Technical Aircon Pump/Pipework Location Please?

[Rototype]

Hi Guys,

Another silly question from me, I want to look at re-gassing (with leak preventer first) the aircon on my 63 plate Doblo 1.6 MultiJet. Only one issue - I can't find where they've hidden it. There's definitely air-con in there somewhere because when I had it re-gassed last year (at Kwikfit) it worked perfectly for the rest of the summer and into the autumn until I stopped using it because the weather went cold. Tried it a few times so far this year and it just isn't getting cold so I presume all of the gas has escaped once more (hence wanting to add the leak preventer first this time).

The price of buying the kit to do the leak preventer then the regas is about the same price as taking it to the likes of Kwikfit and having them do it - only if some kind soul out there who's possibly done this themselves might be willing to tell me where to find the pump/pipework/regas connector? (I'm guessing it's probably going to be about as accessible as the oil filter)

Many Thanks in advance
Tim

 

[AndyRKett]

if it’s not working at all then you need to get it seen properly. it might not be working because of a compressor clutch problem or some other electrical issue.
equally a nice be stone may have punched a hole in the condenser and your filling of the system yourself will just consist of putting the gas in one end for it to pour out of the system somewhere else.
if the o-rings in the system have dried out and cracked then no amount of leak stop will help it, you need to replace the o-rings.
the fill ports are very easy to find on any car, as they have to be accessible for refilling, jsut look got the aluminium aircon pipes and follow them till you find the fill port. Honestly though let the professionals deal with it

 

[Rototype]

if it’s not working at all then you need to get it seen properly. it might not be working because of a compressor clutch problem or some other electrical issue.
equally a nice be stone may have punched a hole in the condenser and your filling of the system yourself will just consist of putting the gas in one end for it to pour out of the system somewhere else.
if the o-rings in the system have dried out and cracked then no amount of leak stop will help it, you need to replace the o-rings.
the fill ports are very easy to find on any car, as they have to be accessible for refilling, jsut look got the aluminium aircon pipes and follow them till you find the fill port. Honestly though let the professionals deal with it

If I was the sort of person that took a vehicle to a dealer the first time anything went wrong I wouldn't be on this forum. As for your reply you give no helpful advice at all, certainly nothing relevent to the vehicle in question.

If I can locate the Aircon pump (compressor) I can check if it has indeed been damaged or if there's any other issues BEFORE I have to spend an extortionate amount of money taking it to the so-called experts (like the ones who refilled it last year without bothering to check if there were any leaks). This vehicle is now coming up for 10 years old so I'm expecting it's probably dried up seals (which allegedly the leak-stop will fix - if I ever manage to get any information to sort this out I'll let you know if it works). Anything else I'll just drive it as if it doesn't have aircon because a big bill for new aircon isn't going to find any funding.

 

[vexorg]

follow the belt at the side of the engine...

 

[AndyRKett]

As for your reply you give no helpful advice at all, certainly nothing relevent to the vehicle in question.

Appoligies maybe I need to simplify my answer to make it more clear.

If the air condition is not working at all, then there can be a multitude of problems. Many of them are not something an home mechanic can do anything about.

If the compressor clutch has failed, then it may need a new compressor, this is not something you can do yourself because any remaining gas needs to be evacuated from the system and then re-added afterwards. You can observe the compressor all you like, chances are you will not see anything wrong with it visually. They are generally a sealed unit.

it worked perfectly for the rest of the summer and into the autumn until I stopped using it because the weather went cold. Tried it a few times so far this year and it just isn't getting cold so I presume all of the gas has escaped once more (hence wanting to add the leak preventer first this time).

Seeing as it worked for the rest of the summer and into the autumn it is safe to presume any test Kwikfit did last year would not have highlighted any leaks at all, whatsoever.

Equally I presume this is over a year ago now and in the time between you stopping using it in the cold weather, it is quite possible a stone or other debris off the road could have hit, and put a hole in the condenser. no amount of leak stop will fix this so you will needlessly waste a can of leak stop and potentially waste another aircon recharge. costing you >£100 for nothing. So you need to test the system to see if it is still holding pressure and the only way to do that, is with the aircon recharging machine that garages use.

It is a 10 year old car. The gas has leaked out of it twice now at least, if it is the seals that have broken down and cracked, again leak stop will not fix that, its like trying to plug a hole in a bbq gas canister and trying to plug it with chewing gum. These leak stop things are sold to the public with the false promise of actually doing anything, realistically they just separate you from your money. a couple of O-Rings are considerably cheaper.

Open the bonnet of any car and it is immediately obvious which pipes carry the aircon, they are bright sliver alloy pipes usually running around the side of the engine near the top of the engine bay, with valve that look like big tire valves. If you can't find them from this description you should really not be playing with them, Even when "empty" the gas can be under extremely high pressure and cause frost bite, asphyxiations or Subcutaneous emphysem or air embolism very easily and both of which can be life or limb threatening conditions.

Equally the compressor can be found by following the belt on the engine.

All of the above is why you should let an aircon "EXPERT" look at it. Not kwikfit or some other over priced road side tire place but an actual aircon place who know what to do with aircon. There refil prices are generally lower than the ripoff merchants at kwickfit and they will actually do a proper job to find and fix any leaks, or advise you if you need new parts like a condenser or compressor.