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Weak Aircon

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3K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  alexGS 
#1 ·
The temperatures made it into the high teens today up here so I needed the air conditioning for the first time.

To begin with I wasn't sure if I had it switched on or not (should really check the Owners Manual), but eventually I detected a barely chilled breeze from the vents. Quite disappointing.

So, I'm looking for reasons why the aircon is so poor compared to every other car I've ever had. First port of call the pollen filters?! If so does anyone have some pictures of how to get access to it?!

Many thanks!
 
#5 ·
Hi, just had a re-gas on my 156 sportwagon as it was overdue, had 50% refrigerant left in system after 4 years use.
Fully drained and refilled and tested for £49.98 by dealer.
After a couple of minutes very cold air flowing into car, very happy with air flow and noticed big improvement in
chill factor.
 
#9 ·
The web link below is a Google translated version of a Japanese website. Apart from the poor translation, it will show you where the pollen filter is in the GT (in dash under passenger footwell), which is a pain in the neck and back to get to but doable on your back, legs sticking out of the passenger door and looking up to the dash.

I lived with very poor airflow in my GT for over 2 years, having had it re-gassed. Turns out none of the expensive services I paid for had ever bothered changing the pollen filter, which is an annual requirement (or sooner) in dusty environments. As soon as I changed the pollen filter, I was blasted in the face by some serious airflow. The old single piece filter was clogged completely. I suspect the new filter willl also resolve the problem I experienced over the winter we had of my windows steaming up constantly.



Google Translate
 
#10 · (Edited)
The temperatures made it into the high teens today up here so I needed the air conditioning for the first time.
Thanks for making me laugh :lol:
My outside temperature display was reading 32 degrees C a few months ago and I was wondering whether to turn on the air conditioning, or leave it off to save fuel...


The web link below is a Google translated version of a Japanese website. Apart from the poor translation,
I thought that the "poor" translation was the best feature of that guide :) It was very funny, though I think it gets a little less funny as Google improves. It featured such phrases as "I'm so dirty!", "Let's wear a new filter" (which is now simply "Let's install a new filter"), and "Even though, I'd just pull out. At this time, you may get torn down and dirt clogged the filters. To drop trash on the face! Please note."

When you have time, have a look at the other guides at http://translate.google.com/transla...ory/yourself/chap_33/chap_33.html&sl=ja&tl=en
Particularly the guide for Kyaripa Kaba (Caliper Cover) - http://translate.google.com/transla...ory/yourself/chap_33/chap_33.html&sl=ja&tl=en truly hilarious, especially: "Well, finally a moment of tension. It is boring. Marking the position of the firm confirmed earlier, please carefully drill shed. 3.5mm suddenly, the hard-edged stand, so you may be dancing blade". Anyone who has learned Japanese like I have will appreciate the magnitude of a machine translation - it's a wonder we can understand it at all (but you can and it's positively poetic!)

As for the air conditioning, the only way forward is to have the pressures checked by a qualified air conditioning technician, as that will show when the refrigerant is low. It can be quite low (say 50%) and the compressor will still run, but the system will not work. Sometimes there is a small leak from the aluminium block that bolts on to connect the rigid pipes near the front of the car - just needs an O-ring to fix. Don't assume that any leak will be a costly repair, as some aren't ;)

If the technician wants to charge you for a new receiver/drier as part of the recharge, go along with it. The receiver/drier is filled with a dessicant that has a distinct lifespan, and the only properly long-term fix for a drained system is a new receiver/drier, new refrigerant, and new oil, installed properly and tested with UV dye for leaks.


-Alex
 
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