Citroen C4 AirCon
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Citroen C4 AirCon
Hi Marc, Thanks for that info. Aircon is not an area I'm familiar with so I am hoping the problem is something simple. But would a magnetic clutch make a noise ie a click as described to me, when it engages and also would there be any obvious wiring harness associated with it. Thanks again.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
The AC clutch is either engaged (connected to the pulley) or disengaged (removed from the pulley). So the clicking can be heard when the AC is switched on or off. A lot of squealing noises around this area can be the pulleys or a sign that the clutch in the compressor is starting to fail.
So failure of the compressor clutch to engage (however activated) can mean that there is low refrigerant and the compressor is deactivated as a safety feature to prevent damage. So the system needs to be checked to see if it is a faulty compressor / clutch or low refrigerant. If you know for sure the AC has refrigerant, then it may well be the compressor / clutch.
So failure of the compressor clutch to engage (however activated) can mean that there is low refrigerant and the compressor is deactivated as a safety feature to prevent damage. So the system needs to be checked to see if it is a faulty compressor / clutch or low refrigerant. If you know for sure the AC has refrigerant, then it may well be the compressor / clutch.
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Marc
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Hi again marc, I am beginning to think this conversation should be on a different thread since I fear it could become complicated. Anyway the car was regassed by ATS about 3 weeks ago, so I would assume the refrigerant is ok. At the first attempt they ran out of gas and I had to take the car back to them the best part of a week later. They plugged the car into a rather ancient looking machine which just went through the whole process unattended. I did notice at one stage there was a readout which said it had taken out 560 and put back in 500 ( what I don't know). Presumably they would have checked that it was all working properly before returning the car to me ( or am I being optimistic there?). Are there any easy DIY checks I can do before taking it to my usual repair shop ( where we had new rear discs and pads fitted yesterday, hence why I am going into cost saving mode)?
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
I just put my windows down , cheap , easy . Air con is ok when working as it should but a pain when it plays up.
Husky.
Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.



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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Agreed, when we lived in NZ I never had a problem with 4X100 aircon.....you know, all 4 windows down and do 100kmh !!
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
The machine vacuums out the refrigerant and the oil, checks the system pressure and disinfects / cleans (if you've paid for that option), then if all is ok, they fill with refrigerant and the correct amount of oil (for the compressor).
They should of provided you with a ticket that states the before and after readings, but wouldn't be surprised at these cowboys if they didn't.
But back to the compressor - assuming they did their job properly and tested the seals and valves for leaks, and all was working and it was holding pressure, then it's likely to be your compressor. When you switch the A/C on or have it on AUTO, the compressor pulley will be turning and the engine fan will kick in on the lowest speed.
If none of these things are happening, then the compressor is not working. If the engine fan is on slow speed and you can see that the compressor is operating and you are not getting any cold air, then you may have a blockage in the system that is preventing the refrigerant getting round the circuit to the evaporator where the fan blows air over it for cooling the vehicle.
They should of provided you with a ticket that states the before and after readings, but wouldn't be surprised at these cowboys if they didn't.
But back to the compressor - assuming they did their job properly and tested the seals and valves for leaks, and all was working and it was holding pressure, then it's likely to be your compressor. When you switch the A/C on or have it on AUTO, the compressor pulley will be turning and the engine fan will kick in on the lowest speed.
If none of these things are happening, then the compressor is not working. If the engine fan is on slow speed and you can see that the compressor is operating and you are not getting any cold air, then you may have a blockage in the system that is preventing the refrigerant getting round the circuit to the evaporator where the fan blows air over it for cooling the vehicle.
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Marc
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
If the compressor clutch is not being engaged for electrical reasons, then the compressor obviously won't be working. The compressor pulley has an outer part which is driven by the belt and always spins when the engine is running, the inner part of the pulley only spins when the clutch is engaged. If you start the engine with the bonnet up and the A/C switched on, you should hear the compressor clutch click after about 5 seconds and then you should be able to see the inner part of the compressor pulley spinning.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Thanks for that Xantia. I've just come in from town, so the engine is at normal temp ( which I can only assume because the car is not fitted with a temp gauge). Switched on the aircon, no click but the inner part of the pulley was spinning. The radiator was very hot ( to the touch), but the cooling fan was not working. After a while the air through the centre face vents did feel a bit cooler ( with in car temp set on cold), but nothing like my old Focus which used to go ice cold. I noticed the engine revs at idle were 500, whereas they used to be 750 at idle. Also with the aircon turned off, the centre of the pulley still appears to be spinning. Should I therefore leave the aircon turned on all the time? I cant identify a fuse to check for the fan, so do you know if it is fused in with something else perhaps. Thanks again for your help.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
This item ( Oil filter cover, I don't know) has got an electrical socket on the top, but there is no sign of any wiring anywhere near it. Does anybody know if there should be something plugged in there and if so where is it likely to be. I don't know if there could be any connection with my aircon issue.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
If the compressor is engaged and turning, then you should check the temperature of the pipe returning gas from the evaporator to the compressor. This should after a few minutes be quite cold, about 8°C.
If this pipe is not getting cold, then there is a problem with the refrigeration system. If that pipe is nice and cold, but you are not getting cold air at the vents, then there is probably a fault in the system controlling the air mixing flaps.
If this pipe is not getting cold, then there is a problem with the refrigeration system. If that pipe is nice and cold, but you are not getting cold air at the vents, then there is probably a fault in the system controlling the air mixing flaps.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Thanks for the info Xantia. I'm still working on that one, but I can conclude that the pipe isn't cold as in very cold, but the air through the face vent is slightly cooler then ambient. I've yet to see or hear the radiator fan operating, but it does turn freely ( tested with a stick!). The HP switch is of the 3 pin type and I can't see a switch in the LP line, so I assume the HP is the only one there. Does this control the radiator fan at all and do you know of any way it can be tested?
However, slightly off topic, but FUSES. Trying to find details of the fuses, etc in my C4 (forget the handbook!!), I discovered this site - Fuseandrelay.com - which has photos, line drawings and fuse details for a number of types of fuse box. I thought this might be useful info to pass on to one and all. Cheers,
However, slightly off topic, but FUSES. Trying to find details of the fuses, etc in my C4 (forget the handbook!!), I discovered this site - Fuseandrelay.com - which has photos, line drawings and fuse details for a number of types of fuse box. I thought this might be useful info to pass on to one and all. Cheers,
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
The oil filter cover is undone using a socket, hence the top of it is shaped for the socket and the 2 lugs on the sides of it are to help hold the socket on it. You should check the socket size but it is usually 27 mm and done up to 25 Nm, a 6 point socket is preferable. I have yet to see on any of our Citroens an electrical connection on the filter cover.
If this was my car I would take it to a Citroen dealer for the air con to be checked. You have already paid ATS to fix it unsuccessfully and if your usual garage does not have the Citroen diagnostic equipment they might just start replacing parts hoping to fix it before you have spent too much money. When working on full flow through the dash vents, air con should be able to cool the air by about 15°C below ambient if you use a thermometer in a vent.
I do not know if this has already been mentioned, but you need to keep an eye on the oil level since vti engines can use oil, we had a 1.4 vti and it used around 1 litre every 1000 to 2000 miles. The timing chain also was worn by 50k miles, shown by a fault code about the timing not being right.
If this was my car I would take it to a Citroen dealer for the air con to be checked. You have already paid ATS to fix it unsuccessfully and if your usual garage does not have the Citroen diagnostic equipment they might just start replacing parts hoping to fix it before you have spent too much money. When working on full flow through the dash vents, air con should be able to cool the air by about 15°C below ambient if you use a thermometer in a vent.
I do not know if this has already been mentioned, but you need to keep an eye on the oil level since vti engines can use oil, we had a 1.4 vti and it used around 1 litre every 1000 to 2000 miles. The timing chain also was worn by 50k miles, shown by a fault code about the timing not being right.
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Thanks for that info, Paul, especially the oil consumption. I'm not sure what I am looking at in the photos, it might not be the oil filter cover, but it definitely has an electrical connection on top. I am wondering if some higher spec models might have some sort of anti oil pollution system in there ( you might remember the old idea of a magnetic sump drain plug) or something to measure oil viscosity before flagging up the need for an oil change. As far as the aircon is concerned, since the clutch is permanently engaged ( ie spinning all the time) I wonder if I should get a new after market compressor ( my car is 2013, so I don't want to pay Mr. Citroen price for a new compressor) before looking for further help from the Citroen dealer. Any thoughts on that idea?
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Re: Citroen C4 AirCon
Those symptoms strongly suggest that the A/C system is trying to work but is nearly out of gas. If the system was filled more than 2 or 3 years ago, then it probably just needs refilling. If it was already filled more recently, then it probably has a leak.Daibach wrote: 03 Aug 2024, 12:09 I can conclude that the pipe isn't cold as in very cold, but the air through the face vent is slightly cooler then ambient.
It is very rare for a compressor to fail except catastrophically, so I would not go down that path without getting the pressures checked or system refilled first.Daibach wrote: 08 Aug 2024, 15:18 As far as the aircon is concerned, since the clutch is permanently engaged ( ie spinning all the time) I wonder if I should get a new after market compressor ( my car is 2013, so I don't want to pay Mr. Citroen price for a new compressor) before looking for further help from the Citroen dealer. Any thoughts on that idea?