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Crosspostin' from the stupid question thread: I'm stumped by the aircon in my car. I've just had it checked and recharged because it had completely stopped blowing cold (600 grams low in a ~750 gram system), but it still doesn't always want to work properly. I can't really find the factor that determines it, but it seems to refuse to work when the engine is cold, mostly. And when it does work, it definitely works best when the car is moving. It seems to work best when I shut off the car and restart it while the engine is still warm. The heater works fine and there's plenty of airflow. All the flaps work fine, both direction and recirculation. It's definitely trying to cool, but it doesn't seem to be working as well as when I got the car. Lowest possible temperature, recirc on and full fan power should be cold enough to be uncomfortable, right? It definitely isn't in my car.
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Apr 28, 2014 22:21
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 21:34 |
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For some reason, the A/C worked perfectly this morning. I'll have to check it this afternoon when the car's been sitting in the sun all day. I don't expect ice cold air the second I start the car, I usually drive the first kilometer or so with all the windows down to get the hot still air out of the cabin. After that I expect some cooling from the A/C. Motronic posted:Sounds like a compound problem. It's a 2000 Peugeot 406, should have probably mentioned that earlier. I assume there's nothing weird about the A/C setup, since it's one of the least weird French cars. quote:Then check that the condenser fan is turning on when the AC is switched on. This could explain the poor performance when you're going slowly. The fan definitely turns on when the A/C is on. Fan was off when I cold started the car, but turned on when I switched the A/C on. quote:Then check that the compressor clutch is engaging. That could explain all of it. Lack of engagement could be wiring, control modules, low pressure switch, etc......things that could change their behavior when the are marginal based on how hot they are. The clutch seems to be engaging. It clicks on and the revs fluctuate a bit as the ECU compensates. quote:Running pressures would be useful to know. Not working at low speeds could be RPM related if the compressor is spanked. Absolutely no idea about the pressures, but the issue doesn't seem to be RPM related. It cools equally well (or equally bad), even if I rev it in neutral. quote:Also, was anything repaired when this was recharged? Unless it's just been left to drain over 10-15 years and this is it's first recharge it sounds like you have a leak to address. No, it was just an ordinary check and recharge. I don't have any service records from before I bought the car in 2012, but I found a label in the engine compartment which says the last recharge was in 2002. So if this really is the first recharge in 12 years, that's a pretty normal rate of refrigerant loss?
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Apr 29, 2014 08:02
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Well, now I'm pretty certain the A/C issue with my car is temperature-related. Yesterday it didn't work when I was driving home from work, but it worked fine later that evening on a cold start. This morning on a cold start, I tried setting the temperature to the minimum before starting the car, and I got cold air within seconds of the compressor kicking on. But when I pulled into work and tried the lowest temperature setting again, it did nothing except blow more air. I'm 100% certain it won't work when I go to drive home today, when the car's been sitting in the sun all day. Ninja edit: I found a charge chart for Peugeots. It says that 406s with the XU/ES engines need 775±25 grams of refrigerant, but 406s with the EW/DW engines only need 625±25 grams of refrigerant. Considering they said mine had 150 grams in it, and that they added 600 grams, I think they may have overcharged the system.
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Apr 30, 2014 08:22
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I figured as much. It actually rattled a bit for a second when I tried switching the A/C on with the hood open to listen for any weird noises. I figure it's right on the edge between "a bit too much" and "way too much", since it works fine when cold. When I called and asked the mechanic, he said "we go by the settings on our Waeco machines", but I bet they just punched in "Peugeot 406" without checking which generation and engine type it was. I have it booked in for Monday for a check to see if they overcharged it, with a very specific note about checked the engine type and charge amount. If it turns out they overfilled it, I sure as poo poo ain't gonna pay for the evacuation and recharge. And I should probably demand a refund for the ~150 grams of refrigerant they overcharged it with.
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Apr 30, 2014 13:21
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If that's the case, they're paying for a new compressor.
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May 2, 2014 20:23
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So according to the mechanic, my A/C is completely OK. The charge amount is spot-on, the pressures are fine, they hooked it up to their fancy Waeco machine and re-ran everything, and it came with a clean bill of health. The drat thing cools perfectly despite being left in the sun all day, and it still cools great after fully warming up the car with a semi-long drive  I guess there's not much else to do other than to wait for warmer weather and see if it happens again.
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May 5, 2014 16:16
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revmoo posted:You have to be certified for r134 in Texas? Min did that when it was low, after getting it recharged it no longer does it. So I'd say it's the refrigerant gurgling in the pipes because it's too low.
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May 12, 2014 13:56
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 21:34 |
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That's pretty close to how much refrigerant my Peugeot lost over a period of ~12 years, and I was told that was completely normal. No leaks found either.
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May 25, 2014 07:45
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