoping that it is on the inner face of the condenser and I need to remove the front of that car and find out if there are any traces of system oil mist anywhere on the condenser, if there isn't then - I'll be a bit annoyed!

 

Edit:- we have just been away for a few days, my wife "reminded" me that there are ATS recharge deals on Groupon - before opening her side window!

Edited 20 July, 20223 yr by rum4mo

What is relevant is not about doing topping up.

It is removing old gas and H20 and the disposal. 

2 hours ago, Titanium_Man said:

So, in English, it’s not illegal for a private individual to buy and use a self-regas kit. Do you agree?

Quite the reverse; self-regas kits that contain real refrigerants are illegal for an unlicensed person to:-

1. Buy
2. Use

18 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Quite the reverse; self-regas kits that contain real refrigerants are illegal for an unlicensed person to:-

1. Buy
2. Use

Yeah they do contain real refrigerants. Well spotted 👏
 

However, as Roottoot has said, the regs are for the safe discharging and removal of said f-gasses by qualified techs (pretty sure it goes on to say when using a third party machine to do so, but had a few beers now!)

 

These kits don’t actually remove the refrigerant that’s in the system, they simply top it up and therefore don’t fall under these regulations and aren’t illegal to use as a result. That’s how they (Halfords and the like) get around it. 
 

This exact topic was part of a discussion during the F-gas qualification that I attained last year….. 

Edited 20 July, 20223 yr by Titanium_Man

As someone who has bought a 13kg R134a cylinder some of which I have used I ask Ken once again please what law have I broken and what is the penalty?

39 minutes ago, Titanium_Man said:

the regs are for the safe discharging and removal of said f-gasses

Sort of right; You've ignored the bit where it's illegal for anyone, even a licenced technician, to refill or "top up" a leaking system, and if you don't know how much gas was in the system you don't know it doesn't have a leak.

35 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Sort of right; You've ignored the bit where it's illegal for anyone, even a licenced technician, to refill or "top up" a leaking system, and if you don't know how much gas was in the system you don't know it doesn't have a leak.

I haven’t ignored it, it just wasn’t relevant at that point of discussion….. more to the point, I’ll reiterate the fact that the legislation is around the discharge and refilling (which includes the precursor and legal requirement to check that there are no leaks in the system prior to recharge by said qualified tech, which is the actual illegal bit) and no specific requirement to ensure that you know exactly how much a private person is putting in a system, which is how the likes of Halfords get away from selling these refill kits. 

 

 

I am buying a 2016 Fabia TSI estate and when I rang the local Skoda dealer to try and get any service records I was advised to have the air con re gassed if it hadn`t been done in the past.

Surely it only needs doing if it isn`t efficient anymore or there is a leak.

Why would they recommend doing this? (£££ possibly)

17 minutes ago, Mugwamp said:

....Why would they recommend doing this? (£££ possibly)

I'd wager this is the reason.

Maybe they should recommend changing the air in the tyres too.

You know, just in case ...... 🙄

Hello, welcome to the forum.

Provided the AC appears to be running efficiently, almost certainly an attempt to upsell an unneeded service.

If this is an indication of their 'services' I'd consider someone else for future servicing requirements.

They are very expensive aswell.

£600 for a cam belt replacement.

Luckily I have a really good,trustworthy local garage that has looked after my VW UP! for the last six years.

On 18/10/2025 at 10:39, Mugwamp said:

rang the local Skoda dealer to try and get any service records

Service records (such as they are) will be on the computer, well those that have been put on the computer or perhaps previous owner(s) might have kept paper printed copies (as well as the invoices/bills for the servicing and maintenance). There can be "individual record" for the one visit or "complete record" for to that date and the VWŠkoda HQ record ("Service History Certificate") of what's been put on the computer. All could have errors but mostly don't but won't should all work done.

On 18/10/2025 at 11:05, Mugwamp said:

£600 for a cam belt replacement.

The 5 year /50k-miles replacement scam that VWŠkoda was previously pulling has been, er, pulled, as of 1st July 2023, see -

CamBeltchangechange.pdf

As you probably know important things are brakes, steering and suspension, the tyres are part of all three so their age and condition is important.

For (what VWŠkoda call their "service" and "maintenance") some consider regular timely brake fluid changes are important, others aren't concerned. For the engine regular and timely engine oil and filter changes and and also engine air filter and spark plugs changes.

DSG boxes have oil changes too.

VWŠkoda Dealership "services" are basically little more than an engine and oil filter change and a "free health report" looking for more chargeable work, the maintenance schedule covers a little more but not much. A car with a full Dealership service history wouldn't be considered fully and properly serviced by many of us (older) owners.

HTH.