Hi,

I have a 1.6sx with aircon 40k on the clock and 99-V. I have had it a year and i don't think that the aircon has been recharged.

I tried this;


"If the cars a MK2 set the heater control dials to HI the middle one to '0' and the third one to MAX DEF. Do this with the car switched off. Then put the key inside and turn it till the ignition lights come on. Within 10secs turn the knob from '0' to auto, back to '0', then again to 'auto' then back to '0'. Then look at the LCD display on the dashboard, if an error code appears theres a problem with the air con system. If no error appears then you probably need the air conditioning regassing."

and i got a read out of "CLi" then a "00" which i take to be Climate Control error "00" i.e. no error (but i may be wrong).

Hence i went to Halford and Ebay and found these;

Top up Kits


Just wanted to know the following;

1) has anyone has used one?
2) how much gas do i need?
3) where the nipple is that i connect to?

Just any advice anyone has. If i get no replies i think i will spend the £40 and just have a go and report back?

Thanks

Daniel

For the price I'll be taking mine to F.A.S.T to be topped up. Especially if it needs a lot of gas

I think Halfords do a free check, perhaps worth seeing if they do or another garage air con place does, and if you need it done you'll know. Of course i woulnt dream of actually letting halfords refill my air con, but i would imagine its a kind of pressure gauge they use. so they shouldnt be able to do too much damage with it!

mountainmachine said:

I think Halfords do a free check, perhaps worth seeing if they do or another garage air con place does, and if you need it done you'll know. Of course i woulnt dream of actually letting halfords refill my air con, but i would imagine its a kind of pressure gauge they use. so they shouldnt be able to do too much damage with it!

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Yes but i meant that you do it yourself for that price!

djrpowell said:

Yes but i meant that you do it yourself for that price!

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I dont get it, you'd be getting a free check to see if it needed topped up.

If it did you could go elsewhere and choose to get the system professionally cleaned and re gassed for the £40 you'd be spending on a diy kit?

Rather than spending £40 to find it doenst need re gassed as your compressors broken?

I'm all for diy, but if i can get a garage or somewhere to check something for free with professional equipment then i would.

Sorry to be clear;

Halfords do a kit for £40 with pressure gauge. Then you just buy the gas next time for £15.

Ebay also do one for about £35.

The Fiat Garage want £80 simply to recharge. I think i have to pay for a check.

Hope that is clearer!

Thanks

Daniel

Or use an independent who'll have everything he needs to test which coolant is in, if there are any leaks, dispose safely and legally of any old coolant etc etc for around £40-50. Just remember you cant mix coolant types, so be sure you have the exact one thats in your system already.

Its worth shopping around, and if you think the DIY kit suits you then thats fine. Keep us posted on how it goes etc. Make sure you get a diy kit that includes the replacement oil, as thats what keeps the seals etc in good order. Also be very careful with the old refrigerants as depending on the type they could be very toxic to either you and/or the environment.

Well i did it. I went to Halfords and got the kit with the gauge. The nozzle attached no problems above the air con pump to the left of the engine bay near the radiator.

The gauge said it was a little low, so i added a small amount. Then it seemed fine. However, no change on the cold front!!!!!

I also checked my saab 95 which does work fine and that pressure was good so did not add any gas. (also the position of the nozzle was better - saab engineering!)

Also i now have the pressure gauge kit and a large bottle of gas mostly unsed.

Not sure now what the problem is but would reccomend the kit. Any ideas?

Did you recharge with engine running and air con on?
Did the compressor actually start up?
Are the pipes actually getting cold at all?
Have a look here. Great sound track!
http://www.id-usa.com/how_to_videos.asp

It really is better to have an air con engineer have a look most of the time, there's plenty in yellow pages who will give you a free report and estimate. A top up is ok if you know what you're doing. Do some reading!

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/acrecharge.htm

http://www.aircondition.com/wwwboard/

http://www.eurocarparts.com/forum/default.asp

God i wish i saw that link before i meesed around!

Very good video and points. I will check them all tonight and get back to you.

Thanks again

Daniel

Now I have seen it the little wheel inside the main wheel which the engine runs is not turning when i kick in the AC.

So maybe i have a dodgy coil???

Does anyone know which connections to check and where they are?

Thanks

Daniel

Is the pressure OK now? If it is low the switch (quad or triple depending) will stop the electric clutch engaging. If tat is ok the problem may be corrosion on the pins of the relalys in the box in front of the battery, I was pointed here when I joined the forum and found some problems. On the 1.8 you can just remove an induction flexible pipe, take out one 10 mm bolt and there they are. Maybe just unplugging them, cleaning off the crud and putting them back in with a squirt of WD40 will solve your problem. I do have the 1.6SX circuit and can scan it and post in my pics, but you need to be able to understand it to use it. While you are in that box there are a couple of fuses there as well, have alook at them.

pressure is fine.

I will check that out.

Also i will place a cable from the pos on the battery to the connection on the compressor and see if that fires it up.

Will check later.

Thanks

Daniel

Hi,

If you check the photos you will see wire above my Air Con Compressor. This should have a voltate when it is on. However, there is nothing there.

Also when take a 12V connection off the car battery the compressor spins around and cluch also.

So it must be an electrical problem. However, i have tried all the fuses i can see but nothing seems to either relate to the air con or is broken.

I have checked all i could find. Looked in my crappy Porters Manual and also the main one.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Daniel

Those big fuses near the firewall are unlikey to have popped, Did you find the relay box in front of the battery yet? The relay controlling the clutch is in there, it's fuse plate 2 relay K143. While you are looking for it try to find the pressure switch, this is either on, or mounted on a short pipe from the reciever drier. This is a silver tube about 6" by 2" dia mounted behind the nearside headlight in front of the wheel, really buried! Once you have found it you can short the pressure switch and see if thats faulty.
Did you check the fuses inside the car? Some of them are air con related.

you can not check gas properly with a gauge.when you have recharge all gas removed and checked on scales.It is cleaned of any contamants ,the old oil is removed and the system is vacumed for about 15 min,new oil is put in and r134a gas is put in, the amount is under the bonnet on a sticker .There is a pressure switch in the system if not enough gas the clutch will not kick in you can see it turning .dont wait untill heat wave get it done now. I have a machine and i am mobbed when its hot .Run air con once a month in winter to keep it working well. I charge £40

thanks will try and find that but cannot remember seeing what you mean. My car (1.6 99 estate) seems different to everything i can find!

These fuses on the picture are the ones behind the battery. But are ok

Renegade_8 said:

Those big fuses near the firewall are unlikey to have popped, Did you find the relay box in front of the battery yet? The relay controlling the clutch is in there, it's fuse plate 2 relay K143. While you are looking for it try to find the pressure switch, this is either on, or mounted on a short pipe from the reciever drier. This is a silver tube about 6" by 2" dia mounted behind the nearside headlight in front of the wheel, really buried! Once you have found it you can short the pressure switch and see if thats faulty.
Did you check the fuses inside the car? Some of them are air con related.

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Err when did "in front" mean "behind"?

Here you go, the shiny 10mm bolt is a new one I put in after fixing the problem on my car. It's between the friopnt of the battery and the inlet air trunk. This is a 1.8 but the 1.6 has a very similar circuit.

Thanks for that.

Checked the relays and shorted them to check, eventually found the right one (again due to FIAT's crappy naming system)

Not any better here.

So took it to "Mark Lightfoot" in ilkeston.

he looked it up and down then said that these kits are crap and showed me that the pressure guage states the aircon is gassed even when not.

then put it on his machine and vacuumed it out, injected 600g of gas with dye and oil.

Now works fine.

Took my £40 pressure gauge and gas back to halfords told them it was faulty and got my money back. Total cost for messing for 15 mins and regas of £70.

My advice as said go to the garage. However, also don't go to halfords their units simply don't work.

Thanks for all the help guys.

hopefully the pictures here etc.. will help others.

Daniel