Air conditioning refresh

[Louis]

Pissflaps. Still leaking from somewhere.
What other seals are there? I did the ones in the compressor and the condenser. What did I miss?

The ones into the bulkhead?

 

[Louis]

Follow the pipes 🤣

 

[Mr Squashie]

Oh. I couldn't see how they came off so I just left them 😬

 

[Brigsy]

Compressor can also leak. Get an ac specialist to put some leak dye/nitrogen in to leak test

 

[JamesBryan]

Needs some dye in it to see where it's leaking, unless you can actually here it hissing.

 

[Mr Squashie]

Foot pump and soapy water not going to do the trick then I guess 🤔

 

[JamesBryan]

Foot pump and soapy water not going to do the trick then I guess 🤔

If you can connect up to the port, then yeah i don't see why not.

 

[Brigsy]

Compressed air is not usually dry enough, will introduce water into the system.

 

[JamesBryan]

Compressed air is not usually dry enough, will introduce water into the system.

They tend to pressure test with nitrogen don't they?

I suppose vacuuming the system afterwards would boil off any moisture.

 

[Brigsy]

They tend to pressure test with nitrogen don't they?

I suppose vacuuming the system afterwards would boil off any moisture.

Yes usually nitrogen and a small amount of refrigerant. Nitrogen is dry, any moisture could potentially cause sludge mixing with the oil.

 

[Mr Squashie]

That'd probably do it, big pipe into the bulkhead with no seal. Is it supposed to be an O ring or one of the bigger seals like on the compressor?

 

[Louis]

That'd probably do it, big pipe into the bulkhead with no seal. Is it supposed to be an O ring or one of the bigger seals like on the compressor?
View attachment 1703450

Big seal iirc

 

[Mr Squashie]

Well I fitted an o ring and it seems to have done the job because my system is now full of refrigerant. Unfortunately no cold air is coming out 🙄
Maybe Clios just aren't supposed to have aircon after all 🤣

 

[Louis]

Well I fitted an o ring and it seems to have done the job because my system is now full of refrigerant. Unfortunately no cold air is coming out 🙄
Maybe Clios just aren't supposed to have aircon after all 🤣

Check the cog

 

[Mr Squashie]

Took car to a garage to have the compressor diagnosed. Apparently there was a plug to a pressure sensor that had been unplugged. Now it's been plugged in the compressor turns on, but it's not generating any pressure in the system. Dead compressor or something else?

 

[Martin_172]

when you hit the AC button can you hear the AC compressor clunk into action (usually rpm raises by 100rpm or so from memory on a 172)

 

[Mr Squashie]

when you hit the AC button can you hear the AC compressor clunk into action (usually rpm raises by 100rpm or so from memory on a 172)

Yeah it's doing that apparently, just not doing anything else 🤔

 

[Mr Squashie]

Right, I've got the car back from the garage. The bloody valves were leaking! They've been replaced and the system has been leak tested and it's sealed up tighter than Fort Knox. The compressor on the other hand is fucked. It turns on, spins away merrily, and does literally nothing. A compressor that doesn't compress, literally it's only job 🙄
Anyone know the part number for them, and any recommendations on brand etc if I can't get a decent second hand or reconditioned one?

Also probably a good idea to do the aux belt while I'm there, is there anything else that needs replacing at the same time, like pulleys etc?