Canisters/ cylinders of Refrigerant Air Con.Gas- Advice Please

I use them - my old banger has a slow leak, and needs a spring time re- gas every year - even the pros couldn't find a leak, so I live with it and top it up myself when it needs it.

Cheap, and reasonably effective - best to recharge after running the system for a while I have found.

Ian

I'd get your system checked out first - those cans are fine if the system just needs a quick top-up, but the reason for the top-up is usually that there is a leak somewhere.

I tried a can, it didn't work, so paid a bloke to come out and have a look - who found a pin-hole in a corroding pipe.

I thought the engineers added a dye to show the leak eg an NDT type dye.

Nick

Nick (Scots) mumbled incoherently to the rest of uk.rec.cars.maintenance:

Yup the technicians do indeed add a UV dye. The vac-down is to remove moisture. And you should really chance the receiver if its been without gas for any length of time or properly opened up.

I used one on my old Xantia and it worked fine. I topped it up about 3 months before I sold the car and it was still working when it went. Theoretically you are supposed to remove the old refrigerant and add a certain weight of new stuff but if you have an old system which needs a quick top up then the cans are ok. The one I got from Halfrauds was about £17 and contains lubricant and a fluorescent dye.

We bought a kit some time ago for our Zafira and Hyundai and have just topped up their system at 12 month intervals. The kit came with a basic pressure gauge attached to a trigger operated dispenser containing a disposable refrigerant that came with lubricant and dye to detect any leaks etc. Now in our case, the systems have never been depressurised and have always been under positive pressure so I suppose the chance of air getting in is low but having said that pressure will slowly leak away if the seals are not lubricated through regular use. With us just topping up should I hope keep the big bills at bay. The Hyundai is a 1999 model and the Vauxhall a 2002.

Gio

Be careful if buying from Halfords. The canisters don't appear to be sealed and empty ones end up back on the shelf.

Yes I noticed that too, that was one of the reasons we opted for the 'puncture' type screw on refrigerant container, it ruled out the chance of

Gio

In message , Gio writes

Thanks for this very positive and constructive response

In message , snipped-for-privacy@AOL.com writes

Thanks Ian

Yes

Thanks very good advice

Thanks - very sensible advice and very encouraging too