a/c on SL320

[green SL320]

Hello,I have been having problems with my a/c on 1998 sl 320,no airflow after about 25 minutes of running,car works fine when ec button is pressed.Other members of this forum kindly advised me that it could be the evapourator sensor at fault,which made prefect sense.
My local dealer replaced the "pressure sensor" and recharged the refridgerator gases but when i drove home from the garage i discovered that a new problem had developed,after 15-45 mins (depending on how damp the atomsphere is outside) the ec button/light comes on and no matter how many times you press it it will not go out.This light will only switch off if you turn off the ignition and restart engine.
So to summarise my problem,
since picking up the car from the dealer instead of the airflow quitting after a period of time the ec light/button comes on instead and i now have no idea if they have even fixed the initial fault or created a new one.
please can someone help me again as my local dealer is getting nowhere.

 

[gjcopeland]

ac - EC light on

I recently had a similar problem on my E-class. Assuming that there are design similarities between the two systems, when the EC light come on automatically and stays on permanently that can mean there is no refrigerant gas left in the ac system (so the system defaults to EC mode in order to prevent damage to the rest of the system). As you have just had yours serviced and refilled either the garage left something open in the system or you have developed a leak.

The most common place for a leak (as was the case with mine) is the ac condenser at the front of the car. Often muck (leaves, mud, insects and other miscellaneous small wildlife) collects over time (as yours is similar in age to mine it is obviously enough time!) and corrodes the condenser - as the system is pressurised any leak no matter how small is fairly terminal and near impossible to repair.

I initially called out the ac specialist (a helpful chap at the local dealership in Bristol advised me to do this and gave me the number of the same company that they used but it would be cheaper for me to do this direct) who for £40 visited the car at home, and was able to check and confirm that there was a leak and where it was (using a gas detector). It was then sadly a trip to the dealer who relieved me of £400 (inc. VAT) in return for fitting a new condenser and refilling the system - since then all has been well.

Hope this helps.

 

[piestore]

ac

hi

Sounds like system is low on gas (134a) why did they change pressure sensor ??

Sounds like they changed the wrong thing, evap sensor is behind radio, in heater box no regas required