W210 E320 Estate Climate Control works for a few minutes then stops?

[garda09]

Hi there everyone, new member here.

So the aircon works and cools beautifully but only lasts for a few mins, then fades away. If I switch the engine off for about 10 seconds, then restart, the aircon comes on, cools beautifully but only lasts for a few mins.

My stop/start routine is driving the wife bonkers, I'm going to book the car into KwikFit for a look but I was curious to see if anyone knew if this sounds like a simple re-gas would solve this or if I'm looking at the symptoms of a potentially expensive problem?

I've had a look at past threads upto the beginning of the year but can't find anyone with the same probs.

Cheers all, great forum.

 

[Ashley H]

Hi

I'm afraid I'm not offering solutions but rather supporting your request. I have an almost identical problem.

My climate control - whether in a/c mode or economy - blows like the wind for a few minutes then dies out and I'm unable to over-ride the fan. I found yesterday, however, on a run from Windsor back to Scotland, that EVENTUALLY it starts to blow again after about an hour - but even then with only the strength of an asthmatic 90 year old!

It's been to a local authorised Merc repairer (useless in every possible respect) and a good indie recommended on this forum - all to no avail

Mrs H is not impressed - help is needed!

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

Hi

I'm afraid I'm not offering solutions but rather supporting your request. I have an almost identical problem.

My climate control - whether in a/c mode or economy - blows like the wind for a few minutes then dies out and I'm unable to over-ride the fan. I found yesterday, however, on a run from Windsor back to Scotland, that EVENTUALLY it starts to blow again after about an hour - but even then with only the strength of an asthmatic 90 year old!

It's been to a local authorised Merc repairer (useless in every possible respect) and a good indie recommended on this forum - all to no avail

Mrs H is not impressed - help is needed!

hi ashley,

after reading your symptoms it sounds pretty much like your blower motor regulator, i was not fully aware that these were your symptoms upon last inspection, unfortunately for you and ourselves when we tested the blower all functions were fine and fully operational, this is the problem with intermittant fault, if you give us a call we will be happy to sort this out,

 

[garda09]

Good luck with that Ashley, sounds like your MB tech is going to sort this out for you.

I don't think I have a problem with the fan. At least I can change the speed and it functions as it would with the 'EC' button on. The cooling just seems to stop working after a few mins. Stop the car, switch the engine off, restart after 10 seconds and the aircon blows cold again (for a few mins).

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

Good luck with that Ashley, sounds like your MB tech is going to sort this out for you.

I don't think I have a problem with the fan. At least I can change the speed and it functions as it would with the 'EC' button on. The cooling just seems to stop working after a few mins. Stop the car, switch the engine off, restart after 10 seconds and the aircon blows cold again (for a few mins).

Anyone have any ideas?

when you activate your aircon are the fans kicking in by fans i mean the fans near your radiator/condenser, this cools and dramatically lowers the pressure in your aircon system, check if the fan is working,

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Have similar lack of cooling like garda09
Don,t think my fans are running on my C43.
When should they run?
What controls them to be able to cut in/out? pressure switch? Thermostat?

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

Hi,
Have similar lack of cooling like garda09
Don,t think my fans are running on my C43.
When should they run?
What controls them to be able to cut in/out? pressure switch? Thermostat?

i should think they are controlled by the pressure/temp switch, i maybe wrong but this is located on the rad/condenser, on the bottom of this., it is on later c class anyhow,

the fans will run when the temp/presure increases, it should not run permanantly but irregular, ie when temp/pressure increases

sometimes when the gas level gets low you can get intermitant cooling effect, id first get your gas checked, then go down another route

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, Its just I use to hear them cutting in and out, and you mentioning them in this post made me realise that I have,nt heard them recently possibly since the air-con recharge.
Will have to go back and get them to look at it.

 

[4fold]

Hi,
Seems like you need a gas recharge. When you switch on your system the compressor compresses the little gas thats in the system and then shuts down on low suction pressure. Once you stop the system pressure equalises through the expansion valve and runs for a short time again.

 

[garda09]

Hi again. Update for you.

So I took the car to KwikFit for their 'Air Con fix it or no charge' offer a couple of weeks ago, they said their was plenty of gas and they couldn't fix it, they suggested taking it to MB (and true to their word, charged me nothing). So, I booked it in to MB Ipswich and the fault was explained to them, as was the KwikFit story. Just got the car back following an 'A' service and an 'Air Conditioning Breathe Easy' service. My wife picked the car up and asked them if they'd fixed it and they explained that they had, it needed regassing.

Well, guess what - we still have the problem.

Can you believe it?

It didn't need re gassing because if it did, KwikFit would have re gassed it and charged me £45 (instead of the £99 I paid MB) and I wouldn't have had to take it to MB to be fixed.

Anyway, now I have to take the car back again (to MB IPSWICH) and be without it for another day while they fanny about some more.

Maybe someone can give me some pointers that I can pass on to MB Ipswich.