Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Impact Pete on 06 June 2013, 17:37:15

Title: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Impact Pete on 06 June 2013, 17:37:15
Hi car leaks after about a year with a supposed refill, not worth replacing valve? so was thinking of a cheap option just for a 2 week holiday so baby does not get fried!

any advice?
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Andy B on 06 June 2013, 17:50:03
....l, not worth replacing valve?  ....

Each valve is only a couple of quid if it is them that are leaking. Often though, it's the condenser or compressor that leaks.
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Jimbob on 06 June 2013, 18:13:00
I paid £3.77 for a valve and £50+ vat for 3 x regasses!

1st regas - £50 + vat plus spotted valve wont seal.
They order one from VX...just the valve innards arrive, after vaccing out, refil as it wont fit...no charge.

I ordered the correct screw in valve replacement...£3.77

They vacc'd, changed and regassed....No charge!

I like my garage!

(had seen from service history Big Blue has never kept refrigerant for very long, hopefully she now will)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: pauls on 06 June 2013, 18:19:05
Sorry to hijack this Jim have you got the part numbers for the valves  :y
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Jimbob on 06 June 2013, 19:08:49
Sorry to hijack this Jim have you got the part numbers for the valves  :y

The one at the front of my 2002 3.2 is 13277003
The wrong insert (may have been usable at tha back? 3041827
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: VXL V6 on 06 June 2013, 19:13:13
I paid £3.77 for a valve and £50+ vat for 3 x regasses!

1st regas - £50 + vat plus spotted valve wont seal.
They order one from VX...just the valve innards arrive, after vaccing out, refil as it wont fit...no charge.

I ordered the correct screw in valve replacement...£3.77

They vacc'd, changed and regassed....No charge!

I like my garage!

(had seen from service history Big Blue has never kept refrigerant for very long, hopefully she now will)

Errr aren't they supposed to fill the system with an inert gas and check for leaks before vacuuming out again and refilling with refridgerent by law?
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Jimbob on 06 June 2013, 19:17:05
Technically it wasnt leaking once the cap was scewed on....
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: ted_one on 06 June 2013, 19:23:35
Yup....especially Kwick Krap,they are really hot on leaks....just plead the fifth and say that you know nothing about the car as you have just bought it, that way you only get the short lecture about the legality of defective A/C systems  8) PITA ::)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: pauls on 06 June 2013, 19:29:40
Sorry to hijack this Jim have you got the part numbers for the valves  :y

The one at the front of my 2002 3.2 is 13277003
The wrong insert (may have been usable at tha back? 3041827
[/quote

Cheers Jim
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: CaptainZok on 06 June 2013, 19:36:34
And to answer the op's question, no those top up kits are useless. Refrigerant and pag oil go in in measured amounts that's why places who do aircon buy machines that put in a measured amount for each particular car. Plus it's illegal to fill a leaking system which is one reason for it having to hold a vac for a set period of time before filling. The other way of testing is to pressurise with nitrogen. So I'd say save the price of the refill and go to someone with proper kit for testing and refilling the aircon.
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: tigers_gonads on 06 June 2013, 19:59:59
If its done properly, it should be

Suck the gas out
Timed vacuum check
Then disinfectant and refrigerant.

The refrigerant is UV reflective so if its been leaking, they should be able to replace any o rings or bits before they refill  :y

If yours is leaking, get your hands on a UV lamp and have a look before you take it  :y

The refills from Halfords are crap imo  ;)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: RobG on 06 June 2013, 20:05:57
If its done properly, it should be

Suck the gas out
Timed vacuum check
Then disinfectant and refrigerant.

The refrigerant is UV reflective so if its been leaking, they should be able to replace any o rings or bits before they refill  :y

If yours is leaking, get your hands on a UV lamp and have a look before you take it  :y

The refills from Halfords are crap imo  ;)
Never knew that ???
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: tigers_gonads on 06 June 2013, 20:11:57
If its done properly, it should be

Suck the gas out
Timed vacuum check
Then disinfectant and refrigerant.

The refrigerant is UV reflective so if its been leaking, they should be able to replace any o rings or bits before they refill  :y

If yours is leaking, get your hands on a UV lamp and have a look before you take it  :y

The refills from Halfords are crap imo  ;)
Never knew that ???


Yup  :y

My old shed failed its vac check last year.
The clever git just grabbed a UV torch, spotted a dodgy o ring, sorted it and filled it all up  :y
Only cost me 40 quid as well  :D
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Andy B on 06 June 2013, 20:12:54
If its done properly, it should be

Suck the gas out
Timed vacuum check
Then disinfectant and refrigerant.

The refrigerant is UV reflective so if its been leaking, they should be able to replace any o rings or bits before they refill  :y

If yours is leaking, get your hands on a UV lamp and have a look before you take it  :y

The refills from Halfords are crap imo  ;)
Never knew that ???

It's only UV reflective when a UV reflective dye is added to the system  ;)  ;)  ;)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: RobG on 06 June 2013, 20:15:47
My "breaker" had dye in the system that was visible to the naked eye. As you can see ;D
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z257/belisensis/DSCF6053_zpsb87fb90e.jpg)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Andy B on 06 June 2013, 20:17:45
My "breaker" had dye in the system that was visible to the naked eye. As you can see ;D
 ....

I'd hope you'd be able to see it if there was that much refrigerant from a leak. Normally they are tiny, so you need your UV glasses
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: RobG on 06 June 2013, 20:20:01
(http://www.giftideas.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/8/image/376x/26a279de5a5052d720dcaf460a8bca07/u/v/uv-reactive-high-ball-glasses-1.jpg) :D :D
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Andy B on 06 June 2013, 20:40:43
(http://www.giftideas.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/8/image/376x/26a279de5a5052d720dcaf460a8bca07/u/v/uv-reactive-high-ball-glasses-1.jpg) :D :D

You need another now for your other eye!  ;)  ;)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: RobG on 06 June 2013, 21:05:40
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR5CGcuwaS6q1L4Ux6cQLn_-3MPalwCOMdWtBIKnn7TUtifT7REkw) ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Andy B on 06 June 2013, 21:10:43
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR5CGcuwaS6q1L4Ux6cQLn_-3MPalwCOMdWtBIKnn7TUtifT7REkw) ;D ;D ;D

Brilliant!!!!!!  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: RobG on 06 June 2013, 21:15:23
Thought you`d like that ;D 8)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: dbug on 06 June 2013, 21:21:12
Yup....especially Kwick Krap,they are really hot on leaks....just plead the fifth and say that you know nothing about the car as you have just bought it, that way you only get the short lecture about the legality of defective A/C systems  8) PITA ::)

No they're totally Krap - a few years back they regassed our Elite Estate without vaccing or checking for leaks - all refrigerant lost over the 11 mile drive home!!  Should have known from past experience of Kwik Krap, plus their "air con specialist" had to read manual for gassing machine during the regass.  Took car back and Manager gave me a load of krap - told him illegal to regass without checking for leaks and illegal to discharge refrigerent to atmosphere - and felt sure his head office and TRading Standards would like to hear of his krap service and attitude.  Got full refund, replaced leaking condensor myself and got a mobile a/c guy to check and regass - better and cheaper service than Kwik Krap ;)

And uv dye plus oil (lubricant) is added during regassing.  Refrigerant itself is not UV reflective.
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: henryd on 06 June 2013, 21:44:55
If its done properly, it should be

Suck the gas out
Timed vacuum check
Then disinfectant and refrigerant.

The refrigerant is UV reflective so if its been leaking, they should be able to replace any o rings or bits before they refill  :y

If yours is leaking, get your hands on a UV lamp and have a look before you take it  :y

The refills from Halfords are crap imo  ;)
Never knew that ???

It's only UV reflective when a UV reflective dye is added to the system  ;)  ;)  ;)

Yup :y :y
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: henryd on 06 June 2013, 21:48:55
Had my Landy re-gassed last summer,machine went through the sequence fine,vac out,holding time passed,oil and gas added but system lost its gas in less than a week,I was there watching the guy do it and was surprised(he was too) that it would hold vacumn but not gas ???
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 07 June 2013, 09:01:21
Why be surprised, a vac leak test is a shite method of checking.

The vac will compress the seals.

Fill the system up with refrigerant where the high side is in excess of 200psi and the seals and other components are seeing very different forces.

Hence the dry nitrogen fill.

For me, a system should only be filled if it was working before (e.g. it was low on gas and is having its 3 year service).
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: sassanach on 07 June 2013, 19:24:11
Why be surprised, a vac leak test is a shite method of checking.

The vac will compress the seals.

Fill the system up with refrigerant where the high side is in excess of 200psi and the seals and other components are seeing very different forces.

Hence the dry nitrogen fill.

For me, a system should only be filled if it was working before (e.g. it was low on gas and is having its 3 year service).
+1
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: Simon.rose1 on 08 June 2013, 08:07:30
Took my vec to kiwi fit for regas went back an hour later to be told no charge as they couldn't get it cold got it home to find broken wire on compressor mended the wire ice cold air con so in theory if you know you got a good system disconnect the compressor and take it for free regas lol
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: omega3000 on 08 June 2013, 12:40:37
Took my vec to kiwi fit for regas went back an hour later to be told no charge as they couldn't get it cold got it home to find broken wire on compressor mended the wire ice cold air con so in theory if you know you got a good system disconnect the compressor and take it for free regas lol

 ;D ;D ;D ;)
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: omegapioneer on 10 June 2013, 01:27:17
Check out uview.com  they make the uv additives
Title: Re: aircon refilling kits?
Post by: 9jdm on 12 June 2013, 11:03:30
Hi definitely get it checked with dye. My v6 had a slow leak and it turned out to be on the bend of the high pressure pipe-the one that runs along the chassis leg and a real b**** to replace.