Air con re-gas

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steve333

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
4,201
Location
Dorset
Car
Cls350cdi in palladium,C200k in tenorite,Slk320 in red.
Hi all,air con on my 2000 R170 slk320 is blowing no colder when a/c is on than when it’s off so before I get it re-gassed(Kwik fit currently doing a re-gas for £32 with no charge if vent temperatures aren’t at least 10% colder than before the re-gas), is they’re a way of checking if the system/compressor is working ok please,thanks for any help,Steve.
 
You have most likely got a small leak in the system (usually the condensor) After recharge it will blow cold for a bit until the leak does its work. Mine took 2 months to stop working again. The leak can be so small that it doesnt show up on the pressure retention test.
Less likely but possible are the compressor or sensors. Are there any red lights flashing/on in the a/c switch. My car is not an slk so may be different.
 
did u listen to the sound i put ?

You have most likely got a small leak in the system (usually the condensor) After recharge it will blow cold for a bit until the leak does its work. Mine took 2 months to stop working again. The leak can be so small that it doesnt show up on the pressure retention test.
Less likely but possible are the compressor or sensors. Are there any red lights flashing/on in the a/c switch. My car is not an slk so may be different.
Hi,thanks for the reply,car is 19 years old so could well be a leak and if so is covered under the warranty I got with it 3 weeks ago,no red lights/all normal on dash/switches,thanksSteve.
 
A/C is a sealed system. If it's leaked out, you need to find the leak and fix it. Your compressor will probably work fine once you add freon. There's a low pressure switch that will prevent it from running without a charge in order to protect from damage.
 
A/C is a sealed system. If it's leaked out, you need to find the leak and fix it. Your compressor will probably work fine once you add freon. There's a low pressure switch that will prevent it from running without a charge in order to protect from damage.
Hi,thanks for clarifying,I’m hoping the system hasn’t been re-gassed in a long time(have no evidence it has despite bills for serving etc going back 15 plus years) and a re-gas will solve it.
 
If you intend on keeping the car get it done properly. a full system vacuum , dry, re gas , pressure and leak test can often take hours when done properly. A professional outfit will use UV detection and 'sniffers' to check for leaks afterwards as well as temp vent checks.
 
It's a sealed system. Only reason that it will need to be charged is if there is a leak. I have had cars that I drug out of a field after sitting for more than a decade and they still had a charged ac system.

Fix the leak or it will leak again


Hi,thanks for clarifying,I’m hoping the system hasn’t been re-gassed in a long time(have no evidence it has despite bills for serving etc going back 15 plus years) and a re-gas will solve it.
 

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