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Topic: DIY A/C ? (Read 587 times) |
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Scorpio_Mike
Senior Member
Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 V6 & 2.8 Sierra XR4i 4x4
Posts: 2354
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Noticed in Halfords ealier today that they are selling A/C top-ups and a tester for around £20 to check if your A/C has the correct amount of gas in it.
Anyone tried these ?
Just want to know if they are worth bothering with - or will I end up going to a specialist anyway ?
Thanks.
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Star sign is Scorpio !
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scorpio_man
Administrator
Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #1 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 5:12pm » |
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hi there
you'll end up going to an a/c guy anyway. i got a kit of ebay. it did what it said on the tin, but there's a bit more to a/c than that. a lot more actually!
i got it because i knew my compressor was leaking badly and i had the harewood house trip to do, 400+miles with no a/c  .
handy wee gauge, though.
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craig
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on Apr 16th, 2007, 5:12pm, scorpio_man wrote:hi there
you'll end up going to an a/c guy anyway. |
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best leave that side of things to the experts as they have all the correct equipment
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pete from Hull
Senior Member
Non Scorpio at the moment, but still interested...
Posts: 1365
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 6:02pm » |
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When they do your aircon they pull it all out and remove the moisture, it is then wheighed and topped up to the correct amount, at same time the system is checked for leaks and supposed functions although I don't think many know the system on the scorp... Just had mine sorted ... Again 
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sector-9
Senior Member
No scorpio anymore
Posts: 1069
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 7:04pm » |
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The DIY kits do work, but are only really suitable for topping up. If you know you just need to bring it up to pressure again then fine, but as others have pointed out, if you're wanting to do the bi-annual service then you'll need to take it to a specialist and have them discharge it thoroughly, evacuate it and then recharge with the correct amount of gas and compressor oil.
FWIW, the guy who does my a/c re-gas charges £50 - at the time Halfords were charging £40 for the DIY kit so it wasn't really worth it considering that I could just watch an expert do it properley for the extra tenner. Me being me though, I did still buy the DIY kit and have a go myself first. 
If you do decide to go down the DIY route (and there's nothing stopping you if you know your a/c system only needs topping up), then make sure that the supplied gauge/filler pipe is securely connected to the low pressure tap otherwise you'll get false readings, waste gas, and possibly overcharge the system like I did - a compressor cycling on and off every second or so makes low speed manoevering very interesting! 
Darren
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scorpio_man
Administrator
Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 7:10pm » |
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on Apr 16th, 2007, 7:04pm, sector-9 wrote: a compressor cycling on and off every second or so makes low speed manoevering very interesting!
Darren |
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Dave
Senior Member
Tourmallard 24v (ex-owner)
Posts: 1984
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #6 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 9:22pm » |
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I have used the kit twice now for topping up the system. It was barely working before, little or no cooling effect. Both times it has restored cold airflow.
If your system is not working and hasn't been working for some time it might be best to get it properly checked out. Mine had been regassed professionally about a year before using the DIY kit so I took the chance that a top up was all that was required.
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Scorpio_Mike
Senior Member
Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 V6 & 2.8 Sierra XR4i 4x4
Posts: 2354
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #7 on: Apr 16th, 2007, 9:28pm » |
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Thanks for the tips and advice everyone !
As I've only just got the car 3 days ago and I don't know when the A/C was last checked / gassed I think I'll leave it to the professionals this time.
A/C seems to be working fine, just want to make sure it is all OK.
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Sierra XR4i's are great...especially when fitted with 4WD
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ColinE
Junior Member
I'm a YaBB newbie!
Posts: 94
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #8 on: Apr 17th, 2007, 10:21am » |
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Hi Darren
That seems cheap to regas the A/C, I have had a quote from a local garage £85 + vat, and another from the garage that serviced my Jaguar for £90.
Colin
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1995 2 litre Scorpio Ultima
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TiberiuS
Senior Member
Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
Posts: 2257
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #9 on: Apr 17th, 2007, 12:05pm » |
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on Apr 17th, 2007, 10:21am, ColinE wrote:Hi Darren
That seems cheap to regas the A/C, I have had a quote from a local garage £85 + vat, and another from the garage that serviced my Jaguar for £90.
Colin |
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Aye up Colin, so that's you over on Jag-Lovers with the 3.2 XJ8 . How's it running now? Sorted your starting prob?
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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ColinE
Junior Member
I'm a YaBB newbie!
Posts: 94
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #10 on: Apr 17th, 2007, 7:16pm » |
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Hi
Yes sorted,I sent you a post just to see if it was the same person, you must have missed it.
Its a long story, but after changing the fuel pump relay it seemed to cure the problem, then I could not get it started at all, when the RAC guy came he told me it was flooded, no onbe upto this time had told me not to switch off the engine until the Temp. was up.
Then a guy onthe site posted a TSB about flooding issued by Jaguar, I spoke to the local dealer they did not want to know, the guy walked away from me while we were talking, I was given another dealer in Guildford
who was completely differant, they could not have been more helpful, I had the TSB done, reflashing the ecu, so far so good, a couple of monthes now.
I was getting scared to take the car out incase I could not get it started.
Thanks for the contact.
Colin
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1995 2 litre Scorpio Ultima
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sector-9
Senior Member
No scorpio anymore
Posts: 1069
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #11 on: Apr 17th, 2007, 10:36pm » |
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on Apr 17th, 2007, 10:21am, ColinE wrote:Hi Darren
That seems cheap to regas the A/C, I have had a quote from a local garage £85 + vat, and another from the garage that serviced my Jaguar for £90.
Colin |
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AutoKool, Chesterfield area, just off J31 of the M1. Of course, unless you're fairly local then your jag would use more fuel than you'd save on the re-gas!
Darren
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TiberiuS
Senior Member
Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
Posts: 2257
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Re: DIY A/C ?
« Reply #12 on: Apr 18th, 2007, 12:00am » |
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Guys, the charge also lubricates the compressor, a regas is cheaper than a new compressor later down the line. Had my Scorp for over 2 years, luckily the AC still worked fine when I sold it, turning it off can do more harm than good, the seals harden and the gas leaks out...like with old fridges .
Sorry for the OT with Colin, remember the name from a while back and wondered if it was the same chappie . Colin, never got any messages from you, either here or over on J-L, I'd have replied...glad you got the prob sorted .
Regards, Bruce.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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