Cab aircon not working

[TerryL]

2006/7 Ducato 2.3 multijet 130hp. I don't really understand how automotive aircon is supposed to work so looking for some help/advice.

Last November, whilst getting some new tyres, I asked Kwikfit if they could have a look at the aircon as it hadn't been working for a little while. They arranged for a technician to be there when they fitted the tyres and he discovered a broken pipe. Couldn't get it immediately but called me when he did and fitted, gassed up, all working fine. Drove van back to storage yard.

Went out on our winter trip but didn't actually need the aircon until we got to Morocco - we've tended in the past only to use it when really needed, so of course...............................it didn't work! Although the dash light came on I couldn't hear the compressor (?) kicking in so thoughts of maybe new mechanical gubbins needed. So for now open the windows!

To be honest I didn't really think about it again until I started getting it ready for Stratford, but what with lockdown etc., it wouldn't have got done anyway. So once our local garage opened up again I asked them to have a look; they didn't seem very keen but I've been going to them for years with the cars so I took it in. I was somewhat surprised to get a phone call couple of hours later to say it was all working okay so come and get it; when I arrived he said all the pressures were fine, there were no leaks so they'd just given it a standard aircon service. £60 please!
Drove it home (only a couple of miles but got nice and cold) and did a few more jobs that had accumulated, as they do, and then took van back to storage. On the way (opposite direction to garage) thought I'd just check the aircon was okay - you've guessed it, zilch.

I've just checked it again, in storage, and still nothing. The fans are on and the temperature is dialled right down but still only getting ambient temperature air through the vents. I'm not at all confident about taking it back to the garage and I really have no idea what the problem could be so now I'm asking for a few ideas, no matter how simple or complicated, as to what it could be before I try and find a COMPETENT aircon technician. I could I suppose go back to Kwikfit but it's a faf getting the van there.

 

[XxAnthxX]

Sounds like you could still be loosing the refrigerant.

If there’s not enough gas in, it will trip the the low pressure switch which will prevent the compressor running.

The air con really needs running regularly to lubricate the seals and avoid them drying out and leaking the refrigerant out.

It sounds as though your going to have to get it pressure tested and maybe filled up again.

You’d be better going to a specialist, rather than somewhere who only tops them up as a side line.

 

[Landy Andy]

Sounds like your loosing the gas each time, and they are just topping up the system. You need someone who is honest to have a look.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Yep yer gas is escaping (not for the first time lol) & there is usually a dye in the coolant gas to show where its escaping, you might need a UV light though.

What makes you think that aircon isn't useful in the winter?
The system in your van has a dryer built in & its extremely helpful at demisting windows, set heat to hot, select demisters, then aircon & away you go.
Many problems with aircon is caused by people not using it often enough, there is a corrosion inhibitor & it settles to the bottom of the system, this leaves the gas pipes with no protection.

To see evidence of the condenser, just look at the drips under your van when the aircon actually works & you'll see water dripping out.

 

[Raul]

My guess is, you have a slow leak, maybe condenser or even a pipe. They just topped up a bit of gas until got cold air blowing. You need to go to a proper specialist, pull the gas out if you still got any, run a vacuum on the system and see if it holds. If it doesn’t, pump a dye in the system and pressurise it. Hopefully will reveal the leak. I had a corroded pipe and was loosing the gas every 3-4 months. It was so small could not find it until it got bigger. This happened after a winter and salt spreading.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Antique]

Our last van was a tiny, very tiny pin prick in the A/C rad. It would last a couple of weeks after a re charge.
Took an age for mate (an a/c engineer) to locate.
I finally fitted new rad and all was well.

 

[jezport]

My van had a tiny leak from the filling valve. Fiat has not fitted it correctly from new. It took 2 years to leak enough for me to notice that it wasnt cooling. My Aircon guy managed to remove and replace the valve and its still cold a year later. We could see the oil in the valve cap so it was an easy diagnosis. So check for oil in the 2 caps for the aircon

 

[Zains Pops]

A decent a/c garage should pressure test the system with nitrogen and leave for a decent time, overnight would be ideal. In the morning any drop in pressure shows on the gauge.
Then all they have to do is find the leak....far from easy, then fix the leak, pressure test again, vacuum out the system and regass.

Not cheap to fix a difficult leak, maybe plan B with an open window might be a lower cost solution.

 

[sallylillian]

Took 2 years for a small garage in Portugal with the right star wars kit to identify that a small O ring was damaged, probably from new causing, the refrigerant to leak, right at the very back of the engine compartment. But you need a competent Auto HVAC engineer WITH the right kit to vacuum and weight the gas and clean pressurise the system as well as troubleshoot the issue. 2 Iveco garages did not sort it!

 

[TerryL]

Okay, thanks all, seems pretty unanimous that I've still got a leak - and that my garage are not really interested so I now need to find a proper aircon expert. Should be fun!

I was aware that aircon units should be run regularly and, thanks ambulancekidd , I was also in fact aware of the benefits in winter - we just didn't use it. So I'm the victim of my own negligence!

Still, the windows do open!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Popty]

Hi TerryL, had a similar problem with my Fiat Ducato cab A/C, had it re-gassed and all was well & 3/4months later it packed up again, took it to a auto A/C specialist & they re-gassed it & put extra dye in the system, a few months latter found the dye (with a fluorescent light) was leaking from the compressor seals (due to lack of use, no doubt, new compressor fitted & hey presto nice cool cab, A/C now used every time the motorhome is fired up, also A/C is reported to loose up to 10% gas per year, so now it has a full A/C check & clean at MOT time, so its always working fine.

 

[TerryL]

Thanks for that. As I rarely used it I'm guessing compressor seals too but going to leave van with garage tomorrowish so he can try and trace the leak. Should be a bit more obvious because it only lasted 2 days!

 

[robnchris]

The problem is usually just that, people don't use the aircon so the seals go hard and then they leak, we always run heating and cooling with the aircon unit, never had a problem.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I regassed mine a year last April... Been alright since. I fully expected it not to work this July when I got the van out but no, can't fault it. R134a is funny stuff, I've known similar happen in fridge systems too

 

[Bessy765]

Just a possibility? We had a Elddis Aspre 255 (2012) this suffered intermittent air con problems, had it checked and re gassed twice, would work ok for a while then pack up. Had the leak detector dye added no sign of any leaks. decided to investigate further when home. In the fuse box under the bonnet by air filter there are the relays across the front of the fuse box, with air con turned on and engine running gently moved the relays, the middle one of the three when rocked on came air con. Removed this relay very gently twisted the prongs, sprayed with electric contact spray air con worked fine, still was ok ten months later when sold van? Might be worth a look.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jockaneezer]

Could be an electrical fault like Bessy765 is suggesting or the electronic clutch unit on the compressor might have a bad connection too. Doesn't sound like a gas leak if the last garage said the volume of gas checked out ok since the Kwikfit refill ?

 

[TerryL]

Okay, I'll give the relay a check but the electronic clutch will have to be left for the garage, although I'll mention it to them when I take it in later this week. They're doing another job for me at the same time.