air con packed up, but I'm not suprized as I hardly used it. So I had it topped up but it only lasted a day and would not work again.So I took it to a air con specialist garage who have done a convertion to a134 gas,again It only lasted a day,so they vacumned the system fot 2 hours then put ultra violat dyed gas in to see where it is leaking and traced the whole system but found nothing. Has anyone got any idea's as to the most common places to look for leaks etc as this bloke is stumpped as it is leaking, and he can not find it.ps this is his trade and he dose hundreds every year.he has surgested stripping the whole system down which would cost more than the towny is worth,and I do nead the air con working now.
- (#14900) kevin, 12 Jan 05 16:39
It might be an obvious suggestion and one which has been checked but,it can be overlooked. Is the compressor working? The magnetic clutch, on the front of the compressor, engages when you depress the A/C button on the dashboard. The 12v feed to this component is a bit vunerable and could be giving an intermittent contact. The clutch can be seen to engage if the floorpan is lifted, engine running, blower on, and the A/C button depressed. If the system is full of gas, and your specialist can confirm that it is not leaking away, I should think that the problem is likely to be on the compressor side.
- (#14900) John Davi (Leics)s, 12 Jan 05 16:56
So are you saying that he has put a full charge of gas in and it has all gone after a day? If so that has to be one hell of a leak and if he has put UV dye in it, I'm surprised there is no sign of it. The obvious place for a leak is around the compressor but he would no doubt see a leak from that. At a guess then I would say you have a leak somewhere in the miles of tubing that run between the various components and the gas is venting to the atmosphere without touching anything. Very strange and unlikely though. He has been right through the system hasn't he including the evaporator and stuff behind the driver's seat?
- (#14900) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 13 Jan 05 03:46
As I understand it (diagram in Ace Answers > Aircon > o Aircon. Dual Aircon System) the horizontal condenser unit is "switched" in and out of use automatically as required whereas the upright one, which feeds to the Receiver, is always in-circuit.
This makes me wonder if the leak might be at the horizontal condenser and only leaking when some temperature-sensitive valves open - or whatever the bits are, shown on the corner of that unit. Or I may have completely the wrong idea - which I'm quite happy to be told.
- (#14900) Dave Mason (Sussex), 13 Jan 05 06:58
what model of townie? 2/4wd, coolbox yes/no, petrol/ diesel?
- (#14900) David Miller, 13 Jan 05 12:14
Yes the air con system was fully converted to R134A and fully charged,and it was then in full working order I think.(P.S. My townie is a 4WD royal lounge with a coolbox.)everything including the ice box was cold,but the nextday nothing!!.
It is loosing it's presure whilest charged,and it is loosing vacumn whilest being evacuated, so we can asume that there is a leak somewhere. My air con engineer has since filled it up with nitrogen gas with ultraviolet dye in it(twice),and you can see quite clearly the bright green colour were it went in at the valve, but there appears to be nothing anywere else to indecate a leak,even when all the panels are off.
I am now takeing it back to him on monday, for about the 10th time, and he is determined to win, but dose not Know what to test next. As I said any idea's to point him in a right direction would be helpful,thanks
- (#14900) kevin, 14 Jan 05 12:46
Well, there are plenty of places you *can't* see leaks at. Front evaporator's invisible, you can only see one face of the rear one, and there's a couple of bits of piping that are damn-near invisible...
I presume he is putting enough gas in (front +rear = coolbox) and that you are verifying by pressure checks that the gas is in fact leaving?
Did the full conversion include the flexyhoses?
- (#14900) David Miller, 14 Jan 05 13:27