Quick aircon question!

D.Slatford · Post by **D.Slatford** » 15 Sep 2005, 20:53

Thanks to all who tried to help earlier advising me how to get the auxillary belt off my Xantia to replace the compressor; even with the right tool I wasn't able to budge the tensioner anywhere, and upon opening what I (badly!) assumed to be a long depressurised system from a compressor leak, I was greeted with a loud violent whoosh of luminous green stuff.. at which point I gave up, and took it to a garage!
New second hand compressor on, and everything's working again, apparantly leak-proof. It doesn't seem quite as cold as it was before, but still definately cold. My question, if it's not too daft, is how 'hot' should the evaporator bottle get?
When the system last worked a year ago, the bottle quickly got VERY hot, just about hot enough to be untouchable. Now it gets mildly warm. But - when the system was last working, the radiator fans did not. So either it was quickly overheating before, or it's not working as effeciently now. I don't know what temperature should be considered 'normal'

Post by **Peter.N.** » 15 Sep 2005, 21:20

If the system is working efficiently, the 'hot' side should be getting hot fairly quickly, as this is the heat that is being removed by the evaporator, if the aircon doesn't seem to be as cold as it was, its probably not working as well as it was.

johnway · Post by **johnway** » 16 Sep 2005, 01:33

Hello,
Does your system have a Sandon or Harrison compressor? If Harrison I would be interested to know where you got it. As you heard a Whoosh, you have obviously lost a fair amount of gas, hence below normal tempereatures. The green stuff was a refridgerant dye, added to the oil and R134A mixture to help monitor leaks (it glows under ultra-violet light). The gas boils at low temperatures, unlike the oil, so judge for yourself by the amount and duration of whoosh how much gas you have lost. I suggest you contact an air con company for a top-up asap as low gas/oil mixture can knacker your compressor, bear in mind that on average a car's air con unit will lose up to 10% of its gas naturally every year anyway!! This is due to the molecules of R134A being smaller than the now defunct R12 so they can slip past the compressor and union seals easier. Hope this is of some use and I haven't bored you too much - I have been attemting to fix my Xantia air con for over a year now and have picked up this info during my struggles with 2nd hand compressors. In the long run a new one from Citroens would have been cheaper, but I would be none the wiser!!
John.

D.Slatford · Post by **D.Slatford** » 16 Sep 2005, 02:28

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

Hello,
Does your system have a Sandon or Harrison compressor?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Harrison
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">If Harrison I would be interested to know where you got it. As you heard a Whoosh, you have obviously lost a fair amount of gas, hence below normal tempereatures.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ahh, today I have had a second hand compressor fitted, after I let the gas out on the weekend. New compressor fitted and regular service today. I should have done this months ago.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The green stuff was a refridgerant dye, added to the oil and R134A mixture to help monitor leaks (it glows under ultra-violet light).<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Didn't know it did that, will have to have a play

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">as low gas/oil mixture can knacker your compressor<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The old compressor looks quite shot. Stained with the same green underneath, no air gap between the pulley and the clutch so it was often grinding loudly, and almost no oil in it.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I have been attemting to fix my Xantia air con for over a year now and have picked up this info during my struggles with 2nd hand compressors. In the long run a new one from Citroens would have been cheaper, but I would be none the wiser!!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah, this was a gamble I was willing to take - cost of new compressor far too much for the age of the car. Someone here I think sold me one for £25, it was sat in a box for a couple of months when I had it but seems to be working now it's installed.
The air isn't quite as bitterly-cold as it was before the old system died for good, but that might be me being fussy in all honesty - it is definately cold and demists the windscreen almost instantly after just a few seconds of switching on. When the old system died the rad fans hadn't been working for months either, and some while before I bought the car, so I expect the old system died from overheating/constant too high pressure.
I just hope now its charged it doesn't all escape over the next few days / weeks!
I do also wonder though - is there meant to be a plastic tray on the bottom of the car, underneath the compressor? I think there's one the other side, but not compressor side.