Hey guys.

Dads bugeye wrx's aircon has stopped working. Basically the clutch doesn't seem to engage and spin when the button is pressed to turn it on. Tried a relay from the air con in my car, no difference, and checked all the fuses. All seems well with that side of things. But yet no spinning air con thingy.

Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you're low on R134a refrigerant gas - just needs a top up unless there's a hole in the air-con rad, if not, A/C needs to be used for about an hour a month or so to keep the seals supple and gas tight. The R134a gas molecules are so small that leaks can be difficult to detect. A special dye can be used to try to locate leaks but it's not very effective as again, the dye molecules are bigger than the gas so it's not a fool proof method some of the time.

I work with these gases day in and day out and I know from experience that minute leaks are a real pitta to find

 

The clutch not engaging is to do with the gas??

 

Yes, there's a pressure switch up front towards the rad....

Mine lost all it's gas during the winter due to one of the pipes wearing through on the plastic clips on the chassis rail...

HTH

dunx

P.S. Mine passed a vacuum test but leaked instantly under pressure...

 

Interesting. I had no idea! Ok I'll get him to regas it and see what happens!