C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

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Napoleon
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C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by Napoleon »

Let's hope this is NOT the beginning of dozens of potential faults I have...

The aircon on the C5.

How do I know it's working? Just the fact that the blower blows? Should there be noticeably cold air coming from the vents?

At the moment it's hard to tell. Even on 14 I can't honestly say it feels cool in there. Am I running the engine long enough? Any special tweak I might be missing?

As far as I can see, to turn on the a/c you press the auto button, and to turn it off, or at least the blower, press the fan button until the blowing reduces and seems to stop.

???
Last edited by Napoleon on 09 Aug 2012, 22:06, edited 1 time in total.
Tim
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Re: C5 aircon question

Post by hdi_man »

Maybe it needs re-gassed? You should definitely feel it cold, ice cold if you set it to low. Auto its on climate control but you can also just press the AC button
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Re: C5 aircon question

Post by Lighty »

The MK111 C5 has a few common leak point with the A/C pipes, I have changed about 5 this year.
You should feel the chill from it in this weather as already said. Get it regassed with a dye, the technician will test for leaks at the time .
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Re: C5 aircon question

Post by Napoleon »

Is re-gassing a sort of job my mobile mech-type guy can do? He does stuff for me such as fitting accessories, split charge relays and so on, and I remember his card saying something about aircon work.

I know I have to ask him, but just wondered if you chaps think that he might be a likely first port of call?

Tim
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by waynedance »

Should be like sitting in a fridge, left my engine running with a/c on today for 5 mins and then got in the car and is was well chilled.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by Napoleon »

In that case, something's not right.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by waynedance »

Air con either works or it don't, should here the compressor kicking in & out.
Water dripping on the floor & very cold or near frozen air con pipes in the engine bay is a good indication it's working.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by Napoleon »

Have yet to venture near the engine bay, so, in Citroen terms, I don't know my arse from my elbow.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by RichardW »

If you bought it at a garage, then you should take it back and get them to fix it - it is covered under sale of goods - whatever they may say about 'Warranty' :lol:

If you're not sure it's working, then it isn't - if it is working properly then the air coming out the vents will be too cold to hold your hand in front of for long. Note if the gas pressure is low, then it can cool a bit, so it will feel cool rather than cold.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by SaabC5 »

A good test of how cold your air con is getting is to direct the air at the windscreen on the coldest setting, if its working correctly you will find a small ice patch will form at the bottom of the screen if you run it for 15-20 mins.
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Post by addo »

Depends what country you are in! It may simply result in a small patch of un-slumped glass here...
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by hdi_man »

other thing that it could be is your external temperature sensor on the drivers wing mirror is faulty...I currently have this problem, car reads 3 degress when its actually 15. so when I put AC on low it won't actually come on as the climate control uses the outside air temp I believe
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by Napoleon »

Right, the car's going back when we get back from France.

I had an A/C man test it and the system showed a leak. There was no gas in the system, and a test with nitrogen showed a leak somewhere near, if not on, the condensor.

Rang garage just after findin this and they say take it back to them.

Grrr. Should have checked this when I saw the car, shouldn't I?

Then again, what about the 8,000,000 checks they say they carry out prior to sale? Didn't that include the a/c?

Right that's it, see you in a while.
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by bobins »

I recently had my aircon condensor on my C5(X7) holed by a stone thrown up from the road so don't assume that the garage supplied you with duff aircon. My aircon was working fine one day and not working at all the next. When the garage tested my aircon system the Nitrogen was very obviously coming from a hole in the condensor. I think the condensors may be made of 2 sheets of Bacofoil stuck together so may be a bit fragile !! :(
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Re: C5 aircon question - not sure if it is working or not

Post by Napoleon »

I've only done about 100 miles in the car. There was NO gas in the system whatsoever.
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1995 M289 Xantia TD SX hatch - sold March 2012

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