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Mk3 AC Diagnosis


TomsFocus
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So, I didn't think to check the AC when buying the car, I didn't think it'd be broken on such a young, low mileage vehicle tbh.  :sad:

Anyway, it doesn't come on at all, compressor never kicks in despite the display saying 'ac on'.

I've got an AC pressure guage from one of those DIY refrigerant cans a few years ago so shoved that on the low port...and there's no pressure there at all, gauge doesn't even flinch.  So I guess it's completely empty...

I can't see any dye around the system - I assume there is dye in the original stuff and it's not just added in the top ups?

So how is best diagnose the fault...chances are it's the condenser rad but I want to prove it before spending on a new one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update - been for regas today and it failed the vacuum test.  Not a surprise tbh, however even with dye in the system they couldn't find the leak.

Said to ask Ford if there are any common issues...  Thought I might as well check on here first though, any common leak areas on the Mk3?

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Alright Tom.  I know this is slightly off topic but which mk3 did you go for in the end?  Hope you get it sorted. 

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3 hours ago, Albert27 said:

Alright Tom.  I know this is slightly off topic but which mk3 did you go for in the end?  Hope you get it sorted. 

Another 1.6 TDCi for the short term, 1.0 EcoBoosts are still way out of budget.  The idea was to be keep this for about a year and then change to a petrol but it's been constant problems for the week I've been driving it so far.  If the AC can't be fixed it'll be lucky to stay until the summer at this rate. :laugh:

 

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42 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Another 1.6 TDCi for the short term, 1.0 EcoBoosts are still way out of budget.  The idea was to be keep this for about a year and then change to a petrol but it's been constant problems for the week I've been driving it so far.  If the AC can't be fixed it'll be lucky to stay until the summer at this rate. :laugh:

 

lol another of your 'lemon' vehicles? :biggrin: lets hope it's just had a bad week, humans do, so i guess cars can too!  If it's any comfort to you my used mk3 i just got (1.6 tdci) has had to have a new fuel filter housing thanks to somebody mashing the torx bolts previously, air con blows cool but not ice cold and a cambelt......so you're not completely alone...

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12 hours ago, Albert27 said:

lol another of your 'lemon' vehicles? :biggrin: lets hope it's just had a bad week, humans do, so i guess cars can too!  If it's any comfort to you my used mk3 i just got (1.6 tdci) has had to have a new fuel filter housing thanks to somebody mashing the torx bolts previously, air con blows cool but not ice cold and a cambelt......so you're not completely alone...

Seems like another lemon so far yeah... :laugh:  Despite the full Ford service history, I'm not sure the fuel filter on mine had ever been changed...but on the plus side nothing was rounded off lol.  Air filter was also in a right state despite only being 3k since its last service...and even if that was only an oil service, the one before was only another 3k earlier... :unsure:  But I don't mind cheap and easy stuff like servicing, wipers and bulbs.  Have also reset the stop start so that now works again.  And sorted the rear bumper leaks - might be worth a check on yours if you get a damp boot.  There was also a stutter (like tapping the brake) at around 3k rpm but that seems to have been cured by thrashing the nuts off it on the back roads, I'm quite surprised by the top end on the 115 tbh, seems better than the 140bhp map on the mk2, but the gearbox ratios are also better which helps too.  The audio stopped working on Sunday but seems to be ok atm, hopefully that was just a glitch.  So the current issues are the AC which I can live without until the summer (using heated screen to clear that instead).  But the slow speed jerking is the main issue, it just wont drive smoothly in traffic or car parks which is frustrating, not only when engaging the clutch but even in gear with the clutch fully up in 1st or 2nd it jerks along rather than rolling smoothly.  My guess is crap EGR mapping as I had similar issues on the Mk2 before the remap with EGR delete. so I'm hoping a PCM update might help...still awaiting a quote for it atm.

How do you need a cambelt on a mk3 already?  Has it done quite a few miles?  Are you replacing the mk2 or keeping both?

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Back on topic... :whistling1:  Does anyone know where I can buy small, cheap UV torch?  I used to have one but can't find it now. :sad: Don't really want to wait a fortnight for one to come from Hong Kong either, if there's any dye coming out of the condenser I want to be able to see it before the rain washes it off at 70mph lol.

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8 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

How do you need a cambelt on a mk3 already?  Has it done quite a few miles?  Are you replacing the mk2 or keeping both?

Mine is a bit jerky sometimes out of 1st but seems to smooth out once in second.  Where did you buy yours?

It was a 2014 former lease car with 100k on the clock.  Thought I'd get it done to be on the safe side. I probably won't have to do it again in my ownership so no reason to wait.  Yeah keeping the mk2 and running both.  The power difference between the 90 and 115 is quite noticeable!

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The compressor itself can be prone to leaking, it can only take a stone to hit it on the motorway to cause a leak. UV dye shouldn't really be put in an AC system when there isn't a problem (despite what everyone seems to think). The only thing you want in the pipework is the refrigerant. I'm sure you can get a UV torch from amazon for under a tenner delivered tomorrow if you have prime.

I take it you've had it for 6 months and out of warranty? That sucks.

 

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5 hours ago, Albert27 said:

Mine is a bit jerky sometimes out of 1st but seems to smooth out once in second.  Where did you buy yours?

It was a 2014 former lease car with 100k on the clock.  Thought I'd get it done to be on the safe side. I probably won't have to do it again in my ownership so no reason to wait.  Yeah keeping the mk2 and running both.  The power difference between the 90 and 115 is quite noticeable!

Bought it privately, cost more than a grand less than the equivalent ones I viewed at dealer's so I was expecting a few issues lol.

Ah yeah, with 100k I'd have done the belt as well.  I forget some people do huge mileages, mines a 12 plate and done 43k lol.  My 08 mk2 has only done 75k!

4 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

The compressor itself can be prone to leaking, it can only take a stone to hit it on the motorway to cause a leak. UV dye shouldn't really be put in an AC system when there isn't a problem (despite what everyone seems to think). The only thing you want in the pipework is the refrigerant. I'm sure you can get a UV torch from Amazon for under a tenner delivered tomorrow if you have prime.

I take it you've had it for 6 months and out of warranty? That sucks.

 

I guess you mean condenser rather than compressor?  I can't see a stone getting through to the compressor tbh.  But yeah condenser seems to be the most likely from anyone I've asked.  I'm too tight to pay for amazon prime lol, but did find a UV torch on eBay for £2 delivered next day so should get that tomorrow.  Private sale so no warranty, will use some of the money I saved by going private for repairs though.  

4 hours ago, iantt said:

 

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3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Private sale so no warranty, will use some of the money I saved by going private for repairs though. 

 

People normally coin the term "buyer beware" when buying private but if you are misled (car in excellent condition, gwo, all accessories working, etc) then you can still in theory claim your money back through the small claims court iirc. Whether or not it's worth doing is another matter!

Not sure if you can smoke test an AC system... but might pinpoint where the leak is!

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I wouldn't say I was misled, don't remember the ad saying anything about ice cold AC and I never asked about it either.  Now I've got the new V5, I see the previous owner only had it a few months, and it was up for sale within a month of him owning it so probably didn't even know.  

I've never seen an AC system smoke tested, usually the UV dye is enough to spot a leak.  I have got the UV torch now though...and just as the garage, can't see any leaks.  Obviously some of the condenser is obscured by pieces of bumper and the coolant rad on the back but I'd expect any leaks to be right in the line of sight where stones got come through the bumper grill.

The only place I could see anything that looked fluorescent was little spots/lines on one of the AC pipes behind the intercooler.  I'm not sure if it's actually leak 'splatter' or just the way the light is reflecting.  May remove the IC later if it's easy enough to check behind it.

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Even if the car is running (ie fit for purpose), if there are features advertised such as air-con, if they do not function correctly then the advert was misleading and you have a course of action available to you. Basically the argument is that the advert as an invitation to treat has influenced your decision to buy based in its content.

Caveat emptor or buyer beware was originally meant to apply to 'puff' that advertisers used on claims that were never meant to be taken seriously such as "probably the best lager in the world". Unfortunately it's been taken to a broader level these days and is more a case of "don't ask, don't tell". 

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Fair enough.  I really doubt it's worth the cost and hassle of court action though.  I also wouldn't want the comeback myself if I'd sold a car not knowing something was faulty.

If it's the condenser, they're £85 new, not cheap but not bank breaking either.  Does anyone know if there are seals on the condenser?  It shows them for other pipes and the compressor but not the condenser, seems a bit odd?

5a7ee954585ec_Mk3Condenser.jpg.5614a6dd462a7713064b254c18edd483.jpg

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