i think auto air conditioning packed up!

As it is still working, just not so well, it needs gas. around 50UKP for a vacuum and re-charge.

Remmeber to exercise the system once a week *all* year around, and natural gas loss is reduced.

Tim..

But if the gas level is low it's leaking gas slowly - and the leak needs to be found and repaired otherwise you'll be in thae same position in a few weeks or months.

Alan.

Depends on how quickly its gone from working well to working poorly. Gas is lost nautrally over a period of time- the molecules are that small they can perculate through the rubber pipes in time.

A leak free system would require a recharge about every 2-3 years ; one with a leak would be completely dead within acouple of months.

Tim..

I know I'm really going to regret saying this but....

My '99 Focus has never had the aircon regassed and it blows as cold as the day I got it six years ago. I know of others that don't make it to two years. I'm not convinced that the refrigerant will pass through the pipes. I think it far more likely that it is lost through the compressor seals.

Chris

Chris Whelan ( snipped-for-privacy@prejudicentlworld.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Especially if the a/c isn't used regularly. I suspect yours is?

I'll join you in the wish I hadn't said that club ;)

Anyway my 2001 Astra's aircon still blows nice and cold (put it this way enough to chill a can nicely) and hasn't be recharged. Then again I've usually got it on even in the winter either to defrost the windscreen or being lazy and not turning it off...

Similar situation, My wife's '98 Volvo S40 aircon has never been re-gassed and is still running as well as the day we bought it.

As is mine in my 98 Escort

My 92 Mazda isn't at all :-(

It's had a full dealer service history - is regassing on the schedule or could it have been empty for years and years?

My 2000 Focus Zetec has never had any gas either and blows ice cold too. Perhaps the a/c sytem on a Focus is particually well designed!

Tim..

"G-Man" wrote in news:ilRAe.68209$ snipped-for-privacy@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

Yup. My 98 Primera has never had a re-gas. A/C still works great.

Hang on a minute... 'Ford, well designed' you don't often hear those three words together often.

Chris

On my Ka, the system only works above 5 deg. C, so how can you exercise it in winter? In fact, it's only in actual hot weather that it seems to work at all, and then rather feebly.

Russell

...and you didn't in the paragraph above!

;-)

Chris also

You need some gas too then.

Tim..

My Fiesta is the same. However it's the temperature in the engine bay, not outside which is important. Even when it's below freezing outside the temperature in the engine bay gets above 5C and the a/c starts working. Not that I need cooling in the winter but the demisting properties are very important, in fact I'd say I use a/c more for that than I do for cooling!