Technical Which type air conditioning gas

[fv43576]

My air conditioning is not very cold blow as it was before, I have never re-gas before there is gas canister for sale to DIY at home, there is two type of gas 134a or R12 but which is for my Punto?
There is two nibble with 'H' and 'L' which should I clip on it?
Are the gas dangerous to breath should I wear goggles and mask?:slayer:

 

[flisko]

everyone here would advise you against those diy gas canisters

 

[PuntoHowTo]

My air conditioning is not very cold blow as it was before, I have never re-gas before there is gas canister for sale to DIY at home, there is two type of gas 134a or R12 but which is for my Punto?
There is two nibble with 'H' and 'L' which should I clip on it?
Are the gas dangerous to breath should I wear goggles and mask?:slayer:

1. R12 is an old refrigerant used in old cars (circa 1980s and earlier) no car has used this since the 80s but if you have an old car that's what you have to use.

2. These kits usually will only fit the low pressure side 'L'. The reason being with the system running the air con compressor will be able to push gas back into the can if it was connected to the high pressure side 'H'.

3. DO NOT BOTHER BUYING ONE OF THESE KITS..! I cannot emphasise this enough, about 10 years ago getting your air con serviced and refilled would cost £80 - £100 and these kits at £40 were a very attractive option however they have a number of problems. Firstly they are not measured so you can risk overfilling the system and cause damage. If the system has a leak and all the gas has leaked out, the system may have moisture and air in it which once topped up will be cycled through the compressor and the receiver damaging them. When the gas has leaked out it usually pushes air con oil out with it, these kits do not contain oil (if they do its not enough) and the compressor will run dry and possibly seize if your compressor seizes then it will take out the aux belt and leave you with no alternator and no power steering, also if you have a 1.3 diesel like mine then no water pump!! Finally if you do have a leak then your £40 kit will be money down the drain and will be gone in a day or two.

Go to a proper service centre pay them the £50 to have a proper service and refill, they have to by law check for leaks and if they find anything will often not charge. I have done a lot of work on aircon systems in the past but due to the nature of the beast I will always pay a professional to do a full vacuum and refill.

 

[Kirok]

Is this aircon gas and oil the same as used in the Mk2 Punto with the 1.2 16V engine 188A5000.

 

[flisko]

Is this aircon gas and oil the same as used in the Mk2 Punto with the 1.2 16V engine 188A5000.

its same

 

[deeinlondon]

I got my Mk2 Punto Sporting Aircon regassed for £30 in Swindon - The mechanic has a special machine that he said costed £2,000 - it was all computerised - once he connected it up the machine did everything - spent 15 minutes sucking out all the old air in the aircon and then pressure testing - only after it passed the pressure testing did the machine put in new gas and oil. If it doesn't pass the pressure test you don't get charged.

I believe if you don't suck out all the air in the aircon before refilling then it can freeze and forms ice.

 

[Kirok]

I had my aircon looked at and the garage pressure tested it and re-gassed it but they said there was a problem with the condenser which was pressurizing the system too much. They then removed the gas and said I needed a new condenser. I'm not convinced that that's the problem. Isn't there a pressure valve of some kind located near the drier in the right hand wing, maybe that's the problem.

 

[flisko]

30 for refill is nothing compared to aircon gas in new cars

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I got my Mk2 Punto Sporting Aircon regassed for £30 in Swindon - The mechanic has a special machine that he said costed £2,000 - it was all computerised - once he connected it up the machine did everything - spent 15 minutes sucking out all the old air in the aircon and then pressure testing - only after it passed the pressure testing did the machine put in new gas and oil. If it doesn't pass the pressure test you don't get charged.

I believe if you don't suck out all the air in the aircon before refilling then it can freeze and forms ice.

That is exactly how they regas aircon these days.

And £30 is a standard price for a straightforward regas.

When you Create a vacuum as with an aircon system. The low pressure causes any water to boil and evaporate, getting sucked out as well. It's this water they need to remove as it can freeze but it's in tiny quantities it's not going to form any quantity of ice that would be a problem, more to the point it clogs the dryer and can damage the compressor.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I had my aircon looked at and the garage pressure tested it and re-gassed it but they said there was a problem with the condenser which was pressurizing the system too much. They then removed the gas and said I needed a new condenser. I'm not convinced that that's the problem. Isn't there a pressure valve of some kind located near the drier in the right hand wing, maybe that's the problem.

Load of rubbish take it too a different garage, the condenser is completely passive ad in no way can pressurise the system too much. The compressor pressurises the system and sensors prevent the pressure getting too high, the only problem that would occur as you suggest is if they over filled the system with too high a charge

 

[Brendan W]

I had my aircon looked at and the garage pressure tested it and re-gassed it but they said there was a problem with the condenser which was pressurizing the system too much. They then removed the gas and said I needed a new condenser. I'm not convinced that that's the problem. Isn't there a pressure valve of some kind located near the drier in the right hand wing, maybe that's the problem.

Miscommunication of some sort. The condenser is just a radiator just like the one at the back of the fridge in the kitchen. With my charitable hat on, could they have meant that it was blocked ?

 

[Kirok]

Brendan W well spotted, my mistake. I meant to say Compressor in my posts above. The garage said that the pressure was going too high with a new load of gas added so they removed it and suggested I need a new compressor.

 

[crazySnublz]

R134 gas is the gas to use, and as many people have said don't use the self re-gas canisters for 2 reasons:
1. Un metered amount of gas going in
2. Those canisters were deemed illegal as I am told by my coworker who is an air con certified mechanic, so why places still sell them is a mystery.
The condenser could still be the issue if it has damage to it which has crimped the core as this would increase the pressure.
But ideally take it to another garage who do a/c and if they come to the same conclusion then it's possible that the condenser is the issue.

Admittedly I had a swift come in the other week for condensation coming out of the vents, the condenser was in nearly new condition, so the only other option would be the FOT increasing the pressure to much and causing to much of a cooling effect