have i got aircon?

[ricardo62]

Hi learned collegues a question , have i got aircon in my e320 1999 avante garde? the reason i ask is that i cant see any switch saying a/c on dashboard, i thought they had aircon as standard ?

 

[DITTRICH]

1 Start car
2 Open all front dash vents
3 Turn vertical heater dials all the way to the blue end
4 Turn the blower motor (lpassenger side dial to say III (10 o'clock)
5 Turn the driver side dial to 9 o'clock (all air from dash vents)
6 Wait for the cabin to become cold.

Almost certainly, if you have correctly described your car correctly as an E320 1999 (w210) avantgarde, you should have air conditioning. Whether it works or not can only be determined by following the above steps.

 

[ricardo62]

1 Start car
2 Open all front dash vents
3 Turn vertical heater dials all the way to the blue end
4 Turn the blower motor (lpassenger side dial to say III (10 o'clock)
5 Turn the driver side dial to 9 o'clock (all air from dash vents)
6 Wait for the cabin to become cold.

Almost certainly, if you have correctly described your car correctly as an E320 1999 (w210) avantgarde, you should have air conditioning. Whether it works or not can only be determined by following the above steps.

thanks , why cant it be more simple like a ford ie just push a/c button turn temp to cold , why do mercedes have to overcomplicate things all the time! ok i will try that i doubt it my a/c still works but i give it a go

 

[davidjpowell]

thanks , why cant it be more simple like a ford ie just push a/c button turn temp to cold , why do mercedes have to overcomplicate things all the time! ok i will try that i doubt it my a/c still works but i give it a go

It's not complicated. It's just complicated to test it in February!

 

[Will]

If you have analogue air con (rather than climate control with the digital control panel), you will have a button marked 'EC' which indicates economy mode. If the 'EC' button is illuminated by a red LED then the air con is not running. On the digital controls there is also an 'EC' button - but you can't have the digital controls without having A/C!

However, I'm pretty certain all 1999 W210 E320s will have air conditioning fitted from new. As mentioned above though it may or may not be working however.

Leave the air con running all year round. Do not turn it off in winter.

 

[ricardo62]

If you have analogue air con (rather than climate control with the digital control panel), you will have a button marked 'EC' which indicates economy mode. If the 'EC' button is illuminated by a red LED then the air con is not running. On the digital controls there is also an 'EC' button - but you can't have the digital controls without having A/C!

However, I'm pretty certain all 1999 W210 E320s will have air conditioning fitted from new. As mentioned above though it may or may not be working however.

Leave the air con running all year round. Do not turn it off in winter.

yes i have the older version , and i did turn off e/c button last summer , didnt notice any colder air through vents ,so im guessing its broken ?

 

[Will]

If there's no pressure in the system, the air con will shut the compressor down. Normally the EC light will then stay stuck on, but not always. Your best bet is to book your car in with decent garage for an air con diagnostics and service. It may need regassing but probably has a leak to address if so.

Not expensive to diagnose usually - a vacuum test and regass is typically around £50 or less.

 

[ricardo62]

If there's no pressure in the system, the air con will shut the compressor down. Normally the EC light will then stay stuck on, but not always. Your best bet is to book your car in with decent garage for an air con diagnostics and service. It may need regassing but probably has a leak to address if so.

Not expensive to diagnose usually - a vacuum test and regass is typically around £50 or less.

thanks or i guessi could just live with having no a/c , so long as it doesnt do any harm by not working? and the e/c light stays off when i turn it off ? i have noticed a pump somewere by the engine that has hoses coming out of it , when i have the e/c switch in off position the belt turns the pulley but it doesnt actually turn the shaft if you get my meaning ???

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Sounds like the compressor for air-con. The shaft will only be engaged (turn) when the air-con is on and should keep cutting in and out to maintain the selected temperature. (Magnetic clutch).

 

[ricardo62]

Sounds like the compressor for air-con. The shaft will only be engaged (turn) when the air-con is on.

Er so its bust then in simple terms ?? ie the pulley rotates but the shaft doesnt turn with switch on or off ?

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Could be something as simple as a blown fuse or relay. Worth getting it checked if you're not too sure yourself.

 

[ricardo62]

Could be something as simple as a blown fuse or relay. Worth getting it checked if you're not too sure yourself.

thanks would a t s or kwik fit be able to diagnose it ?

 

[tanuie]

Aircon

Hi i wouldn't have thought kwik fit could diagnose it,
you need to get a star diagnostic.

 

[ricardo62]

Hi i wouldn't have thought kwik fit could diagnose it,
you need to get a star diagnostic.

Well funny enough 2 weeks ago i had it diagnosed at a garage for a gearbox fault and the fault fixed by a guy with a snap on solus ? it gave a printout but he looked at codes and he didnt mention anything about air con not wrking ?

 

[brucemillar]

I may be wrong (not unusual). Solus may not see all errors. To be certain then get it on a STAR. KwikFit will do a pressure test and re-gas. That may be all that's required.

You could be wasting money if it turns out to be something else.

 

[ricardo62]

I may be wrong (not unusual). Solus may not see all errors. To be certain then get it on a STAR. KwikFit will do a pressure test and re-gas. That may be all that's required.

You could be wasting money if it turns out to be something else.

thank you i will ..

 

[DITTRICH]

thanks , why cant it be more simple like a ford ie just push a/c button turn temp to cold , why do mercedes have to overcomplicate things all the time! ok i will try that i doubt it my a/c still works but i give it a go

I was trying to eliminate the obvious - actually all you have to do is turn the two dials to blue - the rest is just being sure and getting to the answer quicker.

I've never used the EC button so forgot to mention it. I never use the aircon constantly, but i do use it in winter and summer just to keep it in use and avoid the problems of non use - seals and connections drying out and cracking thus creating leaks.

Unless you have the car hooked up to the STAR computer system, any simple re-gassing of the system is taking a chance. I'd say computer / leak testing / re-gassing (+repair if necessary).

 

[James]

I was trying to eliminate the obvious - actually all you have to do is turn the two dials to blue - the rest is just being sure and getting to the answer quicker.

I've never used the EC button so forgot to mention it. I never use the aircon constantly, but i do use it in winter and summer just to keep it in use and avoid the problems of non use - seals and connections drying out and cracking thus creating leaks.

Unless you have the car hooked up to the STAR computer system, any simple re-gassing of the system is taking a chance. I'd say computer / leak testing / re-gassing (+repair if necessary).

Mercedes used to have a snowflake button to denote a/c up until the early 1990's, but then in their wisdom replaced it with an EC button (perhaps because the company was starting it's 'green' period). I am wondering if, on the older cars, with the snowflake button on, the compressor would stay on regardless of outside temperature or chosen interior temperature with the resultant increase in fuel consumption etc. I know with the newer cars, from the 1990's the compressor only engages when needed. Owners were therefore encouraged to leave the EC button off (no light). This also allowed the system to run occasionally during winter months to stop it deteriorating.