Air con

[postieboy]

My air con hasn't worked since I have had my Megane so decided to take a trip to kwik fit for air con service and gas refill.However they couldn't do it as there machine said there was a leak!
Not sure what to do now as I don't want to fork out alot on it and can do without as I have done for the last 8 months.Would be nice to get it going though,anyone had a leak in there air con?How much did you pay to get fixed?

[Paddy]

you have checked the fuses?

The dash light comes on?

[davelowe]

Don't activate the aircon until you have had it checked by another garage. The pump will not last long without lubricant. If they find no leak, all for the better. If they do, I have no idea.

[postieboy]

you have checked the fuses?

The dash light comes on?

Yep there ok.

Will get someone else to check it,thanks.

[Paddy]

Do you here a light 'click' when you press the AC button?

If not.. may be the relay.

[BlueMeganeII]

I have the same problem on my bag of electrical madness that is my Megane. Wheres the relay for the air con in the 2.0vvt Ulrich? I can't see it but may be confusing it with something else.

[davelowe]

Sorry to hijack the post - but one thing I have noticed is that the relay for the rear windscreen wiper clicks on and off in the UCH behind the glovebox. I mention this only as you might find the relay there (also for a range of other things).

[BlueMeganeII]

As in behind the glovebox inside the car or in the engine bay behind the battery?

[Paddy]

No behind the glovebox in the car.

You have to remove the glovebox to get to it.

[Zefek]

I have problem with AC too. Refill machine said there was a leak. I finded serviceman who make with AC. He filled circuit by nitrogen. There was heard leak from pipe about interface cab and engine. There are pipes connected to evaporator. I demontaged these pipes. On pipe is seal. It was cracked. I bought new seal in dealer. Serviceman filled circuit by nitrogen again and it's OK. Then he filled circuit refrigerant and AC is in good state.
When in circuit isn't refrigerant, doesn't may start AC!!

[davelowe]

I have problem with AC too. Refill machine said there was a leak. I finded serviceman who make with AC. He filled circuit by nitrogen. There was heard leak from pipe about interface cab and engine. There are pipes connected to evaporator. I demontaged these pipes. On pipe is seal. It was cracked. I bought new seal in dealer. Serviceman filled circuit by nitrogen again and it's OK. Then he filled circuit refrigerant and AC is in good state.
When in circuit isn't refrigerant, doesn't may start AC!!

I think to summarise - take the car to an air con specialist and have any problems rectified. They use the inert gas Nitrogen as opposed to refrigerant and oil because of regulations regarding releasing the gases into the atmosphere (bad for polar bears, ozone layer etc). As a side note, I don't really know why they don't use methane instead (aside from it being a greenhouse gas) - there is a wealth of technology regarding sniffers that all registered gas installers have. It would pinpoint a leak in seconds. How they differentiate leaking Nitrogen from the 80% in the air is a mystery to me (or maybe they don't).

Leaks from seals are common if the system isn't used regularly.

[Zefek]

They try by nitrogen that they fill circuit about 15bar. This pressure must be in circuit more then five minutes. I had problem with compressor. It didn't start after I AC switch on when cuircuit was under pressure nitrogen. So I had in circuit nitrogen one week. Pressure shouldn't go down.
Next possibility how to check AC circuit is fill about 5bar by refrigerant with oil and starts AC. With measuring equipment sensitiv on refrigerant is find leak.
When serviceman fills by refrigerant I said I want add contrast agent (UV) with refrigerant. It's substance it's see by UV lamp. When refrigerant is leaving contrast agent leave a trail on pipes.
I had seal very much cracked. I bought car older and somebody repair AC bad then I bought car.