[Owen]

Warmest weather of the year…….& of course the air-con has just stopped blowing cold air!
I have read previous older threads on this & would think they’re still valid, but just checking whether there’s any other owners with recent experience in this area? Car is just two years old & still under warranty but dealer (Hatfields) have said it needs re-gassing but they haven’t discovered a leak so of course this is ‘wear & tear’ & want over £250. My issues are that I’ve never had aircon issues on cars of this age or older apart from a classic car which is not unexpected & dealer suggests that 2 years for a problem like this isn’t unexpected! If there’s no leak or failure why is it losing gas & therefore could reasonably expect it to go again with further costs. Had to press for any assurance of the ‘repair’ warranty which was quoted as 6 months. Queried cost compared to standard indy garages/aircon specialists & was told that LR use a new gas etc. which is more expensive?! Any views or experiences appreciated? thanks

 

[steve.a]

Had similar with mine at 2 years old took into hatfields and the advice was they would charge to recharge and then check leak, they found leak repaired and re gassed all under warranty, it’s not special gas but next gen and I found independents were charging the same for a regas I have also been advised that the next gen gas will evaporate if not circulated regularly so I use most of the time now, on a side note I travel from liverpool to hatfields in Bolton as they are excellent local dealer not so much

 

[Owen]

Had similar with mine at 2 years old took into hatfields and the advice was they would charge to recharge and then check leak, they found leak repaired and re gassed all under warranty, it’s not special gas but next gen and I found independents were charging the same for a regas I have also been advised that the next gen gas will evaporate if not circulated regularly so I use most of the time now, on a side note I travel from liverpool to hatfields in Bolton as they are excellent local dealer not so much

Thanks Steve that’s good to know including the usage part (we hadn’t used it much at all) & was struggling with a failure this soon, but more so the fact that Hatfields are saying they’d done a flow test & found no leaks ( so why did it need re-gassing then) so the evaporation point is helpful but I’d asked that because was given that advice many years ago on my classic car, but Hatfields to date haven’t mentioned that, so it felt like an unknown problem with no solution. cheers

 

[41jules1967]

Car is just two years old & still under warranty but dealer (Hatfields) have said it needs re-gassing but they haven’t discovered a leak so of course this is ‘wear & tear’ & want over £250.

You're a lot more tolerant than I would be. I'd have lost my temper if insulted with such BS.
If an aircon system needs ANY sort of maintenance at 2 years old, it's a fault. Simple as that.
Where do they suggest the gas went? If it worked and now doesn't, and the gas is too low, it's a leak. 2 year old cars do not leak. If they do, it's a fault and covered by the warranty.
If not, it's a faulty compressor, sensor.. the list goes on. The only certainty is that it's not wear and tear. It's a very clear warranty issue.
Wear and tear is when you've been driving for 8 years with the aircon switched off (Never turn it off!!) and the seals have dried out.
I've never refilled any aircon system in any car. My 10 year old XF is still freezing cold. The system on our 13 year old Freelander2 was just starting to give issues when we traded it in. Until then it'd been quite capable of freezing the cabin.

I'd give it back to the dealer with a simple instruction. Fix it and god help him if he thinks you're paying a penny!

 

[Owen]

Thanks for the reply Jules. Agree entirely with you & very much took the same view & position when called that it’s a failure within that timescale. It’s like being charged for fuel because your tank had leaked. Away currently so not collecting the car until Monday & fully intend challenging their position further in person. cheers

 

[steve.a]

older cars used a different gas. while I do not disagree the system needs to be recharged to establish a fault which is then sorted under warranty the charge is advised as if no fault found it is chargeable like most things.


As of 2017, a new type of air conditioning gas is required by law for all new vehicles.
The gas, called HFO-1234yf, replaces previous refrigerants, as it produces 98% fewer climate-damaging pollutants than its predecessor, R134a. If your vehicle requires the new gas, this is avaliable in selected autocentres (see the full list below)

its also now recommended to be checked after years
ATS Euromaster offers air conditioning system regas services for both refrigerant gases at all of our centres. Vehicle manufacturers’ typically recommend drivers get their refrigerant gas levels checked after the vehicle is two years old and then annually thereafter, to ensure maximum system operating efficiency. So, why not book in today?

 

[RPR]

Certainly if your not using aircon then it does need switching on regulally year round to stop the seals drying out. Personally I just leave mine on auto and have done on every car with aircon I've owned.

 

[Andy131]

I have had this discussion many many times - not least of all with the Mother-In-Law, aircon is a case of use it or lose it.
Domestic refrigeration compressors are totally sealed, the motor is encased within the compressor unit so no means of escape.
Automotive on the other hand have compressors that are traditionally driven by an external pulley, this needs a seal to stop the refrigerant from escaping past the driven shaft. If left in one position this seal hardens over time allowing refrigerant to pass, circulating the refrigerant keeps the seal supple. The refrigerant also contains other chemicals to ensure the longevity of the aircon system, such as lubricant.

Maybe once we go electric and the aircon compressor can be electrically driven we will be in a similar position as domestic appliances, where it is fit and forget - then again when was the last time you actually turned off the fridge or freezer?

 

[Paul41]

I have had this discussion many many times - not least of all with the Mother-In-Law, aircon is a case of use it or lose it.
Domestic refrigeration compressors are totally sealed, the motor is encased within the compressor unit so no means of escape.
Automotive on the other hand have compressors that are traditionally driven by an external pulley, this needs a seal to stop the refrigerant from escaping past the driven shaft. If left in one position this seal hardens over time allowing refrigerant to pass, circulating the refrigerant keeps the seal supple. The refrigerant also contains other chemicals to ensure the longevity of the aircon system, such as lubricant.

Maybe once we go electric and the aircon compressor can be electrically driven we will be in a similar position as domestic appliances, where it is fit and forget - then again when was the last time you actually turned off the fridge or freezer?

Poses the question of what type is fitted to the P300e as aircon works when running on EV only? (As well as ICE)

 

[Canuk]

Like Andy131 I was always telling my father to run his A/C to keep it lubricated to no avail. He stopped driving at 90 and his old car was sold and the A/C still ran perfectly AHHHH ! He just smiled at me.

I keep my A/C on about 80% of the time ( windows open the rest of the time) and have never needed a refill on any vehicle. Works great but have never driven in temperatures higher than 44c so far. I suppose it costs me some extra money in fuel but it is a small percentage of costs in operating a car.

I think that Tesla is equipping their cars with a heat pump rather than resistance heaters , probably cheaper to do that as all it needs is extra valves to change A/C into duel purpose.

 

[RPR]

I think some people get a tad confused with aircon thinking it's only to cool down the vehicle's interior. The clue is in the full description 'air conditioning' not air cooling. It also of course helps stop windscreens etc steaming up in winter.

 

[ron]

You could just check that the aircon fan is actually running .they have been known to stick.

 

[County]

That’s what I keep in the boot, a stick, in case it fails always does the job 😎