Air con recharge

[25v6turbo]

Anyone used one of these self air con recharge systems that you can buy on E-bay etc?

If so are they any good,one of my cars is low on gas but the compressor still kicks in with no faults listed,think it needs a top up.

Have read a few horror stories about these baut also good results?

[Wingz123]

Did my A6 yesterday at ATS for £35 instead of £55. Took 40 mins and now ice cold. They’ll check for leaks and if you do have leaks won’t fill your system and refund you the £35...

[Lacquer Peel]

Follow the instructions, they work fine.

It is better value in the short term to go to a fast fit place though.

[Wingz123]

Know that doesn’t answer your question specifically but saves all the faffing about trying to do yourself...

[Wingz123]

Your nearest ATS is in Chard...

 

This is a deal through Groupon - if you don’t have a Groupon account pm me mate (I do) and I’ll sort it for you

[Guest]

I've used them many times, with 100% success, although a couple of cars have had smoll leaks which I've repaired and topped back up. I use the stuff from Halfords- with a trade card- and have also had good results with the STP leak sealer. The Vito aircon didn't work when I got it, bought a top up and puffed a little but in and found the condenser was rotten... after many hours of faffing, replacing the condenser,getting pipes made, refilling,more faffing and loss of gas it eventually blows ice cold- having to go back and forward somewhere to get it refilled everytime would get expensive!

 

Don't tell anyone, but I ran it filled with Propane as a test for a few months, worked a treat, and was even colder if anything. Wee Shug the Shogun has ice cold aircon courtesy of the leftovers from the Vito, and the wee Charade was bought with working aircon. 100% fleet freeze

 

Annoyingly I see Jim Bell got the Toy Yoda's aircon refilled. I did this before going to Germany with Kwik Fit's machine, and it held perfect vaccum for an hour before filling. It would get pricey doing this every couple of months at 50 quid a time .

[Jazoli]

Yup I've been using Halfords cans for a few years although they aren't as cheap as they were with a trade card and come out at £39 with the £10 refund for the empty can, just done the wife's new car and the ac is v cold again, I'm amazed they are allowed to sell them to be honest given the rules for refrigerant.

[Des]

Don't tell anyone, but I ran it filled with Propane as a test for a few months, worked a treat, and was even colder if anything.

 

That's what's in the top up cans these days as the 134 stuff supply is now restricted, it's appearing in new stuff because OMG environment innit, needs a dash of isobutane ideally, it's compatible with proper oldschool back in the day yo R12 systems which is nice. works better and not as much needed. Now summer's gone I might just get around to a top up myself.

[Jim Bell]

 

 

Annoyingly I see Jim Bell got the Toy Yoda's aircon refilled. I did this before going to Germany with Kwik Fit's machine, and it held perfect vaccum for an hour before filling. It would get pricey doing this every couple of months at 50 quid a time .

 

Hmmmm that is odd. Hopefully it holds for a few month yet. Could live without it over the winter.

[AMC Rebel]

I used one of those things (the aircon cans) to top up the aircon in the Puma - worked a treat.  Didn't work on my girlfriend's Seat Leon or on the Mondeo which turned out needed a new condenser.

 

I think they are OK for the very rare cases where "just needs a regas" is actually true.

[Talbot]

Don't tell anyone, but I ran it filled with Propane as a test for a few months, worked a treat, and was even colder if anything.

Something I've considered doing several times. How did you pull a vacuum on the system before filling it? Or did you not bother and just wallop some propane in?

 

Irritatingly I used to have a vac pump, set of gauges and a R134a bottle, and charged up about 8 or 9 systems before someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse for the setup. Given that I now have three vehicles with inoperative AC, I really wish I'd kept it (although how I'd buy R134a now I'm not sure..)

[DVee8]

FiL used my Halford's trade card last week,he got his aircon checked and refilled/recharged for 20 notes ..

[Des]

Something I've considered doing several times. How did you pull a vacuum on the system before filling it? Or did you not bother and just wallop some propane in?

 

A compressor from an old fridge will work for the vacuum if you can nab one before the pikeys. I believe it's a bit important as the tiniest amount of moisture from air can form acid or sludge up the oil depending on what refrigerant was used, in a vacuum the moisture evaporates off more readily and no-one can hear it scream either, and I suppose it enables refilling.

[Pillock]

I borrowed that one from AMC on here, see above as he'd success but I was trying to top up a Touran that was clearly leaky as it was cold for a few days then went back to ambient. 

 

They're dead easy to use and make financial sense if you have multiple cars or you're going to do them every few years.... you buy a trigger and then the cans which if you're only going to do one top-up and then lose it in the shed somewhere, is more expensive than going to ATS on a Groupon code or whatever. You'll get two fills out of a can usually unless it's totally empty (in which case it's probably leaking anyway) so if you've got a couple of cars, or a mate will slip you £20 for a top-up, then that's better. You get £10 back on the empties.

 

Remember ATS etc will leak-test and usually refund, if you splodge £50 on a DIY kit and there's a massive hole you're even worse off.

[DodgeRover]

Does anybody do the refill then refund if it's no colder? I'm sure kwik fit used to do this / not that I could condone pulling a fuse..

[Pillock]

Kwik Fit used to refund if it doesn't drop by 10% or something.... Sounds good but actually that's only 2° on an average summer day which is fuck all when you've got a sweaty arse crack and your car interior is at Gas Mark 6

[Guest Hooli]

I think even Bub manages to use these successfully so they must be simple.

[stephen01]

Considered these Halfords ones for the jag, but have fear of permanently fucking the ozone and being solely responsible for killing countless polar bears.

 

Think I'll take it to a regen centre..

[DodgeRover]

Considered these Halfords ones for the jag, but have fear of permanently fucking the ozone and being solely responsible for killing countless polar bears.

 

Think I'll take it to a regen centre..

Fill with propane instead? Much better for the environment when it leaks out.

[drivewaymyway]

I have been given a couple of old bottles of camping gas, I mean old bottles, the chap that gave them to me had them in his shed for 35 years.. Are they any good for air con regassing ? The bottles are blue but contain different gasses.. One is Propane, can't remember the other..

[somewhatfoolish]

Fill with propane instead? Much better for the environment when it leaks out.

Kind of, specifically it's less bad; straight hydrocarbons have little effect on the ozone layer but are still greenhouse gases. Stuff like R134 is quite bad, but better than the bad muthas like R12 which bores holes in the sky, pushes nuns in front of buses, tortures kittens and sells your children into slavery.

[drivewaymyway]

Not to mention R12 in the wrong hands can be made into Mustard gas...

[DodgeRover]

I have been given a couple of old bottles of camping gas, I mean old bottles, the chap that gave them to me had them in his shed for 35 years.. Are they any good for air con regassing ? The bottles are blue but contain different gasses.. One is Propane, can't remember the other..

Butane

[Des]

Don't use butane, that's the gas that won't work in a cooker when it's cold, it's a problem for some reason like exploding or turning liquid too readily and locking the compressor, propane is more like it but does something like taking more effort to condense although not as explody, mixing them makes a happy medium, it's something like either 21% or 19%, and it wants to be isobutane. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I think even Bub manages to use these successfully so they must be simple.

 

 

Fuck me! 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Don't use butane, that's the gas that won't work in a cooker when it's cold, it's a problem for some reason like exploding or turning liquid too readily and locking the compressor, propane is more like it but does something like taking more effort to condense although not as explody, mixing them makes a happy medium, it's something like either 21% or 19%, and it wants to be isobutane. 

 

 

My daddy says Butane is a bastard gas.