AC Maintanence/Servicing - Summer time

[invincible7]

Can anyone please advise how to go about for the AC Servicing/Maintanence as the summers are approaching this part of the country. What are the methods / things required.. and how much ideally is spent on the servicing. Couldnt find any topics for this.. if it already exists kindly refer me the link...

[mithun]

For a year-old car, the first thing to do is to have the front grille and bumper removed and the AC condenser and radiator thoroughly pressure washed with water. Do this at least twice every hot and dusty season for best efficiency of the air-conditioner and you will see a marked difference in the chilling of the car. For a slightly older car, say two year old or so, get even the radiator removed and thoroughly washed in addition to pressure washing the front-end. With a slightly older model (4-5 years), even the cooling coil should be removed and cleaned and the AC gas topped up. As for the cost factor, mere front-end cleaning would cost you close to Rs 300, while the radiator and cooling coil cleaning would be around Rs 600-800. An AC gas top-up should cost around Rs 500, while a total replacement would cost around Rs 900.

[Sutra]

If your AC is generally working fine, then as indicated by Mithun a pressure wash is enough. Take care not to hit the pressurised water directly on to the fins.

Check for the both the fans; the Radiator and the condensor fan are operating with AC on.

If your Radiator and Condenser unit is heavily clogged with mud, grime, leaves, insects search for a radiator grill cleaner solution concentrate available in AC service shops, Dilute as per the instructions on the container, apply with a paint brush or spray bottle, wait for 15mins and wash generously with garden hose. Repeat as per the requirement till all clear.

You can get fair idea about the AC condition from the receiver / Drier Bottle glass window, with AC ON at MAX and running for about 5-mins there should be steady gas flow with no bubbles. If you observe bubbles or no bubbles or no flow in the window indicates insufficient or no refrigerant charge and may require a Top-up or complete service. There are lot of other things which can go wrong.

If you are opting for a full service or complete replacement of the refrigerant (they check for leaks with high pressure) or your AC system joints are open for any reasons the insist to get the mating O-rings changed and also check for the replenishment of the appropriate amount of suitable lubricant oil. Most AC mechanics skip this.

Insufficient Lubricant oil will lead to premature compressor failure.

Above all, most important, go to a reputed AC mechanic who KNOWS what he is doing.

[nura]

I gave my 4.5 year old Santro for AC servicing recently. The mechanic opened the grill & bumper but found the condenser bent. (A bike had skidded & crashed into my parked car a few weeks ago.) He said he could try & straighten out the condenser but if it developed a leak I would have to buy a new one for Rs 7000! I chickened out & asked him just to clean it, top up the gas & return the car to me. The AC performance has improved but the bent condenser is bugging my brain & I want the evaporator & blower to be serviced too. Should I go back & ask him to try & straighten the bent condenser. If it develops a leak, can it not be repaired?
Thanks in advance.

[bruce]

I get some ''hizzzz" noise from the blower, have you come across this problem? and i want to check for any leakeage in the car, because when I have all my doors closed I still smell the dirty smoke that the Auto-Rickshaw in front....

[mail4ajo]

I too hear the hizzz sound when the compresor switches on. It wasnt there earlier. It quickly disappears and surfaces again when the compresor comes to life. Is it normal?

There is no difference in cooling and blower force etc. The ALTO's AC can put a lot of big car ac to shame.

[spookey]

Should I go back & ask him to try & straighten the bent condenser. If it develops a leak, can it not be repaired?

Nura , why fix it when it aint broke ? a slightly bent condenser no way effects the performace of your A/c.
No, a leaking condenser can't be repaired , you will have to replace it.
so why take chances if it's working fine ?

[spookey]

Should I go back & ask him to try & straighten the bent condenser. If it develops a leak, can it not be repaired?

Hi Nura , why fix it when it aint broke ? a slightly bent condenser in no way affects the performance of your A/c.
No , a leakning condenser can't be repaired it HAS to be replaced .
SO WHY take chances ? i am sure you can spend those 7k in better ways

[nura]

Originally Posted by spookey

Hi Nura , why fix it when it aint broke ? a slightly bent condenser in no way affects the performance of your A/c.
No , a leakning condenser can't be repaired it HAS to be replaced .
SO WHY take chances ? i am sure you can spend those 7k in better ways

You are right. Let me drive the car around in the afternoon & check out the AC. If it's cooling fine, I sure can utilise the 7K towards an ICE upgrade. The Hyundai service person says that if the condenser is bent & touching the radiator, the AC may not cool effectively. Any comments?

[nura]

After my 2002 Santro's AC condenser was cleaned & the refrigerant (don't know if it is R-12 or R-134a) recovered & recharged using a charging station (don't know if lubricant was added or not), it worked ok for a few days but the performance has again dropped. I tried touching the low pressure line & found it to be wet with condensation & at room temperature. The high pressure line was warm but not burning hot. I tried to notice whether the compressor was cycling on & off or not & found that it was not cycling off (don't know if I have a cycling or a non-cycling compressor). I looked around for a sight glass but couldn't find one. In view of the above findings would it be right to conclude that there is a refrigerant leak? If so, from where? What should be the next step? Although I have a bent condenser, I don't want to change it if it isn't the cause of the problem. One mechanic wants to clean the evaporator. This has never been done but is it likely to cure the problem? Lastly is it possible to buy a Santro workshop manual? Had bought the Maruti 800 manual earlier & found it a wonderful read. Thanks in advance if anyone can chip in with some advice.

[Jaggu]

@ajo: hizzing sound is normal and is a semi frozen gas making the sound inside the pipe.

@ nura: have you done a leak test while refilling?

[nura]

I have no idea. I would have thought they would do it compulsorily before refilling.

[horsepower]

They do not check for leakages if they are just topping up. But in your case when they have cleaned up the condensor, should have checked for any leakages. You should go back to them and ask them to check for leakages. And, if there are any they are bound to plug it and refill gas.

[nura]

Ok, thanks. Are the symptoms suggestive of a leak? Or is impossible to tell without testing with the gauges?

[somebodystopme]

M today gng to get my esteem's ac serviced. Cause it only works in night when sun is not there. I have noted the points mentioned here. I guess completee change and service would cost me around 3K Lets see. Any more suggestions?