General How can I turn on the air conditioner ?

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General How can I turn on the air conditioner ?

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Jan 31, 2011
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I've bought a marea liberty 1.6 (2004) a week ago.
I don't know how can i turn on it.Can you help me ?
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You should be able to set it between 18 and 30 degrees and the car will try to keep the cabin at that temperature.

You then also have the "LO" and "HI" which will run the airconditioning at full to lower the temperature as much as it can, or run the heating circuit to warm the car as much as it can.

So find how warm you like the car, set it to auto, and forget it. It does all the adjustment.

If you find it doesn't cool the air when set to "LO" then the chances are it needs re-gassing, or there is a leak.
 
You should be able to set it between 18 and 30 degrees and the car will try to keep the cabin at that temperature.

You then also have the "LO" and "HI" which will run the airconditioning at full to lower the temperature as much as it can, or run the heating circuit to warm the car as much as it can.

So find how warm you like the car, set it to auto, and forget it. It does all the adjustment.

If you find it doesn't cool the air when set to "LO" then the chances are it needs re-gassing, or there is a leak.
Thanksss ! :):):)
 
If you find it doesn't cool the air when set to "LO" then the chances are it needs re-gassing, or there is a leak.

Hi there. Just thought I'd point out that there is no such thing as re-gassing. AC systems are like fridges, they are sealed and don't require any topping up. If it's low on gas then you definitely have a leak :D

Also when was the last time your AC was serviced? Many people forget that they need servicing and after a long period you can find poor performance.
It could just need a new receiver drier of it could have a blocked tx valve.

Plus check that your ac pump pulley engages when your ac turns on and that your revs adjust accordingly.
 
The a/c wont kick in below a certain temp, 7C?. When it does if you have the car idling and the window down you can hear a clunk as the electromagnetic clutch is energised. If that happens you have gas as it wont go in if pressure is low. The gassing points are next to the compressor, any competent a/c fitter can check and re-gas if needed, every 5 years would be about normal. Worse than that and they can put a tracer dye in to find the leak. When its working it will keep the car ice cold on a hot day.
 
Hi there. Just thought I'd point out that there is no such thing as re-gassing. AC systems are like fridges, they are sealed and don't require any topping up. If it's low on gas then you definitely have a leak :D

Also when was the last time your AC was serviced? Many people forget that they need servicing and after a long period you can find poor performance.
It could just need a new receiver drier of it could have a blocked tx valve.

Plus check that your ac pump pulley engages when your ac turns on and that your revs adjust accordingly.

this suggests you can lose coolant over time: http://www.coolcaraircon.co.uk/questions.htm
 
this suggests you can lose coolant over time: http://www.coolcaraircon.co.uk/questions.htm

Sorry I don't mean to be a pain but I don't quite beleive that link. I've been doing auto airconditioning for quite some time now and I've never came across a vehicle thats needed a gas up for no reason.
Whenever we get a vehicle with low gas our procedure is to search the system for a leak with a leak detector (and a UV light if a dye has previously been added). If no leak has been detected, we top up the system and add a UV dye and get the customer back later (depending on how often they use their vehicle) and we will definitely find a leak.

Don't get me wrong, I could be wrong but with theory all I know is what I learnt in polytech which is that it's impossible for gas to escape a properly sealed system (apart from the use of connecting manifold gauges where only a very tiny amount can possibly lost) and we were also told that some places offer "recharging" as a way to make a quick buck.

Again, I'm not trying to be a pain :eek:
 
Any car A/C WILL leak, meanly by the compressor seals,( but at other connections as well...) up to 10% a year is considered average.
It is NO sealed/closed system like a fridge.
So regassing every 2-5 years is absolutely normal.
I have my car serviced every two years, and although it cools fine, everytime it needs about 150-200 grams of R134A to top up the total of 750 grams.
www.autoacforum.com
 
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Any car A/C WILL leak, meanly by the compressor seals,( but at other connections as well...) up to 10% a year is considered average.
It is NO sealed/closed system like a fridge.
So regassing every 2-5 years is absolutely normal.
I have my car serviced every two years, and although it cools fine, everytime it needs about 150-200 grams of R134A to top up the total of 750 grams.
www.autoacforum.com

150 - 200 grams is quite a bit. Sounds like you have a leak yourself mate. A decent leak detector will pick up any micro scopic leaks. I have fixed plenty of vehicles that hasn't been serived ever, some as old as twenty years and they haven't lost a single bit. If your compressor is not 100% sealed it will leak oil and can lead to some major problems. If an AC system is not sealed it will not work properly or as efficiently.

And tinytim is right. Most AC pump seals are damaged from people not using their AC regularly, especially in winter time. Then when it comes to summer we get a lot of business from people wondering why their AC doesn't work when is was perfect last summer.
 
Below 5-7 degrees Celsius, no car A/C will work, so if temps are low ( winter) the system stops, no matter what.
ALL car systems need toping up, some more, some less.
I service my Pontiac myself ( still have an amount of Freon R12), this car needs topping up every 5 years.
The A/C in the Fiat is working fine even with 100-150 grams less, no leaks to be detected.
Still I have it serviced every two years, been doing that since I own the car ( 8 yrs now..!)
Don't wait until the low charge indicator switch stops the system, have it checked every 2-4 years, and you'll be fine

And if car A/C systems wouldn't loose their charge over time, service centers wouldn't exist soon...!!
 
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My mitsi work horse of a van has never had it's AC topped up since my father bought it brand new back in '97 It's way overdue for a service. I only change the oil, cambelt and clutch when needed and it's almost done 350,000ks yet it still has'nt had an AC problem. Last month I evacuated the refrigerant from my alfa into an empty gas jug and it was the same amount as specified (750 if I remember correctly). The AC hadn't been serviced since it was changed from R12 to R134a back in '98

I'm not saying AC systems don't need servicing, usually you're meant to change your receiver drier every 2 years, the odd tx valve now and then and shim the pumps clutch. What I am saying is AC systems are meant to be sealed just like a fridge, but now and then you will get a leak because the systems are never perfect. Thats where AC specialists like myself come in, find the cause and make sure you won't need a top up :D
 
Fridges are slightly different. The job of the receiver/drier is to filter and trap any debris that could have got into the system during manufacture or service. You could also say it acts as a circuit protector in case a component like the pump stuffs itself and sends metal filings and debris through the circuit. The receiver drier also acts as a storage source for oil and refrigerant when neither are needed for system operation (such as during periods of low cooling demand) hence the receiver part of the name. As you may know a receiver drier also contains a desiccant that is used to absorb any moisture in the system (drying) because it's near impossible to not have any in the system when it is manufactured or serviced. When left unserviced the receiver/drier is prone to damage (especially in systems with condensers with built in receiver/driers bags) and the desiccant can be released into the circuit, clogging it and causing a big expensive repair job. For some reason I find this most commonly found on tractors. I guess you could say you service them for peace of mind.

A basic home refrigerator however is a slightly different low maintenance system and which don't run receiver/driers. A house fridge isn't exposed to everyday twists and bumps a vehicle normally would. But refrigeration systems on vehicles such as milk trucks usually run accumulators (which can also be found on some a/c systems (GM Ford)) which works in a very similar way but its main job is to isolate liquid refrigerant from being compressed or as we also know as "hydraulicking" Accumulators must be replaced regularly as part of service too
 
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