Air con both pipes hot

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Irishrover said:
Is the compressor clutch engaging? Could be that there is no gas in the system. One pipe should be very hot and the other freezing cold in a gassed up system. On the aircon pipes running along the bulkhead there are two large tyre type valves, one is larger than the other. Remove the cap from the smaller of the two and depress the valve core briefly, you should hear a fairly strong blast of gas..if there is nothing, then the system is empty.
Take the car to an aircon place and get them to charge the system with Nitrogen, this is an inert gas, much cheaper than R134a (Refigerant). If it's a bad leak, you will hear it as it's being filled. They can add UV dye to the charge which will show up under a UV lamp and help pinpoint the leak. If it is leaking, usual place is top L.H. corner of the Condenser, located in front of the radiator..remove the slam panel if you need a closer look, you cannot see the top corner by removing just the grille.
Click to expand...


Checked the valve core as suggested by Irishrover and no release of gas, so I'm assuming its empty. Popped into local Kwik Fit, but too late to have it done today. However, what they told me confirmed other entries - £45 for a re-gas. It takes about 45 minutes and will include a leak test. Got to be worth it! I'll get it done on Saturday and report back.
 
see, we told you!!!

if its leaking (or just in case) get some liquid metal stuff and take yer toolbox. you can fix it in 20 mins and have it gassed!!! might be worth checking anyway as this is the most common leak area. fix it then go for regas!!!
 
gavbriggs said:
see, we told you!!!

if its leaking (or just in case) get some liquid metal stuff and take yer toolbox. you can fix it in 20 mins and have it gassed!!! might be worth checking anyway as this is the most common leak area. fix it then go for regas!!!
Click to expand...

Good shout. I'll give it a go. Please refer to entry No.18 in this thread once again. I am now self flagellating in awe! :eek:
 
Got to Kwik Fit just as they opened up at 8.30 this morning and they plugged the aircon into their charger unit. Completely empty - but no leaks. I guess the previous keeper was just too tight to get this done! £45 to recharge it and another £20 to clean the system of all the bugs and bacteria so it won't smell. Started it up and one pipe goes hot and the other cold... could it be....?

Would you believe it? I now have ice cold aircon! :D

I still have the book/exclamation mark symbol on the Hevac display, but it blows hot when I turn it up and cold now when I use the aircon. All direction blowers seem to work.

What doesn't seem to come up is the AUTO graphic when I push the centre of the round fan speed knob marked Auto. Oh well, should I care? The aircon seems to be working ok now and the hevac is doing what I want it to. Am I right in thinking the aircon off button turns it off when the orange light is on?

Incidentally, while I waited, there must've been half a dozen blokes turning up for the same aircon service. Glad I dragged my normally lazy arse out of bed this morning and got on the system first!
 
Last edited:
When you turn the blower speed up to max. and push the "Auto" button..does it make the fan speed slow down or stop?
Is the "Bar" fan speed indicator working on the HEVAC? if so, does it disappear when AUTO is pressed?
 
Irishrover said:
When you turn the blower speed up to max. and push the "Auto" button..does it make the fan speed slow down or stop?
Is the "Bar" fan speed indicator working on the HEVAC? if so, does it disappear when AUTO is pressed?
Click to expand...

Just tried it. The AUTO graphic does come on, but appears only when there are numbers representing the required temp. It disappears when I put the temp to LO.

The blower speed bars do show and disappear when I hit AUTO and then the fan speed reduces to almost nothing (it might even be nothing, but its so quiet, I'm not sure).

The recirculating button seems to have some effect as the compressor sounds like it switches something when I press that button.

All in all confusing! :confused:
 
When in LO or HI on the temp. controls, the auto function is overriden because you are sending the temperature to no determined value other than either as cold or as hot as you can get. The recirc. function moves the flaps on the heater blowers (NOT the heater blend motors) to allow only the cabin air to go through the heater/evaporator unit..air from outside is shut off.
Sounds as though the system is working okay, just that you have a previous fault logged in the HEVAC. Probably needs checking and clearing on diagnostics. Do the controls in manual all work as they should throughout their full ranges..temp. from HI to LO (Both sides) and distribution from floor to screen. Run them through their paces a couple of times, reset the ignition and see if the book clears, if not, diagnostics. Also remember that the selected temp. between left and right will not work if difference is greater than, I think 5 or 6 degrees.:behindsofa:
 
Bugger!

Not working again. Both pipes hot. No sign of a leak and there is bright yellow fluid under pressure when I press the small 'tyre type' valve. But its not bloody working :frusty:

Any idea how I determine whether the compressor is working? With the engine running, I can see the belt and pulley rotating, but the plate in front is static.

Bloody hot today!
 
The bright yellow fluid is a drop of oil and leak detector dye..normal. Did it sound as though there was plenty of pressure behind it?
The compressor clutch is not kicking in. Disconnect the white round plug at the compressor and check for 12V accross the two pins in the socket which gives the feed. If the 12V is present with the engine running and a/c on, then the clutch may be sticking or the clutch coil dodgy. To check this, switch the engine off and put 12V on to the two pins on the compressor plug, you should see the clutch kick in, if not, there is a thermal cut out mounted on top of the compressor towards the far end and this could be playing up, to check that, link the two wires to it together, if still no clutch..chances are that the clutch coil has died.
Keep us posted as to progress
 
Filled it up yesterday. Yes, plenty of pressure there.


WIll a Birmingham Screwdriver do the trick?

Hammer_4926f26d96402.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
P38A Air con regas
Replies
12
Views
1K
Datatek
Datatek
Clayrr
TD5 air con cooling fan
Replies
2
Views
937
Clayrr
Clayrr
farriermatt
Water problems 300tdi in a 1985 110
Replies
10
Views
889
farriermatt
farriermatt
A
P38A Air con pipe leak / repair
Replies
4
Views
1K
AndyF07
A
spacebrodie
Freelander 2 (LR2) Cut out - P0045-19
Replies
6
Views
826
Arctic2
Arctic2
Back
Top