Technical AC not working on 1.2 petrol Easy+

[Kryten]

Hello everyone,
Kryten has been behaving himself for ages, so I've not been around here for a while.
But now, the AC has stopped working for cool air. The heater works just fine. After two days of diagnostics, my local (non-dealer) garage are sure that it's either the dashboard switch or the body control module.
They've bypassed the ECU and can get it to run, they've checked the bus/cables between the ECU and body control module, and they're apparently good hence their conclusions.
But to be sure of which, they think the whole dash will need to come out. Does that sound right? Is there any simpler method? I would have hoped that the switch at least could be removed quite easily.
Many thanks in advance!

 

[AndyRKett]

Hello everyone,
Kryten has been behaving himself for ages, so I've not been around here for a while.
But now, the AC has stopped working for cool air. The heater works just fine. After two days of diagnostics, my local (non-dealer) garage are sure that it's either the dashboard switch or the body control module.
They've bypassed the ECU and can get it to run, they've checked the bus/cables between the ECU and body control module, and they're apparently good hence their conclusions.
But to be sure of which, they think the whole dash will need to come out. Does that sound right? Is there any simpler method? I would have hoped that the switch at least could be removed quite easily.
Many thanks in advance!

Has it been gassed up ? This sounds like a simple case of needing a regas, all these things they’ve looked at but the gas seems absent from the tests bypassing the ECU, suggests there is a reason that the ECU won’t let it run…. Such as not having enough gas pressure

 

[Kryten]

Hi Andy,
Yes, it was gassed last October and that's all been checked.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

If they’re suggesting the dash needs to come out to reach the body computer, that’s not correct. It is at the back of the glovebox (and same unit as the fuse box). The glovebox ‘box’ itself can be removed separately. There is a gas pressure sensor somewhere in the pipework but I don’t know where. However, all except the very last part of that is under the bonnet.

 

[AndyRKett]

Hi Andy,
Yes, it was gassed last October and that's all been checked.

When you say checked, what have they done this time. Perfectly reasonable if there is a slow leak the gas can be low again.

I don’t agree with taking the whole dash out for this, I’d question if the garage know what they’re doing

 

[The Panda Nut]

If the gas pressure has been checked and is correct. MES can do this. Then move on to electrics. You can check the switch with MES and I cant understand a dealer not being able to eliminate this with diagnostics. Our aircon failed when a stone had holed the condenser and we lost gas. I would ask an aircon specialist first.