air con probs

[Rosey]

Hi Guys,

The gas in my air con system has leaked below the level required to keep the air con cold. Obviously being a MK patrol I need the old style of gas or a retrofit. I got a quote from the air con people and they recon around $700 for new seals throughout and a regas.

Anyone got this done before? what did you pay? was it as good? can this be done yourself? If I know its a slow leak and all the hoses haven't been touch in years could I fairly safely say the leak is from the compressor and just drop that in for new seals and then get regased? Surely new seals and a regas aren't $700.

thanks for the help people
cheers

[Area54]

Sometimes the hoses themselves can leak, the suspended oil in the gas forms a barrier inside the hoses, and with age the hoses can become permeable to the gas, if the system does not receive regular use to circulate the oil.

[mkpatrol]

700 is on the steep side but it depends on the actual quote & what you are getting. When I converted my MK the filter was about 250 trade so I manufactured a bracket, modified the pipes and fitterd a universal unit with metric threads which cost about 75 bucks.
All the o ring deals in the piping require replacement as well as the schrader valves. They actually fit a lager valve housing as the adaptors for regassing are different.
Mine worked ok until the top pipe from the compressor broke on the way to Port Lincoln (rough bastard of a road between there & Cowes in spots).
It will never work as good with R134a gas as the system was designed for R12 but it will be ok.
Unless you know someone with a bottle of R12 lying around you wont be able to regass it with that. It will also be cost prohibitive & illegal in some states.
When the retrofit is done they will put a dye in the system so leaks can be checked. The dye is ultraviolet & thus can only be seen with the appropriate light. If the air con guy is worth his salt he will do a free recheck for leaks as he will have a light.
Be prepared to spend money as your system is old & will be prone to breakdowns. Most common to go after the retro is the compressor but it will show its head quite quickly & will not be covered in the warranty for leaks. Neither will any of the other parts for breakages. You can't expect him to warrant 20 year old parts.
I was lucky beacause I am a mechanic i did most of the work myself except for the gassing as I dont have the machine.

Good luck, when AC systems get old sometimes its better to just wind down the window