DIY Aircon recharge help??

[crigisback]

Hi guys and gals ,

has anyone used the ircon regas kits available form the likes of halfrauds??

My aircon is not as cold as it used to be and was thinking of usingone of these cans to top up the gas

Just wondering if anyone has done it and how easy is it??


Thanks chris

 

[tonto]

you cant get the DIY kits anymore.
its now a legal requirement to be certified in handling air con gas (R134a) and doing so could result in a hefty fine.

go to your local kwik fit or something to get it done.

 

[crigisback]

you cant get the DIY kits anymore.
its now a legal requirement to be certified in handling air con gas (R134a) and doing so could result in a hefty fine.

go to your local kwik fit or something to get it done.

Ah ok they just say now you have to pay a £10 fee that is refunded when you return the empty bottle ????

 

[tonto]

Ah ok they just say now you have to pay a £10 fee that is refunded when you return the empty bottle ????

i would assume they would ask for some kind of proof that you are certified to handle it.
if not, just go for it lol.

in my line of work i deal with aircon recharging. its not a hard anyway.

 

[Seat racer]

Hellfrauds do a free aircon check m8, you should try that
Before buying anything.

Cal

 

[crigisback]

Do quick fit still do the guarantee thing. If I remember its guaranteed to make your lowest temp 10% lower or you don't pay. ??

Thanks for the replies

 

[tonto]

Do quick fit still do the guarantee thing. If I remember its guaranteed to make your lowest temp 10% lower or you don't pay. ??

Thanks for the replies

yeah mate. if it hasnt dropped by more than 10% you dont pay for it.
their equipment also does a leak test before and after too.

 

[crigisback]

Might do the quick fit thing then. At least I will know its not leaking

 

[tonto]

just straight up ask one of the lads if they fancy doing it for £20 and no reciept on a sunday.

although, in winter they drop their price to £29 from £49.

 

[Paulki]

Don't use a top-up even if you can find one; the system is designed to run with a specified weight of gas in it (see the label in the engine bay). Since you don't know how much gas is still in the system, you don't know how much should go in to bring it back to the correct level.

It costs less than a tank full of petrol to re-gas the system and will usually last for 2 or 3 years, it's not worth skimping on this.

 

[crigisback]

You have to buy the pressure gauge as well to tell you how much stuff is still in the system.

To be fair for £50 its probably ain't worth the hassle

 

[Paulki]

You have to buy the pressure gauge as well to tell you how much stuff is still in the system.

To be fair for £50 its probably ain't worth the hassle

The pressure gauge doesn't tell you how much gas is in the system, it just tells you the current pressure and that can vary with different conditions such as air temperature.
.

 

[robdf2]

You have to be F gas registered to buy , handle and use refrigerants , I got my qualification last year.
If they are expecting you to take an empty can back what are you going to do with the gas that won't go into your system?
Knowingly letting refrigerants into the atmosphere is a criminal offence.
Half odds were banned from selling these kits.
Your car should be vacuumed out then charged with the correct amount of refrigerant.

All refrigerant has to be logged and accounted for , basically weighed in and weighed out.

 

[skard]

Got the system on my Golf checked for leaks, vacuumed and regassed to the correct level for £39.95 just the other day.
It was a Bosch network garage so price may be standard UK wide, a local aircon specialists may even be cheaper and as mentioned Kwik-Fit/Halfords Autocentre are about £49.

I have no doubt these canisters can be ok for the purpose, but a service every couple of years to maintain reliability of the AC system is best done at a garage, especially with the legality issues raised and the fact the gas is fairly dangerous to the skin.

 

[dholdi]

And dont forget the lube folks

 

[crigisback]

To be fair I will probably just take it some were. I found a place called cool runnings in leicester .

Thanks for all the input

 

[sam7]

Take it to a Air Con Specialist!!

Don't bother with the off the shelf stuff it won't make a blind bit of difference.

The gas in your system may just be past it's best so it needs a full vac out to remove all the old gas and any moisture and lube, then an nitrogen pressure leak test for any leaks then if all ok (pressure switches can leak on Leons) a regas and lubricant and disifectant through the evaporator/cabin filter housing to leave the car smelling nice.


If you try the off the shelf stuff you will just add new gas to old gas and maybe get some air in there and ultimatly do nothing.

Trust me take it to a specialist. I have come across dealers with thier Snap On Cool Care machines that can't even get a re-gas right.

 

[crigisback]

ok update time.

I vistited kwik fit today and was quoted £49 for a vac out and regass or £69 for a debug and regass.
This would take approx 1.5 hours.

I then spoke to a air con specialist in leiceste who i have dealt with before (20 years experience).
He quoted me £59 for the full works but said it would only take 20-30 miutes

I dont know why it would take kwik fit so much longer ??

Anyway he gave me some good info and told me the cans are poop basically and the only contain refrigerant and i would need approx 3 cans as the mk2 leon needs 700grams and you only get 250 grams per can.

He also said that the stuff he uses contains a lubricating oil that the compressor and other components of the air conditioning unit need. He stressed the point that the VAG parts need to be cared for and sai he has not long replaced a compressor on a golf at a cost of £525

My conclusion, as all you guys said (ready for the i told you so) its going to be done by a pro on staurday.

Thanks for all the help

Chris

 

[Marshall]

Pretty sure mk2 Leon's hold 525 grams as the label on the slam panel.
All air con gas contains lubricant as it changes from gas to liquid at different points in the system.
Each manufacture require there stated lubricant to be added when the system is being recharged and it's always best to vac the system for at least 30 mins the longer the better.
If you've changed your pollen filter recently and your air on doesn't smell just go with the cheapest kwik fit option.
Hope this helps mate.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Paulki]

ok update time.

I vistited kwik fit today and was quoted £49 for a vac out and regass or £69 for a debug and regass.
This would take approx 1.5 hours.

I then spoke to a air con specialist in leiceste who i have dealt with before (20 years experience).
He quoted me £59 for the full works but said it would only take 20-30 miutes

I dont know why it would take kwik fit so much longer ??

Anyway he gave me some good info and told me the cans are poop basically and the only contain refrigerant and i would need approx 3 cans as the mk2 leon needs 700grams and you only get 250 grams per can.

He also said that the stuff he uses contains a lubricating oil that the compressor and other components of the air conditioning unit need. He stressed the point that the VAG parts need to be cared for and sai he has not long replaced a compressor on a golf at a cost of £525

My conclusion, as all you guys said (ready for the i told you so) its going to be done by a pro on staurday.

Thanks for all the help

Chris

As Kev says the capacity of the mk2 is 525g, your guy, if he's doing it in 20-30mins is doing a top-up not a full re-gas. It should take about an hour for a proper re-gas, it's a 4 stage process:

1. Recovery of remaining refrigerant.
2. Vacuuming to remove residual gas and any moisture.
3. Vacuum leak test (can it maintain the vacuum).
4. Recharge with correct weight of refrigerant and top-up lubricant oil.
.