Well, I gassed my aicon.

My '91 200SX is still on the same charge that it had when I got it 5 years ago and it still runs down to 3 degrees C at the dash vents. The £105 thermo amp that I have had to recalibrate with 26p worth of resistors in series with the thermistor to make it work at 3C and not

Min doesn't go that cold. High teens is cold enough. Just glad I didn't go to the full expense. Can't see it working any=20 better for the extra cost. Depending on whether I sell or keep the car,=20 I will give it a proper service in a years time, if I still have it, and=20 it is still working.

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

Usually most air-con should be able to deliver a vent temperature at around

Sounds like yours is not working too well.

Alan.

I just checked the factory manual for my car. Acceptable delivery temperature is (naturally) dependent on intake temperature and humidity. With dry air coming in at 20C, it should cool down to below 5C, but in the current conditions (nearer 30C and with high humidity), only 15-18C might be achieved. That doesn't mean the a/c isn't working. It is however, still more than pleasantly cool.

No doubt some fierce systems can manage super-chilled air even in the hottest climates, but at the cost of much increased fuel consumption. It's only about 1-2mpg for me, as far as I can tell.

Carl,

What was involved in doing it? Just a case of attaching it, pressing a button and off it went?

Is there a confusion here between vent temperature and cabin temperature?

Connect up tube. Switch on aircon turn can upside down so that it flows as liquid some have a siphon tube so you don't need to) weight the can on a set of kitchen scales regularly to see how much you've put in.

Remember the weight before you started too. and also check the sight glass if it is an R12 system.

R134's don't know. Never done one. It was a gamble, I probably paid over the odds for gas, didn't know the previous condition, only that it had had two checks/refills, last one in

This

Sounds like it. I've just got basic air-con, a button on the heater marked A/C. I use a fridge thermometer to see what the vent temperature is. As the air con delivers air just above freezing (prevents ice on evaporator matrix) that's the temperature I see. 3C with air con on, up to about 55C on heat (found 58C showing on it due to being parked up in sun all day 2 days ago!). Others will have climate control where they set the desired cabin temp - not going to be really cold or hot, about +/-10-12C from a mid range something like

Just had my 8 year old Omega regassed with full aircon service at Vauxhall main dealer - Gas was £15 + VAT, UV dye (for leak checks) £4.50, filters cleaned/disinfected etc. labour £52 + VAT

Total £85. Still chuffed.

Quiche

In news:42d698cd$0$21968$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net, Quiche Mash 'n' Mushy decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

That's not a bad price, but Carls Celica, and for example my Range Rover, are both older cars which use R12 gas instead of the R134a gas your Omega uses. R134a regasses can be had for £25 quid. The problem with the older R12 systems is that the gas is much harder to get. Basically you have to use reclaimed R12 from systems which have been de-gassed or changed to R134a - this makes R12 a bit more expensive, and harder to find.

"Why not just use R134a?" I hear you cry. It's possible to change R12 systems to R134a, but R134a doesn't work as well, has a much smaller molecular structure, is more likely to get past seals than R12, and isn't much more environment friendly (not that I worry about that). It costs money to change from R12 to R134a, you need to change the oil in the compressor and system from mineral to synthetic, and it costs a fair old whack. Hardly worth it when you consider that the R12 AC on my old Rangie (which could do with a re-gas) is more powerful than the R134a systems in 5 of the R134a equipped cars I drive on a regular basis.

Hence Carl paying a fair bit of money for a drop in gas which works with R12 systems without changing seals, connections, oil etc.

I just hope it works, because I might be looking for some R12 / R12 replacement gas shortly.

Yes, I've been told that I paid over the odds, but round our way, near=20 where I work, couldn't find any mobile aircon agents willing to take on=20 the job for less than =A390 (if no other parts needed replacing). And as=20 it is an R12 system, Toyota instantly want to send off your compressor=20 to be "converted" to R134 at =A3400.

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

seems to. It might have leaked a little, because some of the dye oil was arround one of the hoses at the compressor. But, I did need to disconnect one of the hoses (yes I know I should have changed the drier to be safe), so it may have run out a little then (just a dribble/smear). Did have some dirt on the outside of the dye though which suggests it is old. And the Aircon is still blowing very cold.

Cheers.