Kwik-fit air-con service

[simon22]

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

Hi you say £45.00 for every thing (special offer) ,thats right but the normal price is only £48.00 ,when the offer finishes.......

 

[Carrotchomper]

Hi you say £45.00 for every thing (special offer) ,thats right but the normal price is only £48.00 ,when the offer finishes.......

Yep, I didn't think it was a SPECIAL offer, just a GOOD offer

 

[nickcc101]

Hi you say £45.00 for every thing (special offer) ,thats right but the normal price is only £48.00 ,when the offer finishes.......

Wish i'd have known this a couple of years ago and i would have gone to K-F instead of local garage.

 

[stats007]

They were doing it for £25 with an MoT when I had mine done.

 

[crockers]

Ollie and Jay had a special offer at their GTGs for re-gasssing -- perhaps they will have it at this years too

 

[BTB 500]

Wish i'd have known this a couple of years ago and i would have gone to K-F instead of local garage.

Local M-B dealer gave me a FREE aircon service on my R129, done at the same time as the free MOT!

 

[sgtbob]

My 1999 w202 has had a problem with the air con since i got it last year. I believe that the air con is always on and to turn it off, you just simply press the EC button, (which turns red) and then the air con is off. Well last summer, it never got cold, like the ice cold an air con system is meant to go.
So i am intrigued with this kwik fit offer. If i go along, do you think they will be able to fix it? Does it sound like my system has just run out of gas and simply needs recharging? (after all it is a 10 yr old car) And if they cant fix it they wont charge a penny?

 

[vijilants]

My 1999 w202 has had a problem with the air con since i got it last year. I believe that the air con is always on and to turn it off, you just simply press the EC button, (which turns red) and then the air con is off. Well last summer, it never got cold, like the ice cold an air con system is meant to go.
So i am intrigued with this kwik fit offer. If i go along, do you think they will be able to fix it? Does it sound like my system has just run out of gas and simply needs recharging? (after all it is a 10 yr old car) And if they cant fix it they wont charge a penny?

W202s are famous for having leaking condensors....they rot at the bottom due to the buildup of debris.

You can take it there and get it gassed and leak tested, but thats about as far as they go. If you have a leak they will not be able to find it as they are not aircon engineers nor do they inject the dye into the system to check for a leak.

Also you won't be charged if they can't make it blow colder than when you brought it in. Technically if you have a slow leak which their system cannot detect, and they fill the system, your system will blow colder anyway, but the performance will deteriorate as the gas leaks out over hours / days.

Your choice, but if there is a problem and the gas just lasts a few days you can always take it back and they should refund you.

 

[sgtbob]

Thanks mate. So they wont be able to see or tell if the condensor is rotted before they fill it up again? I think i might take it along anyway. As far as i know it hasnt been re-gassed ever in its 10 year life, so it could possibly just have completly 'dried up'?

 

[vijilants]

Thanks mate. So they wont be able to see or tell if the condensor is rotted before they fill it up again? I think i might take it along anyway. As far as i know it hasnt been re-gassed ever in its 10 year life, so it could possibly just have completly 'dried up'?

Correct....they are not aircon specialists so they really don't know how to detect the leaking component nor do they have the equipment to do so.

Also the condenser sits behind the two electric fans at the front so it is difficult to see if it is in a bad state without removing the fans. The aircon specialist usually sticks a probe into the bottom via the grill on the fan cowling to check for leaks.

Yeah, take it down and get it refilled, and make sure you run the system at all times....if it is leaking you will soon know about it when it stops working.

Then take it back and tell them that it has stopped working and hopefully you should get your money back.

If there is a fault, it will then be a case of getting it refilled including a dye and getting the leak found using a probe...all usually done by an aircon specialist.

 

[The G.F.P]

i thought that all w124's would have the same gas system

mine was september 1994 i think

have w124's got more than 1 type then?

 

[vijilants]

Leaks

A friend of mine took his W202 C280 in to Kwickfit to get the aircon charged this weekend. The system hadn't worked since he had bought the car about a year ago.

They charged the system, leak checked it, and it was blowing icy cold and all OK.

I advised him to check in a few days, as I do suspect a car that is completely out of gas.

Today he told me that the gas has now all gone and he had gone back and got a refund. ( Probably the usual of the condenser leaking)

The moral of this tale as previously mentioned......the leak test they do is in fact fairly useless (Unless the hole is massive).

 

[nickcc101]

When i had my recharge at KF i asked how long the guarantee would be. I was told that if it failed within three months then just return to any KF depot for rectification. As the car only covers about 3k per annum i find that it needs a recharge every year.

 

[cleverdicky]

I'd guess the W124 range , being introduced in 1986 , would have an R12 system

Perhaps later models would have R134a ? Not sure exactly when this gas was introduced , although I believe R12 was phased out around year 2000 ?

Cleverdicky , can I still obtain a 'drop in' replacement for R12 ? I looked at your link and saw a product called 'Freeze 12' which seems to be a CFC free substitute that can be put into R12 systems , but is showing out of stock on the website . An internet search did not reveal any other UK suppliers .

.

You can. :bannana:
When R12 was still popular and used everywhere, many systems, even low temp units were built / adapted to use R22 as an alternative which is a good gas, though meant for more higher temps such as building ac. There were 'a few' claimed drop-in replacements for R12 retrofits, which did work and needed no changes i.e. oil, expansion valves etc. Though I cant recall what they were. I've had a look now but all so different to what I knew. Mostly still blends of hcfc's but these too will be phased out, even good old 134a.

S'funny I was reading an article on 'Part F' I believe, (a Prescott legacy ) That says by 2010 there must be no new systems built with hcfc's or something like that, existing can carry on for a few more years like R12 has.
But I realy dont know what the future will be. I have actually read proposals to use Co2 as a viable gas with another option, wait for it . . . . Ammonia NH3 to be more widely used. Excelent c.o.p. etc but can you imagine it being used in cars

 

[DSLiverpool]

Inchcape are doing a a/c regas for £99 and a deodoriser with lube for £40 or both for £120

 

[andy_k]

I was talking to the guy who checked my A/C over the other day and he strongly advised against going to Kwik Fit purely on the grounds they use recycled gas.

 

[davidjpowell]

Nationwide Auto Centres have an offer on at the moment - Complete Air Con Service £69.

System pressure and vent temperature checks
Comparisons to recommended levels
Full visual inspection
Recovery of refrigerant
Evacuation of air and moisture from the system
Leak test
Recharging to recommended levels, adding fresh system oil as necessary
Air-conditioning cleaner to clear bacterial build up and remove any unpleasant smells

Looking at the website they also do a free inspection -

A check on system pressures and vent temperature
Comparison to recommended levels
Full visual inspection

I don't know what other peoples experience is of Nationwide, I tend to use them for MOT's and have always found them very good, with most of my past cars passing first time (so no inventive work!)

 

[oscarisapc]

Just had my car done at KwikFit - seemed Ok and better afterwards. HOWEVER - I checked the screenwash just after and noticed that the aircon valve cap was missing. What really alarmed me was not so much that the guys at KwikFit had left it on the regassing machine but that when I went back to the depot they produced a selection of caps to see which was mine. It obviously happens fairly often.

Moral of the story is - whoever does the aircon service, make sure all your valve caps have been refitted afterwards! If I hadn't checked my screenwash I would not have known and all sorts of muck and dust could have caused problems for the future.

 

[robert.saunders]

I use these guys; the franchise chap local to me absolutely spot-on, perfect service and support, despite me costing him ££ with wasted gas & his time due to initial improper diagnosis of an air-con fault via my local rubbish Ford dealer....

(the air now running freezing cold in the Mondeo, better in fact than either of my 2 previous MB!)

 

[BlackC55]

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!!

The gas can't just dissapear. You must have a leak. Did they use leak dye?