filling the aircon yourself....

[hollik]

Hi all,

I drive a w210 300 D 4matic 1995,

Since I bought it the aircon hasn't been working and I've been told that it needs refilling in order to work again...

Now I saw a guy selling "fill it yourself" bottles from castrol with A-134R I think it was called, complete with necessary fitings and pressure gauge.

In the despriction it tells you to put aircon to max. cold, start engine and start filling her up.

My question is: Will this work, or is it better left to the pro's?

gr.

hollik

 

[jibcl500]

I did this about a month ago, my AC wasnt as cold as it could be so I tried this can of refill, it made it slightly colder but still no that cold.
The can cost me £35 another can would possibly help and make it colder but then I would have spent £70 and for the extra £10-£20 I can get my local MB specialist to do it properly for £80.
If theres any problems with your AC leaks etc you could be wasting money, better to spend a little more and get it sorted properly.

jib

 

[assad]

Air-Conditioning fault.

Hi the refrigerent you are referring to is R134a but in 1995 I think R22 was more common in car Air-Conditioning but it is easy enough to find out.
I would not recommend doing it yourself due to the fact there should be an exact amount of refrigerent in the system, because too much can do more harm then good.
Also if it is short of refrigerent it must have gone somewhere. sometimes if you have not used the aircon for a while the gas can escape via rubber seals due to the lack of lubrication this will reseal itself once the system is running.
The reason I know this is I am a qualified Air-Con engineer.
I live near Leicester and I dont mind recharging the system for you properly if you can bring it to me.
Regards Assad

 

[Blobcat]

Since my AC specialist charged £50 for a leak test and regas I see no point in trying this yourself. Find in AC specialist with knowledge of MB and you will not go far wrong.

 

[Bob.R]

R22 was Never used in vehicle systems - don't try it - it won't work.
R12 was used until 1994 after which R134a is the only refrigerant used.
R12 is now banned for use in most of the world, You can however use 'drop in' replacements - R413a, R416a, etc. which give similar results.
The synthetic oil (PAG oil) which is used for R134a is not compatible with seals, mineral oil and copper or brass fittings which the R12 systems had, so you cannot use R134a in R12 systems without a lot of modification.
If a/c systems are empty then you must apply vacuum to remove any moisture and air before recharging - you cannot do this with an aerosol.
If you use the aerosol refill then you might be lucky and end up with the correct charge but you are more likely to under/overcharge the system in which case it will not work correctly.
After July 2006 it will be illegal to handle any refrigerants without the City & Guilds 2078 safe handling certificate.
A decent vehicle A/C specialist should recharge your system for around £50-70, and carry out a leak test, dealers tend to charge considerably more.
Hope this clears up some of the above points.
Bob. R (tech@CarAircon.co.uk )

 

[turnipsock]

I got a mobile man to come round to my work and he represurised the A/C and put in the dye for leaks...£50.

The £35 can seems a bit of a con if you ask me.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Rember too the condener radiator in the W210 is prone to failure.

 

[shayes]

R22 was Never used in vehicle systems - don't try it - it won't work.
R12 was used until 1994 after which R134a is the only refrigerant used.
R12 is now banned for use in most of the world, You can however use 'drop in' replacements - R413a, R416a, etc. which give similar results.
The synthetic oil (PAG oil) which is used for R134a is not compatible with seals, mineral oil and copper or brass fittings which the R12 systems had, so you cannot use R134a in R12 systems without a lot of modification.

Bob. R (tech@CarAircon.co.uk )

In an older Car - my own is 85 how do you tell what is in the A/C system. I can assume its the old banned R12, which would have been original to the car, and not finding any label showing a re-gas, is the only safe way forward, for someone to empty the system (which is not working) and fill with current type?

 

[Bob.R]

Hi Stuart.
An 85 car would have had R12 originally. The current R134a is not compatible with this system.(see above).
You can however use a 'drop in' replacement without modification, There are several on the market, we currently use R416, which works pretty well.
As R12 was phased out it became very expensive, so all manner of gasses were put into these systems, some of which were flammable!
Probably safest to get an expert to drain and vacuum the system before refilling it.
You should also bear in mind that you will be putting a system which is over 20 years old under a pressure 300 psi - so all safety precautions should be observed!

 

[Templar Al]

Just a thought - have you checked the electrical side? There are pressure switches that can stick during periods of innactivity, and the electromagnetic clutch on the compressor can also stick.

Halfords do a D.I.Y. Top-Up can of R134A for about £17 which should be enought to re-charge the system. They also do a slightly more expensive can with an additive to rejuvenate the seals.

If a quick inspection shows that all the connectors are tight, with no white streaks indicating a previous leak - it might be worth a punt to save a bigger garage bill.

Failing that, you might find a smaller non-affilliated garage that will do a pressure test and fill-up for around £30.

Take extreme care when checking conectors yourself- only check for tightness, never undo one unless you are 100% sure the system is completely empty. I have heard of people loosing fingers through frostbite when working on A/C units!

Alan.