Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Big Steve]

As you would expect, mid summer, aircon pack's up.  
First mistake took it to Vauxhall, after two re-gas's they
tell me the condencer has a slight leek, missed it the first
time. They could fix it but the condencer would be £325.00
& you can only get it from them, + fitting bill would be over
£500.00. Allready spent £75.00 on gas, so said thank's but
no thank's. Got a condencer from Autovaux less then half the price,
had it fitted by a local garage when i had the car serviced.
He got an outside company in to gas it as he does not have the
equipment, lasted a whole week before it packed up. Took it back
to the aircon company who tested it & told me that now the seals
have gone on the compressor, he said the seals could be changed
but this might not work & it would be better to change the compressor,
but this will cost. So what to do next, i did see an article in the parts
for sale section that some peple have used a company called coolcaraircon,
do they think it would be worth getting in touch, see if they could help.
Or if anyone has any other suggestions i would be greatfull.

[Big Steve]

Just checking to see if anyone back from santa pod can help with my question.

[TheBoy]

I think you will have to trust a specialist to put dye in, and locate leaks....

[Matchless]

How did they conclude that the compressor seals were at fault? Did they use an electronic sniffer? and where did they say it was leaking from?
How long has it been out of action?

[Nickbat]

You don't need a new compressor and you can do the compressor seals yourself. Seals cost about 1.50p each if I remember correctly. Order them in from Vx. They are metal on the outside with a rubber seal on the inside. Basically, all you have to do is to undo the bolt on the top of the compressor (which, from memory, is standard 15mm and a sod to get at), then crawl under the car, unclip the pipes from the sump retainer and gently ease them up enough to take off the old seals and slide the new ones under the metal plate. You'll swear a lot, but it can be done.

If you've got a few minutes, read this thread:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1154366785/0

You'll see that Mark (the Wise One) said it can be done and he was right.

BTW, for anyone else reading this and who recalls my summer aircon woes, I finally got the new high-side valve assembly with condenser for £65 from Vx and the aircon now works a treat!  

[Taxi_Driver]

Gas sniffers i have been told by an air con guy are not that reliable, esp if trying to do it outside.....dye in the gas is far more reliable.

Has dye been put in the gas before?? If not i think you will have to swallow having it regassed again with dye in it.....then get it looked up again but soon after you get it regassed as the dye can wash off if its been raining with the spray etc  

[Big Steve]

How did they conclude that the compressor seals were at fault? Did they use an electronic sniffer? and where did they say it was leaking from?
How long has it been out of action?

On the last regas they used dye, as soon as he put it in it pissed out over the front of the engine.
Did not get to see where it was leaking from, aircon bloke just said it was the compressor seal on  the shaft & they are a bugger to change. Did not seem to wont the job, told me to take it back to the garage
& get a new one.
Think i might get a second opinion.

[Big Steve]

You don't need a new compressor and you can do the compressor seals yourself. Seals cost about 1.50p each if I remember correctly. Order them in from Vx. They are metal on the outside with a rubber seal on the inside. Basically, all you have to do is to undo the bolt on the top of the compressor (which, from memory, is standard 15mm and a sod to get at), then crawl under the car, unclip the pipes from the sump retainer and gently ease them up enough to take off the old seals and slide the new ones under the metal plate. You'll swear a lot, but it can be done.

If you've got a few minutes, read this thread:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1154366785/0

You'll see that Mark (the Wise One) said it can be done and he was right.

BTW, for anyone else reading this and who recalls my summer aircon woes, I finally got the new high-side valve assembly with condenser for £65 from Vx and the aircon now works a treat!  

Unfortunatele my days of crawling around under the car are all but over, have to rely on the garage these days. Also my mechanical nowhow on these cars is limited, dont even know what the compresser looks like & not sure witch seals he was on about, as i told matchless might get second opinion. Thinking of getting in touch with the company that DTM mentioned in the for sale section.

[x25xe]

If you don't want to attempt this yourself, and you are CERTAIN that the compressor has gone, take the car to an air con specialist and get a recon compressor fitted.  They are not that expensive (although not cheap either) but certianlly cheaper that buying new.

[Matchless]

How did they conclude that the compressor seals were at fault? Did they use an electronic sniffer? and where did they say it was leaking from?
How long has it been out of action?

On the last regas they used dye, as soon as he put it in it pissed out over the front of the engine.
Did not get to see where it was leaking from, aircon bloke just said it was the compressor seal on  the shaft & they are a bugger to change. Did not seem to wont the job, told me to take it back to the garage
& get a new one.
Think i might get a second opinion.

Dye only works on reasonably large leaks, for a small leak you have to use a sniffer but they take skill to use, any draughts or moving air such as near rotating belts will disperse the refrigerant and upset the sniffer.
If yours leaked dye that quickly then it has to be a BIG BIG leak. It should be obvious where it came from but if it is the shaft seals then a replacement compressor is needed.