AC Errors (F994 and F995)

[LeoBenz]

Hello everyone.

I have a 2006 Citroen C5 II with the 1.6 HDi engine (109 hp)

Currently, the Air Conditioner is not working, it just does not blow cold.

I checked refrigerant pressure and it is very low (as in almost empty).

However, after connecting the Lexia scantool, I get the following errors:
F994 - Air conditioning compressor clutch control
F995 - Air conditioning compressor volume control

Could these errors be attributed to the low refrigerant pressure or could there be anything wrong with the AC electrics in my car?
So far, I tested the AC compressor resistance with a multimeter and it seems to be within the normal values. I also checked the BSI and couldn't find any burnt contacts. BSI on my car is "sealed" so I couldn't really fully inspected it.

My question is: Should I pay to refill the Gas on the system or is there anything I should fix (or test) before doing it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[GiveMeABreak]

Forget all that - you really need the A/C system tested for leaks first of all, because if there is low pressure, the AC compressor is switched off intentionally so as not to damage the compressor.

It needs taking to a specialist who check the entire circuit, valves and determine if there is any gas leaks. Once that is repaired and re-gassed, you'll probably find the system is working, but if not, at least you can rule out the A/C system. The compressor may have even failed, but you won't know until you have the system checked first.

[LeoBenz]

Forget all that - you really need the A/C system tested for leaks first of all, because if there is low pressure, the AC compressor is switched off intentionally so as not to damage the compressor.

It needs taking to a specialist who check the entire circuit, valves and determine if there is any gas leaks. Once that is repaired and re-gassed, you'll probably find the system is working, but if not, at least you can rule out the A/C system. The compressor may have even failed, but you won't know until you have the system checked first.

Thanks, I was just wondering if I had an electrical problem or if the errors were just relating to the low pressure shutting the compressor OFF.

If I don't exactly have an electrical problem, I think I will pay for a re-gas. If it works, it works, it is cheap enough and it would help me detect potential leaks.

[GiveMeABreak]

Don't just ask for a regas - there are places that will do a full test. They will drain and vacuum out the system, then do a pressure and leak test and use a sniffer to check for leaks. If the pressure holds, then they will regas with the correct quantities of refrigerant and oil and you should be fine. If the compressor does not engage then - you know you have another issue. It is still much, much cheaper to do the test first to determine if there is a leak or not, as at least if there is a leak they can direct you to where it is, rather than replacing parts unnecessarily and regassing every time.

[Paul-R]

Most places that offer test and regas facilities will use a vacuum to test the system. A real specialist will pressure test the system with some UV dye circulating in the pipes.

[PaulC5]

I've had 2 C5s that needed to be regassed at about 7 years old. On the latest C5 it also later needed a new condenser since it developed a leak which was found by the Citroen garage doing the work. If you still have some pressure in your air con then chances are you do not have a leak and it is just the gradual gas loss so a regass ought to be all that is needed. As others have pointed out, this should also include the vacuum/pressure tests which I think might be a legal requirement before refrigerant can be put in. When our air con was still running but getting low on gas I found the driver's (right) side dash vent air blowing out was not as cold as the left side, probably since there was not enough gas to cool the full length of the evaporator which on the C5 is quite long.

[LeoBenz]

Just posting a follow-up, they re-gassed the system and pressure-tested it. Found no obvious leaks, so the regas was successful and the AC now works perfectly!

[GiveMeABreak]

Great, thanks for the update. Sometimes it's not all bad...