Aircon maintenance

[Bilko]

Just taken my Viano in for an Aircon regas and wanted to offer some sound advice from the people I’ve taken it to for years:-

Your Aircon needs checking and regassing every 2 years. The main reason is not only to top up lost refrigerant, but also to get fresh oil put into the system. The oil is crucial as it lubricates the compressor and just as importantly it keeps the refrigerant seals supple and prevents deterioration and subsequent leaks

Always run your Aircon – even in winter at least twice a week. If you run it when it rains to demist your screen it this seems to suffice. This is my 4th car with aircon and the advice seems to work well in practice. So far it has saved me a lot of the grief I’ve heard about, especially when people experience leaks through lack of use and the seals deteriorate or the compressors ‘stick’.

Regards

Bilko

 

[rf065]

Personally, I never turn it off.

Russ

 

[Bilko]

Thats fine - this is my first Mercedes and the system seems to be on permanently unless I deactivate.

Dont know if this is the case for all Merc's but certainly you need to action it "on " for BMW and I know people tend not to for fuel consumption reasons, noise etc

 

[MIW615]

Your Aircon needs checking and regassing every 2 years. The main reason is not only to top up lost refrigerant, but also to get fresh oil put into the system.

Also the reciever / drier bottle filter should be changed every two years

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Also the reciever / drier bottle filter should be changed every two years

Is this Aircon check not part of the standard servicing schedule?

 

[MIW615]

Is this Aircon check not part of the standard servicing schedule?

Not sure, will have to check the service manual, might just be an advisary item

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Not sure, will have to check the service manual, might just be an advisary item

mmmmmmmmm - in other words, could it be an essential 'extra' on top of the standard service? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :evil:

 

[television]

Air con is not part of any service, you have to ask if you want anything checking. My V70R has not been touched in 75k miles or 97 yeas of its life.

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Air con is not part of any service, you have to ask if you want anything checking. My V70R has not been touched in 75k miles or 97 yeas of its life.

ASK if you want anything checking..!!!?? As Aircon is STANDARD, I would have assumed that it would have been included in the servicing schedule. On THAT rationale, I would be expected to ASK them to check steering, brakes, transmission, lights etc etc as EXTRA's ............ :roll:

Can someone please explain why something fitted as STANDARD, is regarded as an EXTRA when it comes to servicing? It's all VERY much Alice In Wonderland, to me.

 

[television]

ASK if you want anything checking..!!!?? As Aircon is STANDARD, I would have assumed that it would have been included in the servicing schedule. On THAT rationale, I would be expected to ASK them to check steering, brakes, transmission, lights etc etc as EXTRA's ............ :roll:

Can someone please explain why something fitted as STANDARD, is regarded as an EXTRA when it comes to servicing? It's all VERY much Alice In Wonderland, to me.

Dont forget that if they change a light bulb during the service you pay £10 to have it fitted.

In the MB service program it says, smear a little grease on the tow bar ball if fitted, and do charge foe doing this.

I feel that air con needs service when it stops or does not get that cold.

I could drum up business by telling people that things should be serviced when there is little that can be serviced

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Can someone please explain why something fitted as STANDARD, is regarded as an EXTRA when it comes to servicing? It's all VERY much Alice In Wonderland, to me.

The alternator is fitted as standard, it doesn't get checked though.

My AC is 10 years old now, never turned off, and still works fine.

 

[JEZ.S320L]

The alternator is fitted as standard, it doesn't get checked though.

My AC is 10 years old now, never turned off, and still works fine.

But if your alternator required checking/greasing evry 2 years, wouldn't you expect it to be part of the servicing schedule?

 

[Bilko]

But thats my point - in this instance, if you wait till it "isn't cold any more" or is buggered, it will cost you big time. The system has a natural seepage loss and having the oil as much as the refrigerant replenished keeps it in good nick and avoids costly remedy.
Seal leaks are often buried deep in your dash and may be cheap to replace but costly in terms of time. A compressor running without oil for some time and sticking because your system is dry will cost you plenty.

Quite often the garages (I expect MB included ?) cannot do aircon themselves and subcontract. You yourself can phone "mobile" re-gassing people, and for £55 they come to your house! - Cheap in my book for a 2 yearly item.

Bilko

 

[rf065]

Air con is not part of any service, you have to ask if you want anything checking. My V70R has not been touched in 75k miles or 97 yeas of its life.

I bought my last car brand new, kept it for 5 years, and left the air con on permanently. It never needed regassing and was working as good as new after 5 years. The car before that, needed regassed every year, but only after it was 3 years old and someone ran into the front of it. Athough the damaged bodywork was replaced, part of the air con must have been damaged too. As it happened in the middle of winter, it took 6 months before noticing the air con wasn't cold anymore. Anyone who has any frontal damage in the winter, however slight, I would recommend making sure they give the air con a full test before you collect it from the bodyshop.

Russ

 

[jberks]

I can't say I've had any aircon system regassed. The dealer did ask if I wanted an anti bacterial treatment doing but no suggestion of a re-gas, new drier bottle or any other maintenance. Odd, given that they wouldn't normally miss a trick and are quick enough with coolant chages and the like.

 

[BillyB]

Have you a rough figure for how much an indie would charge for a re-gas of a W203 C220 cdi? TVM

 

[hmang]

£ 50 ish seems typical.

but ASK THEM

 

[panason1c]

I feel that air con needs service when it stops or does not get that cold.

I could drum up business by telling people that things should be serviced when there is little that can be serviced

I agree, 'If it aint broke, dont fix it' applies to aircon as far as i'm concerned......the aircon on my ML worked perfectly for 6 years without being touched and only earlier this year did i notice that it wasnt getting as cold as it used to so i had the system evacuated/re-gassed here in spain (45 euros) and it now works perfectly again.

Aircon servicing is a specialist trade and beyond the scope of the average motor mechanic and other than replacing the pollen filter there isnt an actual service schedule (other than drumming up business)....when did anyone last call out a service engineer to 'service' their fridge or freezer?.

If the system develops a leak the compressor is automatically shutdown when the in-line pressure switch senses a drop in pressure thus preventing any damage to the compressor by running without oil.