1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Laguna air-con & aux belt trouble-shooting

Laguna air-con & aux belt trouble-shooting

I know its not the time of year to worry about this, but there's no point waiting until late Spring when I need it.

My Laguna's air-con isn't functioning ( Car purchased mid December-03 ). I'm by no means an expert on air-con. I only know it starts off with a clutch activated compressor, plus they loose gas if not frequently used ( £60 for a re-gas ).

Anyway, whilst I've been pondering why my aux belt is flapping around loose even on max adjustment ( thats another story ), I saw my air con pulley spinning without being engaged. So I switched on the a/c and cranked the dial to cold plus the fan on full blast.

....in typical Renault fashion....didly squat happened.

Like I said, I'm no whiz on air-con. I can't physically see any electrical conns on the compressor, although I can see a multiplug at the top on the condensor thingy-ma-kig. I assume that the dashboard switch triggers a relay which in turn triggers a demand. But how this actually happens I don't know.

Can any Renault or air-con boffins please explain what I should be checking & where, so I can isolate the problem. i.e. what would cause the clutch not to engage ?

Thx

PS the other story: I can't adjust the aux belt tensioner enough.

Can anyone checkout these renault diagrams and advise:-

  1. Could the ribbed rubber sleeve on the tensioner arm be hiding an adjusting rod of somekind ?
  2. The alternator itself seems to be rigidly connected to the bracket. Is that a false assumption ?

formatting link

Reply to
Ebodski
Loading thread data ...

I'm no expert on Air Con either but have you checked the fuse?.

Reply to
David Griffin

Air con should be used all year round. If the system has lost gas then nothing will happen when you turn on the air con. Air con repair is not a diy job.

MrCheerful

Reply to
MrCheerful

I would assume it's spring loaded. Is it just that the belt has stretched too much?

Dunno but it looks like it.

John

Reply to
John Greystrong

The belt was fitted by a bloke who also did the cambelt for me 3 weeks ago. I know he said he had a struggle with the aux belt, but I find it hard to believe a 3 week old belt is over stretched from new. I'm only used to the old fashioned V belts that drove the alternator and water pumps on pinto engines . For all I know, these new style belts might need to flap around a bit.....

Can a Renault expert reading this post confirm if the tensioner is solid or spring loaded. Adjusting the length of the arm seems to be the only way to take up the slack in the belt.

Reply to
Ebodski

Please be more specific in terms of the compressor engaging. Will an empty system not allow the compressor to start.

Also, for the other poster's answer. I don't yet have a haynes manaul or stanard Renault Laguna handbook. I can't atually tell what the fust should be for the air-con.

Theres a bank of small fuses under the dash, then a bank of big >70 amp ones on the inner wing. I can't tell which is the one for air con.

Reply to
Ebodski

If the system is low on gas then the interlocks will not allow the compressor to run.

MrCheerful

Reply to
MrCheerful

there's no point

December-03 ).

with a clutch

used ( £60 for

flapping around

con pulley

cranked the

any electrical

the top on the

triggers a

happens I don't

should be

the clutch

Not specific to Renault but the switch on the dash does not directly turn on the Compressor clutch, but rather is part of a larger electrical circuit encompassing a Hi/Lo pressure switch (or sometimes separate high and low switches) and a Thermostat on the Evaporator. There has to be a certain amount of pressure in the system for the Hi/Lo pressure switch to allow the current to pass to the Compressor (or compressor Relay). lubrication of the compressor and seals in the system are dependent on Special oil suspended in the refrigerant. Consequently if there is insufficient pressure it indicates insufficient refrigerant so the system knows there is insufficient oil and will not engage the compressor to protect it from damage. Useful.

You can manually test the compressor clutch by bypassing the switches and supplying current directly to the compressor if you really must, but it would perhaps be advisable to take the car to a specialist as some things are worth paying for the expertise.

HTH Steve

Reply to
SandS

turned with a socket to release the tension and then a 6mm allen key inserted in the hole provided to keep it slacked off. It is spring loaded When the belt has been changed all that needs to be done is to take the strain with the socket and remove the allen key, the tensioner then springs back and tensions the belt automatically. None of the driven components are touched. If your auxiliary belt is slack it is likely that it is either the wrong belt, possibly fitted incorrectly or the tensioner not doing its job

Tony

Reply to
TMC

Snip

IIRC changing mine was a 20 minute job and most of this time was taken in removing wheel and plastic wheel arch shield to gain access. Fitting was dead easy Had to look at the diagram to see which way round each pulley to fit it correctly.

Reply to
TMC

So does your tensioner closely resemble the drawing I posted ?

I bought the belt from Renault by offering my reg plate number, so the belt is right.

The top screw was definately just a M8 ( 13mm A/F head screw ), although I'll have to check tomorrow about the bottom screw at the other end of the black ribbing was.

Also, from the alternator to A/C pulley is there any flapping on your belt or is it perfectly still ?

Reply to
Ebodski

The bracket to which the top of the tensioning spring is fitted should be moved clockwise as far as possible so that the elongated mounting bolt slot has the bolt right at the top. Both bolts securing the bracket should then be tightened

Actual Renault tensioner spring length measurement can only be done with a special tool it says

Maunal adjustment by movement of the alternator is only on non air condtioned models.

IIRC there is no flapping anywhere on my aux belt. But then mine is a diferent engine.

Tony

Reply to
TMC

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.