Xantia A/C

np · Post by np » 14 Dec 2004, 04:32

Is there a certain outside temp that will stop the a/c from working?I recently drove to London,outside temp was 3deg,had some sleet on the way but the a/c wouldn`t work,hence misty windows.When the outside temp gauge rose to 4/5 deg,you could feel the a/c pump cut in.
It`s always been like this,& apart from that it all works fine.Just wondering,thanks.[:)]

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 14 Dec 2004, 04:43

This reminds me of a question an apprentice fridge mechanic once asked a group of tradesmen.
At the Antarctica, what temperatures would the fridge run at? Would they cut in and out at lower temps than if they were in say Australia?
Answer:- If the thermostat was set to cut in at say +4 and cut out at -15 and the ambient temperature was say -20 why should/would it cut in at all?
I did have to run a temperature graph on a single door fridge once that had thermostat troubles. It was winter and we discovered the temperature outside the fridge was colder than the temperature inside as the fridge had a heater in there to cause the temperature to rise when the themostat switched it off. You are basically in the same boat; try setting the heater/climate control to a high temp for a few minutes and then flick it back to a colder one; that "may" work.
Alan S

bernie · Post by **bernie** » 14 Dec 2004, 20:00

Exactly the same Neil.
Yesterday it did not run, today it does.
Yesterday 4 deg.C, today 10.

np · Post by np » 15 Dec 2004, 00:48

Ok,thanks both.My Dad has a 406,& has the a/c on all the time.Never mists up like mine.Although mine only mists in heavy rain,or if i have a few people in the car.
I thought is was because of the outside temp,so now i know.
Cheers.

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 15 Dec 2004, 01:42

What you could do is to set the intake air onto recycle which will cause heat to pass across the evaporator and therefore require cooling.
Or am I talking rubbish..........................again!

np · Post by np » 15 Dec 2004, 02:52

Not sure if your talking rubbish Richard,but couldn`t do it anyway.The control cable for fresh/recycled air is bent behind the panel.Stuck on fresh all the time,had been since i got the car!

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 15 Dec 2004, 03:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by np

Not sure if your talking rubbish Richard,but couldn`t do it anyway.The control cable for fresh/recycled air is bent behind the panel.Stuck on fresh all the time,had been since i got the car!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Which means that you're possibly passing air over the sensor below the temp that it's set to cut in at.
If you follow my suggestion of turning on to heat before cooling it should operate, but only if you can block the incoming colder air.
FWIW, over here due to our high humidities combined with high temps, if you were to set an air/con on a BX to cool and leave the fresh air intake vent open, it will choke the evaporator so much that it simply won't work due to its inability to let the air pass over it, in fact it can literally block as tight as a drum within a couple of minutes.
Alan S