Hi all had my aircon regassed about a month ago worked perfect only use car mainly weekends (v4 type-r) thought id take her out today put aircon on and air was not cold enough then popped bonnet and heard a metalic noise coming from aircon motor is it worth me just buying a 2nd hand one or reconing my unit? also ive heard the system has to be emptied of gas first?

thanks ian

 

Yep you should to get the gas removed first

Was the engine running when you heard the metalic noise?
if so under normal operation the pump will engage and disengage with a metalic sounding click noise. You should be able to see the centre section of the pump stop or start spinning. Most likely you have a leak in your system. There should be places in your local area that will be able to do a leak test on your aircon system.

 

Take it to reputable service garage ask for a leak test+ re-gass and also get some compressor oil added to the system,

The compressors can be slightly noisy in operation

They also like to be run at least once a week to circulate the gas and lubricate the parts!

Also check the fan works whilst its in operation

 

Thanks i can hear gas going through pipes inside the car where abouts is the fan? also is there many places the gas can leak from?

p.s went to one quickfit and there machine couldnt empty the system but then i went to another but there machine could? could this be due to the poss leak?

ian

 

Just because you can hear gas going through the pipes does not mean there is sufficient gas in there. insufficient gas will give you poor aircon operation. iirc both fans on the radiatior should be running when the aircon is on. and yes every joint can leak and the rubber hoses can become porous and the tubes can become cracked. The best bet would be the joints though

 

I wouldn't go to S**T-fit

leak or no leak it wouldn't cause a problem with the de-gas

 

What he said!!!!!

 

Not quite-Only one fan runs the air con condensor not sure which but someone here will enlighten us!!

 

thanks for advise so id be better off getting system emptied then getting new pipe work and joints? then regassed and see how it goes?

ian

 

What he said!!!

But the condensor is more common on most cars!!!

 

so would i need to go to a aircon specalist? and would they have to order parts?

ian

 

For the fans it depends on vehicle speed and coolant temperature but with the vehicle stationary both fans should be on.


You need to find somewhere that can do a leak test for you there are two ways of doing this one is with a detector that can smell the refirigerant the other and better way is to do a smoke test which uses presureised air with smoke in it to show where the leak is. then you will know what part to replace.

Ah yes forgot the condensor is on the front and likely to suffer from stone damage.

 

They shouldn't need to order parts to test it.
The "smell the refirgerant method will be from a specialist the other method is used to detect other kinds of leaks as well so could be any garage.

I know where you can get it done round here.........................................

 

thanks for advise chaps looks like a leak test it is then one more thing if it is one of the joints id be better off replacing all the joints while im at it?


ian

 

where abouts at the front is the condenser? so i can check it

 

Hope it is the joints as they all have o rings in them so should just be a case of changing the o ring

 

it is in front of the radiators and if it has a hole in it big enough to see you won't hear any gas going round

 

great will get leak test done and see what happens thanks for all the help will post up what prob is

ian

 

Hi Subaruian

Have you had this done yet and did it affect the metallic noise?

My aircon pump seems to be making a distinctive clonk along with a "psst" type noise which I only hear with the sunroof/window open. There also seems to be a brown coating on an adjacent cowling which appears to have flown off the compressor. The aircon also seems very ineffective - I tend to have it on all the time, even through winter, so, hopefully, the seals will be OK.

 

Why not? Don't they offer a money back guarantee if the resulting output temperature is not 10% lower?

10% lower would be practically impossible as percentage change can only be measured on an absolute scale not a relative scale. ie assuming an existing output temperature of, say, 15degC (or 288K) 10% is equivalent to 28.8K or nearly 29degC and so they would have to achieve something like -14degC.

Not practically possible, therefore, gas changed and money back - QED!

 

Re-gas yes i probably would,

Diagnosis and repair i would never go to them ive personally seen some "repairs" done by them!!!

 

Also i have heard that JDM air-con units don't like the R34A gas we use apparently it eats and perishes the seals