Been checking the aircon today as I didnt think it was working, when I switch on the aircon the button lights up but when I look at the compressor only the belt pulley is rotating and not the front part of the pump, went looking for the sight glass to check fluid, all I could find underneath (LHS wheelarch) near to what i presume is a refilling valve (kind of like a car tyre valve) is a metal canister (best way to describe it) approx 6" long and 2.5" diameter but impossible to see through!! or am I looking at the wrong part!
Next problem, on the LHS of the engine is a canister with a dipstick in it (no not me) marked up for dexron fluid is this the auto box fluid? or the power steering fluid? if it is the auto box fluid where do I check the powersteering? and vice versa.
Whilst underneath I can find 1 radiator fixed in a vertical position (obviously the cooling system) then in front of this in a horizontal position is another radiator (aircon I presume) with what looks like another radiator fixed above this? then to the front of these is another radiator matrix approx 3" high and 12" long, is this possibly an oil cooler for the autobox?
Any help greatly appreciated
Steve
- (#2910) Steve, 12 May 02
steve, you've got a cr30 4x4 auto?
metal container beside expansion bottle is p/s reservoir. autobox dipstick is behind injection pump, under the air intake hose.
the cr30 has two rads (vertical and horizontal) and two aircon condensers (one horizontal, sandwiched with the rad) plus the small additional one at the front.
the sight glass for the aircon is beside the dryer canister you describe. the glass faces forward(it's only a small hole in the middle of the unit)
the aircon won't cut in if the gas is low. is the light in the switch lit, and do the fans above the horizontal rad come on? if the a/c system seems very dead, check the connections to the thermal cutout switches on the cylinder head coolant outlet (near the filler neck)
hth
- (#2911) david miller, 12 May 02
Thanks Dave for your prompt reply, I have found the sight glass now (Staring me straight in the face Ha Ha) it just seems cloudy to me ! Yes the light in the switch does come on but I have had a quick look underneath and waved a strip of newspaper in the direction of the fans on the horizontal rads but there dosent seem to be any movement. Found the dipstick for the Autobox, How do I fill it?
Any other ideas on the aircon?
Thanks
Steve
- (#2912) Steve, 12 May 02
The metal canister in the wheel arch is the receiver/drier for the air con system, this dessicates the moisture out of the air con refrigerant & oil in the system, so as to avoid corrosion & resulting failure of the air con components, The most likely reason for the air con compressor not cutting in is that there is little or no refrigerant in the system, there is a pressure switch on the system, no pressure & the system won't even cut in, saves the compressor running dry as it relies on the refrigerant to carry the lubricating oil around the system. I suggest that you take it to an air con specialist, they will have to leak test it, assuming no leaks, they will have to do a 'retro fit' as your system would originally have used R12 gas, now banned due to being a CFC gas. They would have to replace the reciever drier (Now contaminated with R12 gas & moisture so completely useless) replace as many seals as possible, get as much of the old oil out as possible, then evacuate the system into a deep vacuum, add new retro fit oil then refill with the correct WEIGHT of R134a gas. The weights are shown on the main site, but depending whether you have front or front/rear or front/rear/coolbox use these figures, but 20% less as R134a gas has larger molacules & therefore has a larger volume for the same weight as R12. HTH regards Rob.
- (#2918) Rob Drinkwater, 12 May 02