Run your Car / Cab A/C on a regular basis !

[EuroTrotters]

Our Son-In-Law a found a 1998 Bargain. Went along to check it over and buy it with him.

32,000 miles. A/C not used on a regular basis.

Result, a/c leaks. Many people in the Automotive A/C business and those who was told by a friend of a friend who knows best, its a myth. But if you do not, I can assure you, not running A/C on a regular basis will cause "O" rings to dry out.

Just pressurised my SIL laws car with OFN, result was dried out "O" rings on the Filter/Drier. Did not replaced the drier as they are off to France in a day or two. But a few penny "O"Rings, top up of PAG oil, evacuated the system recharged with Virgin R134a and he's on his way in a cool car.

Condenser has seen better days. But as the HP pipe is obsolete and the last one I had to engineer, it will do.

That is Front, rear A/C and The drinks fridge in the Middle !

 

[Richard n Ann]

Result, a/c leaks

How do you know? Might it have leaked out anyway?. Conclusive results take thousands of participants with statistics gathered and conclusions made. None of these trials are important enough to do for vehicle air con so nobody does them.

You may be right, but to give your opinion as fact is wrong IMO

 

[Richard n Ann]

A/C not used on a regular basis.

And how do you know?

 

[EuroTrotters]

Ignore

How do you know? Might it have leaked out anyway?. Conclusive results take thousands of participants with statistics gathered and conclusions made. None of these trials are important enough to do for vehicle air con so nobody does them.

You may be right, but to give your opinion as fact is wrong IMO

30 years in the Automotive A/C and the RAC Industry.

Audi A2, as an example, always deviates to run A/C every time you start the Car (not "green" today). After 17 years A/C never even needed, as some term "toppin-up". Cars that do not have this function, like as typical Seat Ibiza, regular issues.

And how do you know?

Previous owner just used it for school runs for children, then grandchildren. Said they never needed to use it.

Just my opinon, still learning as I go along. I should have taken photos of new and old O rings

 

[olley]

Guy at Gloucester A/C told me the same when I had the RV in for a recharge last month.

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[Simon Select]

30 years in the Automotive A/C and the RAC Industry.

Audi A2, as an example, always deviates to run A/C every time you start the Car (not "green" today). After 17 years A/C never even needed, as some term "toppin-up". Cars that do not have this function, like as typical Seat Ibiza, regular issues.

Previous owner just used it for school runs for children, then grandchildren. Said they never needed to use it.

Just my opinon, still learning as I go along. I should have taken photos of new and old O rings

I didn’t post??

 

[EuroTrotters]

I didn’t post??

didn't know how to delete the added quote

 

[monzer]

Pretty sure the fiat user handbook suggests using it atleast once a month.

I would use mine once a month if I could get the bloody thing working.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Guy at Gloucester A/C told me the same when I had the RV in for a recharge last month.

Must be true then. I now agree

 

[EuroTrotters]

R134a @ 200-350 psi(g) will push through a dry seal with ease

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[DBK]

Ours is switched on all the time, both in the MH and the car. Sceptics should try it. Even in the depths of winter it reduces condensation on windows.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ours is switched on all the time, both in the MH and the car. Sceptics should try it. Even in the depths of winter it reduces condensation on windows.

Moisture is always attracted to the coldest point which is the evaporator when the AC is switched on, the excess runs out of the drain underneath the car but the evaporator will remain wet.
When you switch the AC off the windscreen then becomes the coldest point and the moisture from the evap migrates to the screen.
The best way to deal with water is to drive it out with the heater, evaporate it and it will leave the car with the air through the stale air vents

I have this saved, I post it from time to time. Feel free to ignore it I don't mind

 

[EuroTrotters]

Moisture is always attracted to the coldest point which is the evaporator when the AC is switched on, the excess runs out of the drain underneath the car but the evaporator will remain wet.
When you switch the AC off the windscreen then becomes the coldest point and the moisture from the evap migrates to the screen.
The best way to deal with water is to drive it out with the heater, evaporate it and it will leave the car with the air through the stale air vents

I have this saved, I post it from time to time. Feel free to ignore it I don't mind

then you have to turn the a/c on to clear it agin.

 

[Richard n Ann]

then you have to turn the a/c on to clear it agin.

Absolutely it's a never ending cycle until you get rid of the damp air/water with the car heater.

 

[Reallyretired]

Air con on all the time, Air conditioning plus heating is the best way to get rid of condensation. I prefer separate heating controls to 'climate control' for this reason, though climate control in my car still allows this, my last one didn't.

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[Mickey1]

The best way for clearing condensation is a window vac.

 

[Tonks]

Using screens properly avoids condensation in the first place. I never need to wipe or vac any of my van's windows, whatever the outside temperature.
The A/C specialists who're sorting mine out shortly say that you should run AC for at least 15m every couple of weeks to keep the whole system running properly and all the seals in good order. In the car I run AC all the time and it's only needed to be re-gassed once, and that was because of time, not because it wasn't working. The van, which has much more basic AC (ie. freezing or off, whereas the car's is controllable in single degree increments) is less appealing to have AC on all the time. Hence the reason why the system has needed attention 3 or 4x in eight years.

 

[Geoff185]

On all my cars and motorhome I leave air con on all the time, difference in fuel consumption is marginal, better for the seals

 

[DBK]

Moisture is always attracted to the coldest point which is the evaporator when the AC is switched on, the excess runs out of the drain underneath the car but the evaporator will remain wet.
When you switch the AC off the windscreen then becomes the coldest point and the moisture from the evap migrates to the screen.
The best way to deal with water is to drive it out with the heater, evaporate it and it will leave the car with the air through the stale air vents

I have this saved, I post it from time to time. Feel free to ignore it I don't mind

I have been using A/C all year round for years and have never noticed the effect you describe. The A/C dries the air by cooling it and the condensate drips out of the bottom of the vehicle. Your heater then warms the air back up to a pleasant temperature and blows the now drier air into the cab. This works and observation beats theory every time.

What does help a little bit, but only a little bit when stopping for the night in the MH is switching the controls so the vent to the windscreen is closed. So you select the position where air would only be blown into the footwells. You can select recirculating as well but I've not noticed any difference doing this.

 

[Abgs]

I’ve got a ten year old Mercedes E500 which only has 32000 miles on the clock. I use it maybe once or twice a month.

Last month the A/C stopped working, the main dealer investigated as the car is still under a MB extended warranty. They told me it needed a new condenser as ‘there was a hole in it’. Quoted £1250 to the job !!!

Took it for a second opinion at the local specialist Mercedes garage - £80 for a re-gas and a couple of seals.

They told me to make sure I run the A/C whenever I use the car in future to prevent the seals drying up.

Also be on your guard for scamster main dealers !

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[62272]

Absolutely concur!! The air con does ‘appear’ (for the benefit of some on here ) to lose gas if the MOHO cab aircon is not used regularly.

Two years running now I have had to have it re-gassed before the start of the summer season, on both occasions the garage (different garages on each occasion) confirm that there are no leaks in the system, but the gas level has decreased by about a third (only two thirds full), which affects the efficiency of the system. Consequently without the top up, the air con is useless at keeping the cab cold.

Just came back from 8 weeks away touring the south of France, and the cab is freezing cold with the air con on (used regularly since the top up).

Will now be maintaining the air con by running at least every couple of weeks, all year around.

Apparently, so the garage man tells me, the air con gas is very thin and escapes through the seals if they become too dry, and he recommends running it regularly even through the winter.

 

[WynandJean]

Is replacing the seals possible please?

Wyn

 

[EuroTrotters]

Is replacing the seals possible please?

Wyn

Yea, but most are extremely difficult to access. Depends on the vehicle.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I’ve got a ten year old Mercedes E500 which only has 32000 miles on the clock. I use it maybe once or twice a month.

Last month the A/C stopped working, the main dealer investigated as the car is still under a MB extended warranty. They told me it needed a new condenser as ‘there was a hole in it’. Quoted £1250 to the job !!!

Took it for a second opinion at the local specialist Mercedes garage - £80 for a re-gas and a couple of seals.

They told me to make sure I run the A/C whenever I use the car in future to prevent the seals drying up.

Also be on your guard for scamster main dealers !

When we had our Frankia Mercedes. Enza at Trafford park quoted £1200 for the condenser. Two others quoted £600.

I bought A Valeo condenser £75, did it myself.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I’ve got a ten year old Mercedes E500 which only has 32000 miles on the clock. I use it maybe once or twice a month.

Last month the A/C stopped working, the main dealer investigated as the car is still under a MB extended warranty. They told me it needed a new condenser as ‘there was a hole in it’. Quoted £1250 to the job !!!

Took it for a second opinion at the local specialist Mercedes garage - £80 for a re-gas and a couple of seals.

They told me to make sure I run the A/C whenever I use the car in future to prevent the seals drying up.

Also be on your guard for scamster main dealers !

Love E500’s quite a rare car, especially estates and even more the 7 seat option

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[SpeedyDux]

The ex-wife drove her MR2 mk2 all winter with AC off. The following summer it was 100% fooked. Toyota gave a huge estimate to fix the AC so she had it disconnected permanently. Her car became a humid greenhouse, so she traded it in for a different fancy runabout. She always had a special talent for turning a reliable car into a money pit. Never mind, her new husband pays her bills now, (un)lucky chap!

I remember the day we bought that MR2. The AC stood out as probably the most powerful instant chilled air I have ever experienced in a car.

 

[tonyidle]

I leave AC on full time and adjust cab temp as required. I agree entirely with the opinions on lack of use.

 

[WynandJean]

Yea, but most are extremely difficult to access. Depends on the vehicle.

Well I can forget that then, had to remove half the engine just to replace a headlight bulb!

 

[WynandJean]

Yea, but most are extremely difficult to access. Depends on

 

[kevenh]

didn't know how to delete the added quote

Back space through the quote text.

Or turn on BBcode text editing and remove the unwanted bit,

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