Air Con Leak

[rattyc5]

tried to fill my air con with refrigerant but all it kept doing was auto cycling. put lid back on valve and pulled my hand out to find a yellowish oily substance on my hand. obviously i have a leak on one of the pipes my hand rubbed against but why oil?

any ideas on possible cost to repair leaks?

i dont really wanna spend a fortune fixing but £150 ish is most i would want to spend.

any help would be good.

[Stoney871]

The oil is mixed with the refrigerant to lubricate the pump and rubber seals.

A trip to the garage is in order Ray.

Shop around for decent prices, you should find a good deal somewhere.

[johnH]

my car kept having air con leaks....found out one day at kwik-fit, trying to take advantage of a voucher and their aircon recharge offer.

well anyways after going to ford, they replaced 2 pipes as they snapped. 2 weeks later, another 2 snapped. also the condensor had to be replaced...pretty pricey about £70 per pipe and they are special order only.

according to the lead tech at 2 different dealers, the 1.8tdci mk2 focus is notorious for aircon pipes.

[Stoney871]

according to the lead tech at 2 different dealers, the 1.8tdci mk2 focus is notorious for aircon pipes.

Ah crap, now you tell me.

:(

[rattyc5]

would the air con be covered with the 3 months warranty i get with secondhand car? i have had so many problems with it. sick of the car

[Stoney871]

You can but ask.

[ChrisH]

Ah crap, now you tell me.

:(

And double crap...... My aircons not been working for a while, assumed and still hope it just needs a regas........

[johnH]

he pipes are easily accessible to check, the pipes are right at the front of the engine. just give them a little wiggle, if they are bust you will clearly see a pipe that has snapped.

i would say they are covered by warranty as they are not wear and tear items...when ford did mine, they snapped again and were covered by their parts warranty.

[rattyc5]

i think my leak is coming from where one of the pipes connects to the receiver dryer.

will have a proper look at weekend.

if my refrigerant has leaked out, there should be no pressure so i could replace the pipes myself.is that right?

[Stoney871]

It's recommended that the system is repaired and maintained by an aircon tech as if there is any refrigerant remaining it has to be drawn out.

Like you say though, there's probably nowt left.

[johnH]

yeah chances are all the gas has gone, especially in the pipe that is knackered.so yeah you could repair yourself...but personally i would get a specialist/dealer to do it... just for the parts warranty etc.