Hi all, My 2012 1.6 diesel focus air con has stopped blowing cold air.  Everything seems to be working, i can see the compressor turn on and off with the switch, and the filter is not too bad but i will replace it tomorrow. Any ideas? 🤔

On a 2012 car I would suspect a leak and it has run out of refrigerant gas.

Go to Kwik Fit (or similar) and get the system checked for leaks and re-gassed if there are no leaks.

Thanks Unofix, My mechanic told me how to check it over the phone, no leaks 👍

1 hour ago, IRONMAN said:

Thanks Unofix, My mechanic told me how to check it over the phone, no leaks 👍

You need to share this miraculous diagnosis, discovering 'no leaks' over the phone. Of all the time I have wasted over the years getting an engineer to actually look at the A/C! 🤣

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

You need to share this miraculous diagnosis, discovering 'no leaks' over the phone 🤣

My phone can't do it because it's only an android but if you had a 'julian assange' phone it would find all kinds of leaks 🤣

3 hours ago, IRONMAN said:

Hi all, My 2012 1.6 diesel focus air con has stopped blowing cold air.

Despite your, 'no leak' diagnosis, I have had issues with every A/C car I've had in the last 30 years. They fall into 3 x categories:

1) The compressor, despite it looking like it works, the gaskets can fail allowing a leak.

2) The condenser radiator - usually in a prime location to get hit by stones, it'll leak.

3)The A/C pipework may have corroded somewhere, even a pinhole, and it'll leak.

An A/C leak isn't like water, you'll not see a puddle under the car, the gas will just evaporate. The only sure way of testing is putting the system under a vacuum and seeing if it will hold. If it doesn't, it has a leak which needs to be repaired before recharging again. As Unofix said, make sure it's tested first, otherwise you just chuck money down the drain if it leaks again! A proper A/C engineer will charge the system with a fluorescent liquid so that the leak can easily visually be seen...

 

32 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

You need to share this miraculous diagnosis, discovering 'no leaks' over the phone. Of all the time I have wasted over the years getting an engineer to actually look at the A/C! 🤣

The info I got (over the phone) was to test for pressure on the valve as you would with a tyre to eliminate total leakage until my mechanic could get a chance to physically check the system 😁👍

24 minutes ago, IRONMAN said:

The info I got (over the phone) was to test for pressure on the valve as you would with a tyre to eliminate total leakage until my mechanic could get a chance to physically check the system 😁👍

Playing devils advocate, even if you do get a 'hissing' when pressing down on the valve, the actual pressure may still be below the threshold of activating your A/C. Keep us posted on what you discover the fault is...

A working fully charged system is around 200psi not something to be messed about with.

And the gas coming out could quite easily give you frostbite on the fingers, or blind you if to close. Not to mention global warming of 1340 times worse than co2 ( that we all allegedly concerned about)

I know, bit extreme for a little gas released to check for pressure. 

 

20 minutes ago, unofix said:

A working fully charged system is around 200psi not something to be messed about with.

 

7 minutes ago, iantt said:

And the gas coming out could quite easily give you frostbite on the fingers, or blind you if to close. Not to mention global warming of 1340 times worse than co2 ( that we all allegedly concerned about)

You guys now working for Extinction Rebellion?? LOL 🤣

Yeah,we out to save the world, well, the dolphins and polar bears. Sad but I just worked out if you let a fully charged air con system escape, that's the equivalent of co2  driving a car 3500miles. 

51 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Playing devils advocate, even if you do get a 'hissing' when pressing down on the valve, the actual pressure may still be below the threshold of activating your A/C. Keep us posted on what you discover the fault is...

I presume it was just to give him an idea of what could be going wrong pending full investigation. All fingers still in tact, as for the Co2 escaping enjoy the fine weather this weekend with my compliments 😎👍

25 minutes ago, iantt said:

Yeah,we out to save the world, well, the dolphins and polar bears. Sad but I just worked out if you let a fully charged air con system escape, that's the equivalent of co2  driving a car 3500miles. 

Crikey, if the gas wasn't so expensive, I'd release a bucketful just for fun!

49 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Crikey, if the gas wasn't so expensive, I'd release a bucketful just for fun!

No blue Peter badge for you then. 

9 hours ago, iantt said:

No blue Peter badge for you then. 

Too late LOL I got one in 1971 when I sent John Noakes in a picture I painted of him and his new pet, Shep 🤣

Update. The car is booked in for proper diagnostics on Wednesday, on quick inspection they suspect a sensor problem. Thanks for your help and comments 👍

Update. So my air con is working again, HURRAY.

Having went to a reputable technician this evening, he ran a full diagnostic and found the gas was extremely low and refilled it. It took about 45 mins and cost 120 Euros. Needless to say before this I knew nothing about the air con system except to switch it on 5 or 6 times a year when we get the odd fine day 🤣. Lesson learned, thanks again for the input, much appreciated 👍👏👏👏

3 minutes ago, IRONMAN said:

Update. So my air con is working again, HURRAY.

I'm shocked, imagine you needing more gas, who'd have thought 🤣 That phone diagnosis sure was a bust!  If it goes again within a few weeks, you have a leak.

Ya they told me that, strangely enough the phone diagnosis to push in the valve was horse doodoo😆 

24 minutes ago, IRONMAN said:

Update. So my air con is working again, HURRAY.

Having went to a reputable technician this evening, he ran a full diagnostic and found the gas was extremely low and refilled it. It took about 45 mins and cost 120 Euros. Needless to say before this I knew nothing about the air con system except to switch it on 5 or 6 times a year when we get the odd fine day 🤣. Lesson learned, thanks again for the input, much appreciated 👍👏👏👏

120 Euro's jeeez is that an Irish price ?????

4 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

120 Euro's jeeez is that an Irish price ?????

Now, what gave that away LOL

 

ATS did mine on a voucher for £35.00, full check and regass

 

5 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

ATS did mine on a voucher for £35.00, full check and regass

 

ATS do not operate in Ireland, them's the breaks LOL

15 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

120 Euro's jeeez is that an Irish price ?????

Yep