Kwik-fit air-con service

[Carrotchomper]

I'm not due into work until this afternoon, but was out and about so decided to pop into Kwik-Fit to sort out the aircon on the Audi- I haven't been convinced of it's efficiency since buying the car.

Took the car in this morning, no appointment, at 0915hrs. They advised me to leave it with them for a couple of hours which wasn't a problem since I only live about a mile's walk away. £45 fixed fee if they manage to recharge it.

Just had a telephone call to say it's all done. Temperature has gone from 17.5degrees to around 5.

Apparently they only managed to recover 100g of refrigerant out of a 700g capacity... I suspect this may have had a bearing on its limited efficiency!!

Fingers crossed it's all working now. They have leak-tested it and all's well

 

[SilverSaloon]

i plan on taking the picasso there to get re-gassed as wife says not cold anymore

 

[flango]

My experience of this service is also good, had both the CLK and Puma done at Kwikfit and AC was significantly colder afterwards.

I think they offer some sort of guarantee that if they cant reduce the temperature at the coldest vent by 10% then the service is free, or something like that!

Anyway great service and great price

 

[Carrotchomper]

I was planning to wait until Olly's GTG but it's been worrying me a little. The air-con default setting is on and I don't like the thought of the compressor running without gas... Mustn't grumble at £45...

 

[verytalldave]

A friend of mine "in the know" told me that the aircon system should be properly leak tested before recharging. Recharging a system that has a small undetected leak may very well be OK for a year or so but will lose efficency.
He said to always check that you are not just getting the system recharged but also leak tested.

 

[Carrotchomper]

They do a leak test prior to re-gassing...

I'd be more worried if the previous owner had ever re-gassed the system, but it seems he had not in at least 3 years!!

 

[Alps]

+1 for kwik fit, i had it re-gassed from there2-3 years ago, the machine they use is fairly easy to use, it does full leak test, drain and re-gas, if it finds a leak it wont let them re-gas it! mines still working well!

 

[Doodle]

This is one of the few jobs I could actually trust Kwik-fit with. All it needs is a monkey to connect the colour-coded hoses and press the button, the machine does the rest.

 

[markmifsud]

Not only does it discharge, leak test and recharge, it replaces all of the oil in the aircon system as well. And yes, they cant get the job wrong as they just connect the hoses and start it off

 

[johnsco]

It's good to read some reassuring news.
My experience of KF in the past has not been impressive.

 

[rf065]

The only problem with the leak test they do is that it is actually a vacuum they create and the seals are tested under vacuum and not under pressure as they are when working. Apparently some seals can be sound under vacuum & leak under pressure. So not 100% true leak test, but for most cars, probably good enough.

Russ

 

[Ade B]

I went a while back and they couldn't find the valve to plug into and the CE wasn't on their system - fortunately my AC issues were not related to loss of gas..

Mildly pleased to have returned from 3 weeks away to sunny spring and the 18 year old AC is in rude health and was working away happily this morning..

Ade

 

[Carrotchomper]

It's too blimming cold now! Can't seem to get a balanced temp going, it's either cooling or heating to excess...

I think I need to fiddle with the settings a bit because the car was arctic on the way home this evening

Be careful what you wish for

 

[AANDYY]

Had mine done last Friday, I don't think it's any colder but I can have the fan on max without effecting the cold temp.

Also had the oil+filter (I marked the original) changed for £29, they use the drain plug. (Mobil S I think)

 

[kraftwerk]

I had my SL done on Saturday. £1 per minute well spent.

 

[ringway]

It's good to read some reassuring news.
My experience of KF in the past has not been impressive.

I Agree with you.
I had a new exhaust on my then 8yo Omega (8, years on the original ).

6 weeks later, the car failed the mot, because of......... The Exhaust.

The car also uses more fuel than with the original exhaust too.

 

[ringway]

My 10 year old Omega (had it 9 years) has never been re-gassed and still blows Siberian temperatures.

My W210 however, needs at the least, a new condenser and I think there is a large bill heading my way.

 

[219]

I went in to the Paisley branch today , with the W126 , only to be told they couldn't do it because it uses R12 refrigerant and the connectors are different !

I'm sure I read on this forum , or perhaps elsewhere , that others have had R12 systems re-gassed at Quickfit and it has been fine ?

I may try another branch over the next few days to see if I have better luck .

 

[GazCaff]

I had mine done a couple of weeks ago and it is already starting to lose its chill. I've phoned kwik-fit who have asked me to take it back in over the weekend to get it checked. I just want to make sure that they did a proper leak check on my car, because if they didn't they shouldn't have gassed it and charged me. We'll see what happens....

 

[rf065]

I had mine done a couple of weeks ago and it is already starting to lose its chill. I've phoned kwik-fit who have asked me to take it back in over the weekend to get it checked. I just want to make sure that they did a proper leak check on my car, because if they didn't they shouldn't have gassed it and charged me. We'll see what happens....

See post number 11

Russ