Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

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Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by begins »

Hi all,

The weather has been very hot over here.
Now the aircon is behaving strangely. At idle or at low speed, the left side aircon is cold while the right hand side is either blowing weak cool air if not warm air.
While driving at constant speed, the aircon is cold at both sides.

I have flushed and change the aircon lubricant and gas but to no avail. The machine tested that the aircon compressor is strong and working fine.

Could it be the aircon fan that is failing or kaput? By the way, just thinking aloud, are there two fans (left and right) in our Citroen C5 year 2007 2.0 Petrol version?

Kindly advise me and Thank you very much.

Regards,
Last edited by begins on 20 Apr 2015, 07:24, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Stickyfinger »

Heater flaps....a common problem, it has nothing to do with the AirCon itself.
help comes soon...

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... ps#p446168" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by begins »

Stickyfinger wrote:Heater flaps....a common problem, it has nothing to do with the AirCon itself.
help comes soon...

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... ps#p446168" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thank you very much for the information.

I was asked by a workshop mechanic to change the entire cooling coil that is costing me a bomb!

I hope the steps to change the heater flaps can come soon as the weather is getting unbearable.

Regards,
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Stickyfinger »

Quite a few on this forum have done it as they as well have this problem, I would think you will be able to fix it. They will post links for you later (after work) I expect.
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Clogzz »

It's not the coil because it works at speed.
There is only one fan and four air flaps.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 45#p438028" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Filberton »

This is a known or common fault on the Mk1 like yours, especially with age. It is often the stepper motor which controls the flaps (one each side) that turn flow from the heater matrix to direct air or the air con evaporator. The motors have an octagonal shaft which on the original part was quite short and only just meets the flap lever. On the replacement motors the shaft is longer. (Citroen obviously knew but not a recall) Usually the end of the shaft rounds off. It does not usually damage much of the lever and new motor drives are longer so go past any local damage. There are two motors each side of the heater box (the other two do the flaps for air up/air down.

They can be removed by crawling in the foot-wells either side and checked before committing to buying new ones. (you need to be a bit of a contortionist but do-able).
(I can't recall if left fits right (someone on forum will remember) but if shafts do not look worn you can then switch them over and see if problem travels to the other side (then you know it is the motor).

There is only one evaporator so if you are getting cold one side and hot the other then it must be the control motors or the flaps. Can't be the system its self)

If it is the motor and you need to wait for spares, you can, I believe, rotate the flap by hand (or small screwdriver in the drive hole) and set it on permanent cold until you get the parts. (just don't put the motor back in or it might just rotate back to hot then stop again! :)

If not, it may be flaps which is a bit more involved but still do-able (but is heater box out)

good luck

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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Filberton »

Further, this link on the forum may help:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... or#p241089" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by begins »

Thank you very much to all for the kind advice and suggestion.

It seems to me that to get to the air flaps require a lot of work.

To alleviate the problem, what I have done is to close up the extreme right air vent and the second right air vent is now blowing colder air. Although it is not as cold as the passenger side but still better than before.

I will temporarily make do with this and see how things go.

Thank you once again.

Regards,
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by begins »

Dear all,

I am getting confused. I told the local mechanic about the flaps and motors problem that might affect the aircon. However, he is having a different opinion. His diagnosis is this:

1. Below 30C(Early morning), both left and right aircon works perfectly normal. The aircon is cold.
2. Above 30C(approaching noon), the left and right aircon (particularly the right side) will start blowing hotter air. The car cabin gets hotter when the temperature gets higher.

So whats now? He said the compressor is faulty and needs to be replaced. Could it be the some temperature sensor that is going haywired?

Kindly advise me.

Thank you very much.

Regards,
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by xantia_v6 »

Your mechanic could be right or wrong. The only way to tell is to connect pressure gauges to the car when the problem is occurring.

Maybe you should take the car to another specialist for a second opinion?
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by begins »

xantia_v6 wrote:Your mechanic could be right or wrong. The only way to tell is to connect pressure gauges to the car when the problem is occurring.

Maybe you should take the car to another specialist for a second opinion?
The mechanic did attempt to cleanse the aircon by hooking up to a machine. He did a few cleansing cycles and show me that the pressure is below ideal level. Should I take it that the aircon is gone case?

Thank you very much.

Regards,
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by xantia_v6 »

I would still advise getting a second opinion, as I don't know if your mechanic is an expert on air conditioning, or just likes pushing buttons on his A/C machine. Compressor failure seems to be fairly unusual.
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Stickyfinger »

Is the car overheating ?
or
is the compressor overheating ?........IF either get hot the AirCon shuts off.
Not seen many people having compressor problems, normally a leak or the electric clutch on the compressor that are the common problems if it is not the control flaps.

I have to agree with V6, go to an AirCon specialist, it saves time and money
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Clogzz »

He said the compressor is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Compressors don’t fail that way … the mechanic is drooling at the prospect of an expensive job. =P~
the pressure is below ideal level.
Below ideal, but still high enough to cool.

Check that the engine cooling fan always works with the air conditioning.
Mine stopped working and it caused the aircon to turn on and off according to the ambient temperature.
It also caused the flaps to move independently from each other to make up for the loss of cooling.
Last edited by Clogzz on 29 Jul 2015, 10:01, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Aircon Not Cold, Need Advice Here

Post by Stickyfinger »

Clogzz wrote:
He said the compressor is faulty and needs to be replaced.
.
I would like to think he "is guessing" and is trying to keep his customer happy, rather than thinking he can Con-Trick his customer........have nice thoughts :) until proven otherwise :)
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