Aircon dead - any suggestions?

[curlyks2]

The S2 has been on a c. four week holiday at the garage awaiting parts and mechanic time to fix the various bits that died. Picked up the car again with everything fixed (the oil now staying in the engine is a good start), but the aircon has stopped working.

Am absolutely sure the garage put the car back together correctly (it's sounding better than it has for some time) and that they can get the aircon working again if I visit - but I'm running out of good will and holiday at work (for finding time to get there during opening hours) and out of money for garage bills.

Aircon light in the switch comes on when pushed, and blower fan comes on. Nothing (pump/compressor/??) switches in under the bonnet though. Relevant fuses all check out fine, as does relay.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Cheers,

Ck.

[Bowlerwell]

I take it you can see that the belt to the compressor is still there?

Does the big fan next to the radiator & condenser come on after you have switched the air-con on?
It should come on when internal pressure reaches 250? psi... so if it comes on, then sounds like the compressor is ok.
If not, sounds like bust compressor, or leak.

[s2driveruk]

Does the radiator fan come on when you press the a/c button on the dash?
It could be just that all the gas has gone and the compressor won't click in as its low/no gas - could the garage have cracked open the system in order to fix something else (not related to the aircon)?

Was it working and holding pressure before you took it to them?

[curlyks2]

I take it you can see that the belt to the compressor is still there?

Not sure which one I'm looking for

Does the big fan next to the radiator & condenser come on after you have switched the air-con on?

Not so far.

Does the radiator fan come on when you press the a/c button on the dash?

Not so far.

could the garage have cracked open the system in order to fix something else (not related to the aircon)?

Shouldn't have done. Have asked, and they say "no".

Was it working and holding pressure before you took it to them?

Very definately. Was on holiday with in during the hot week in May, and it kept us nice and cool

Ck.

[s2driveruk]

See my thread about a dead fan and check the radiator fan switch....I had a bad contact on that and had the same issue earlier.

Cheers
David

[curlyks2]

See my thread about a dead fan and check the radiator fan switch....I had a bad contact on that and had the same issue earlier.

Ta - will try that tomorrow when I'm back from work - have run out of daylight today.

Ck.

[johne]

Sounds to me like you've lost your gas. I haven't got access to my wiring diagrams at the moment to check if the A/C light will come on with the low pressure switch open but if the gas has gone, the low pressure switch will stay open and the electrical feed to the compressor runs through the low pressure switch so there will be no "clunk" from the compressor as you turn the A/C on.

The low pressure switch is in a really akward place up behind the A/C box in the passengers footwell - next to the ECU, sandwiched between the box and the bulkhead. If you've got a multimeter, try to connect to the swith contacts, it should read short circuit if there is gas in the system.

Otherwise, connect an A/C pressure gauge to the port on the radiator in front of the water radiator. With the A/C not running it should read around 40 psi. If you've not got one, maybe the garage has.

If I was stuck, roasting in a desert and had no tools I'd try this, but as all good TV shows say, "dont try this at home" . Inside the aformentioned port on the radiator under the bonnet is a standard tyre valve. Unscrew the dust cap, wear gloves & eye protection and briefly push a small bolt/nail/matchstick in (practice on a real tyre valve first). If gas and oil come rushing out, then obviously, no gas isn't the problem, but I bet it is........

Just a final thought..........you said you'd checked the wiring, relays etc. but if the garage have been working on the engine, could they have disconnected/not reconnected the single wire feed to the compressor?

John

[curlyks2]

Just a final thought..........you said you'd checked the wiring, relays etc. but if the garage have been working on the engine, could they have disconnected/not reconnected the single wire feed to the compressor?

I've checked the fuses and relays yes, but the light faded last night before I could do any more, and I'm also handicapped by not knowing where to look for this wire and valve and so on (don't really know my way round the engine bay all that well!) if someone could do the honours with a picture or diagram...

Ck.