AC on and windows /sunroof open

[Botus]

I'd fit AC on a motorbike if I was designing a tourey fart bike.
So if you want the AC on in your rag top go for it !!!

 

[Wighty]

Had to use it yesterday in the Dordogne , roof down , feet were on fire . Cooled those babies down nicely

 

[PHUNN]

Just returned from a happy time in drop-top mode in France and then N. Wales (Zipline Birthday present from those in the family who may want to inherit...!) and sad to say the air con. seems to be underperforming.
It is certainly less effective than it was after a re-gas (on acquisition) last summer.
There is some (but not much) cool air from the vents, but (even in Snowdonia last week!!) not enough to cool the car when 'mugginess' overcomes the wish to remain 'topless'.
So I have booked in for a system check-over and have been told about a sealant additive to eliminate any 'minor' leaks.
Any thoughts on/experience of sealant used in the Air Con system please?

 

[Wighty]

Just returned from a happy time in drop-top mode in France and then N. Wales (Zipline Birthday present from those in the family who may want to inherit...!) and sad to say the air con. seems to be underperforming.
It is certainly less effective than it was after a re-gas (on acquisition) last summer.
There is some (but not much) cool air from the vents, but (even in Snowdonia last week!!) not enough to cool the car when 'mugginess' overcomes the wish to remain 'topless'.
So I have booked in for a system check-over and have been told about a sealant additive to eliminate any 'minor' leaks.
Any thoughts on/experience of sealant used in the Air Con system please?

My thoughts on sealant additive would be NOOOOOOOO !!! . I would think taking it to a reutable aircon engineer or Steve at Avatgarde near Bristol woul be your best bet initially .

 

[PHUNN]

Many thanks for your prompt reply. It echoes my thoughts (hence the missive) but...
The recommender in this instance is not of 'The Hole In The Wall Gang' fraternity. The (Indy but not Merc) garage (15 years in biz. with sound reputation and a 'specialist' (at least, self confessed) in Air Con.) has repaired (by re-charging the Air Con. on) a previous SLK 171 for me some years ago, with a successful outcome.
Like you, I'm not a fan (tee hee) of Rad Weld and the like, but the days of stuffing a pair of tights into the oil filler to reduce the engine's death rattle prior to sale are, one hopes, behind us.
So maybe, I wondered, the marvels of modern science could have conjured a recipe which would stop a leak without clogging up the whole works.
Maybe?!

 

[John Laidlaw]

Do you know you have a leak in the system?

 

[PHUNN]

'Aye. There's the rub!'
Don't know if there is a leak.
But the process of elimination (Bought the car last year. Air Con weak. Re-gass cured the problem and here we go again...)indicates that's the likely problem.

 

[John Laidlaw]

'Aye. There's the rub!'
Don't know if there is a leak.
But the process of elimination (Bought the car last year. Air Con weak. Re-gass cured the problem and here we go again...)indicates that's the likely problem.

Aha!
I ask as mine was similar
Service and regassed last July by MB who said they leak tested and no issues.
Early May this year with our first hot weather and wife and I are in the Lake District ac non existent
On return back to MB who pressure tested no leaks and topped up the gas again
They couldn’t explain why the refrigerant had almost all gone but said they do lose a bit here and there in operation
I will be monitoring.... don’t fancy AC service every 9 months

 

[PHUNN]

I will not even speculate about the cost of a nine-monthly visit to the Air Con Clinic...(isn't there another significantly expensive experience that links with a nine month cycle?!)
How do the pressure tests work? Do they have some kind of a sensor for the escaping refrigerant gas? Or do you need to have ears like a lavatory rat?

On return back to MB who pressure tested no leaks and topped up the gas again
They couldn’t explain why the refrigerant had almost all gone but said they do lose a bit here and there in operation
I will be monitoring.... don’t fancy AC service every 9 months

 

[LostKiwi]

When you got it regassed did they use a UV dye marker in the oil? If so a leak will show under UV light.
The usual places for leaks are condenser (which corrodes and if leaking needs replacing) and compressor seals (which no anti leak gunk will ever seal).

 

[PHUNN]

UV; Just like a white shirt in a Disco! (Yes; I did have a Land Rover at one stage and intend never to be seen in one of those again either...)
In truth, I don't know if a dye marker was used during the Re-gas.
Have booked in for the work on Thursday 21st, so will doubtless find out then.
The car just celebrated it's 10 year birthday and has been part of the household for just one of those years. So I can't say whether previous 'enjoyers' of the car have shared my notion regarding the theory that 'Climate Control' should be on all the time, not least to keep all those aged joints, like mine own, moving. And the V8 fuel consumption is never going to respond to 'pampering' anyway!
Do the Air Con components tend to 'croak' (corrosion and seals) at the 10 year point, one wonders?

 

[Wighty]

Many thanks for your prompt reply. It echoes my thoughts (hence the missive) but...
The recommender in this instance is not of 'The Hole In The Wall Gang' fraternity. The (Indy but not Merc) garage (15 years in biz. with sound reputation and a 'specialist' (at least, self confessed) in Air Con.) has repaired (by re-charging the Air Con. on) a previous SLK 171 for me some years ago, with a successful outcome.
Like you, I'm not a fan (tee hee) of Rad Weld and the like, but the days of stuffing a pair of tights into the oil filler to reduce the engine's death rattle prior to sale are, one hopes, behind us.
So maybe, I wondered, the marvels of modern science could have conjured a recipe which would stop a leak without clogging up the whole works.
Maybe?!

Remember that you do need to use a/c all the time , or the seals dry out and let the pressure down . (Just seen that you were thinking along the same lines !)

 

[John Laidlaw]

I use mine almost always. I started the thread through curiosity as I would switch it off when I opened up the sun roof and windows on the basis that the system wouldn’t be able to cool the air in those conditions. Now I’m thinking just leave it on anyway
LK they did a UV test on mine and detected no leaks

 

[Gkinghorn]

Aha!
I ask as mine was similar
Service and regassed last July by MB who said they leak tested and no issues.
Early May this year with our first hot weather and wife and I are in the Lake District ac non existent
On return back to MB who pressure tested no leaks and topped up the gas again
They couldn’t explain why the refrigerant had almost all gone but said they do lose a bit here and there in operation
I will be monitoring.... don’t fancy AC service every 9 months

On my SL they took several weeks to diagnose the leak. It was a crack in a pipe that flexed now and again ..not all the time , when being driven ... ..that pipe eventually replaced under warranty.

It was only found when they put the dye in the system ... I don’t believe e there isn’t a leak here ... an annual regas is totally OTT.


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[John Laidlaw]

On my SL they took several weeks to diagnose the leak. It was a crack in a pipe that flexed now and again ..not all the time , when being driven ... ..that pipe eventually replaced under warranty.

It was only found when they put the dye in the system ... I don’t believe e there isn’t a leak here ... an annual regas is totally OTT.


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Totally agree Gordon, twice the dye has gone in allegedly and twice no leak. There have been a spate of condenser problems with these too...
It’s in for annual service in September so I’ll see if it lasts until then

 

[Gkinghorn]

Blooming frustrating though ..especially at this time of year...


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[ZZZZ]

Not a helpful post, I know, but - I was driving to Market Harborough yesterday, without my darling wife, so put the a/c a bit lower and on '2' (I'm not allowed anything, but 1 with her present, and anything lower, than 19.5ºC will get me in serious trouble) - almost freeze off my left hand ...

That was rather nice, as the a/c was renewed by PCS in 2015, right after I bought it, and haven't had anything done since.

 

[PHUNN]

Requiring recurring regas is really rapaciously reprehensible...
Whisper it softly; the family runabouts over nearly twenty years have been Skodas (Octavia Scouts mostly), changed after eight years each, and never needed a regas….!
I'll report back after the experience on Thursday.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Blooming frustrating though ..especially at this time of year...


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Aye! Working ok for the moment though so fingers crossed!

 

[Submariner1]

as title- anyone on here run their climate control or AC at the same time as having the windows/Sunroof/Panoramic roof open?
I did with the SL in the winter but that was hot climate setting to get the body toasty on sunny days whilst still getting the roof down...
Debate:

Did 4 Euro trips in the SL500s
All trips were hot weather one was the time old folks died in France 40C by 10.00am.
Roof and windows down, AC on full cold. Pretty much every day, all day except whenwe went out at night, maybe half cold.

No ill effects on any of the SL500s .. that I noticed, didnt even see any particular difference in Petrol consumption ... not that I was checking ... I also had negotiated a package with the job ... all petrol!

Cant see any reason why it would harm the AC unit. Arent they all tested in Arizona to be sure it hacks the Saudi climate?