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Air con re-gassing
Maria_Robinson
Posts: 3,004 Forum Member
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Anyone had this done? Never normally use mine but its been so hot lately but mine doesnt seem to make much difference in the car so suspect it needs a regas. Halfords are offering a deal but a friend used them to change bulbs in his car and they were a right dozy lot. Any opinions?:cool:
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U should use your ac at least on e a week
I wouldn't go to Kwik Fit even as a last resort!
I went to Kwikfit. The process took absolutely ages (maybe an hour hooked up to some automatic machine), probably to make it look worth the money, otherwise spending 20 seconds filling up with gas might not seem good value when you're spending £45.
It did make it much colder - for about 3 weeks. Then it was back as it was. There was clearly something else wrong but fixing it properly will cost a fortune. (A shame their highly sophisticated computerised equipment couldn't tell there was a problem and that regassing was futile.)
So use it all the time or certainly every week.
I find it if greatest use in the winter to demist the windscreens.
couldn't fault them.
you have to use the AC for a few hours monthly as it lubricates the the rubber 'o' rings, if you don't they become brittle and you lose the gas....yes lose, not loose
Never everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr go to Halfrauds/Kwikrip
so anybody not using their ac as they are being mingebags over petrol, beware.
that was a £400 repair..:o
If u don't use your AC hardly at all and have not looked after it through the years, u may discover that a simple £50 re-glass doesn't make much difference. The next step up from that is to have the AC serviced, which involves a full strip down of the system, replacement of vital filters, as well as re-gassing the system. On a regular car I would expect this to cost around £150.
AC is a chemical analogue system, it needs to be used once a week (approx) to keep the chemicals moving around. If it's left to stand the system can get blocked up. Also there is a risk of diseases growing inside a system that is never used or has not been serviced for many years.
Don't forget, with the temp set to hot, AC can still be used to help defrost and warm up a car in winter.
These rules also apply to climate control systems which are basically the same thing but with much more advanced control over the temp, much like a home central heating system.
AC or climate control is expensive if it fails like the pump goes, as happened on my last car. That little experience cost me nearly £600 (total price, parts, labour, vat). But generally that's not due to lack of use, just down to cr@p parts being used.
I would never buy a car for everyday use that didn't have AC. After getting back in the car after it's been standing in the sun is like sitting in an oven at the moment. Having the window down doesn't make much difference and ofcourse uses fuel just as having the AC on does. They don't measure the fuel economy in a wind tunnel with the windows open! It's also important to remember that having AC on +'windows open is a bad idea, the cold air will escape and the hot air will get in. It's fighting a loosing battle.
In my experience (and I log all petrol I use) it makes no difference whatsoever - I recall MythBusters did accurate tests, and found little difference.
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/air-conditioning-vs-windows-minimyth.htm
Just watched that clip - and it's NOT the same one as I saw on the TV previously?
I have a 2 litre and always have my AC on. It makes about 2mpg difference. The negligible amount is far out weighed by need to be comfortable and alert while driving.
They re-gassed the A/C and now the interior of my car is like being at the South Pole.
£50, and with an 18 months guarantee.
Mines only 1.3L, and I see no difference at all, sometimes it's higher with, sometimes higher without - depends entirely on the exact journey and traffic.
But regardless, I'd still have it on even if it did cost more
I don't have mine on if it's a cold day
Aircon is an increased load on the engine so there must be some extra fuel use, however negligable. It would be impossible for there not to be.
Has anyone done a test on fuel consumption with windows closed or open? A roof rack will destroy the aerodynamics of a car and increase fuel consumption as no doubt will open windows.
But you should if its wet as it stops the windows misting up
I think Mythbusters did a test like this some time ago, can't remember the outcome.
But I think at slow engine revs such as during town driving, opening the window and switching off AC gives the best results - open windows wont affect drag much at those speeds but turning on AC at low revs will make it work harder.
At higher speeds such as motorway driving, close the windows and turn on the AC - open windows will have a greater effect on wind resistance at higher speeds but turning on the AC while the engine is already at say 2000 revs wont result in the engine having to do much additional work.
I do, just increase the temperature if required
I do in the winter when it's misted up, but only until it's cleared - then it's not needed.