[rsidd]

If the AC hasn't been maintained since 2009, a gas recharge may be all that is required. It is possible that there is a gas leak. A good third-party mechanic can check and it's not expensive. If the problem is the compressor, you will not hear the slight clicking sound that comes when the compressor turns on.

[promit]

Hello
Something similar happened to me in the summer of 2012 with my earlier car, a 2004 Santro Xing. AC wasn't working, would only blow out air. I took it to Safdarjang Hyundai in Udyog Vihar expecting a small issue like leaked gas or something. They told me my compressor was bust and to replace it at a cost of 16k++. Had the shock of my life.
Anyway, it wasn't possible to survive without AC. One week later I gave them the car and okay'd the replacement. They called me while they had my car, and told me they can fix it.
Ultimately I paid something much less. The work done was a level 4 AC service and some hose, and gas recharge and it was working as good as new.
Definitely get a second and third opinion, if possible from another HASS too!
Good luck

[karmania]

Take your car to an auto A/C shop and get it checked. I had a similar issue with my i20 a couple of years back when a stone (from a truck from the quarry) struck the radiator grille at highway speeds and had caused all the coolant to leak out. I had to replace the grille for around 6k at H.A.S.S, but atleast I was sure of what was the issue after taking 2 independent opinions. You can check the pressure of the coolant gas yourself also (refer to the manual).

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by somu_john

Dear Bhpians,

My car 2009 i20s A/c was not working for quite some time, it used to cool only slightly and that too only for 5 mins or so then it just blows out air, as a result I gave the car for servicing at HMP delhi. Now it has been found out that the compressor need to be replaced and it costs around Rs 23000/-.

Please suggest if I can get the compressor back to working condition if I get it serviced in local automobile shops. Or can i get it replaced at a lower cost at these shops.

Please share your experiences/suggestions so that i can follow suit.

Thank you all before hand.

If you're sure that the first 5 mins you do experience cooling however little and then it trails off, then this looks like a condensor fan issue. Either its conked off or its fuse/relay has malfunctioned due to shorting of the fan.

Please show it to a reputed private ac shop. One more thing, dont mention to the private garage that you've been quoted a compressor replacement or else he may choose to agree with the same and press you for replacement too. Either ways you'll be at a loss. Just show it to 1 or 2 guys and see how it goes.

[somu_john]

Originally Posted by RSR

While I'm not going to rule out the compressor conking off (and hence needing replacement), I have an unpleasant feeling that the H.A.S.S. is trying to pull a fast one on this issue, to make you cough up ~ 25k rupees (including labour) unnecessarily.

Please don't give the go ahead for a compressor replacement! You need to get a second opinion from another garage (H.A.S.S. or not) and preferably, a third opinion from a reputed independent A/C specialist.

In fact, I would recommend that you straight away go to a skilled car air-conditioning specialist who has earned a positive reputation, and ask him to take a close look. You can have a look at the Team-BHP directory section to find one in your city. Or other members who have used the services of such a specialist can help you out on this one.

A car A/C refusing to cool doesn't necessarily mean the compressor needs replacement.

It can even be because of a very simple thing, like a bad relay. Or many other simpler issues when compared to a compressor replacement.

Wish you good luck in sorting this one out. Do keep this thread updated.

Hello RSR, I too felt that they were trying to skim cash from me, hence did not ask them to change the compressor. However they replaced the evaporator costing around Rs 2000, cause it had leak at some places, and topped up the gas and serviced the unit. But to my surprise they waived of an A/C service charge of Rs 4000/-, because I did not get the compressor replaced. I took delivery of the car yesterday, and on my way back home tried to run the A/c but it was not cooling. This morning the A/C worked satisfactorily for around 15 min of driving later it went off.

As you said I will get it checked at an independent a/c service centre and keep you posted.

Originally Posted by rsidd

If the AC hasn't been maintained since 2009, a gas recharge may be all that is required. It is possible that there is a gas leak. A good third-party mechanic can check and it's not expensive. If the problem is the compressor, you will not hear the slight clicking sound that comes when the compressor turns on.

@rsidd I fail to hear the clicking sound, it could be because I set the A/C to the lowest temp so the compressor must be running all the time or as you said it might have conked off.

Originally Posted by promit

Hello
Something similar happened to me in the summer of 2012 with my earlier car, a 2004 Santro Xing. AC wasn't working, would only blow out air. I took it to Safdarjang Hyundai in Udyog Vihar expecting a small issue like leaked gas or something. They told me my compressor was bust and to replace it at a cost of 16k++. Had the shock of my life.
Anyway, it wasn't possible to survive without AC. One week later I gave them the car and okay'd the replacement. They called me while they had my car, and told me they can fix it.
Ultimately I paid something much less. The work done was a level 4 AC service and some hose, and gas recharge and it was working as good as new.
Definitely get a second and third opinion, if possible from another HASS too!
Good luck

@promit, thank you, I was wondering if you remember the A/C used to come on intermittently like in my case, or it used to give out only air all the while.

Originally Posted by karmania

Take your car to an auto A/C shop and get it checked. I had a similar issue with my i20 a couple of years back when a stone (from a truck from the quarry) struck the radiator grille at highway speeds and had caused all the coolant to leak out. I had to replace the grille for around 6k at H.A.S.S, but atleast I was sure of what was the issue after taking 2 independent opinions. You can check the pressure of the coolant gas yourself also (refer to the manual).

@karmania A part named evaporator was replaced that was leaking and the gas has been topped, seen slight improvement in the performance this morning. Still i have to get it checked. Thanks

Originally Posted by pixantz

If you're sure that the first 5 mins you do experience cooling however little and then it trails off, then this looks like a condensor fan issue. Either its conked off or its fuse/relay has malfunctioned due to shorting of the fan.


Please show it to a reputed private ac shop. One more thing, dont mention to the private garage that you've been quoted a compressor replacement or else he may choose to agree with the same and press you for replacement too. Either ways you'll be at a loss. Just show it to 1 or 2 guys and see how it goes.

@pixantz thanks, will get those checked once I get hold of a good A/C workshop

[pixantz]

Just one more thing might be important for people: I visited a certain Hyundai service center(in Mumbai where I live) for some parts recently and I saw that the guy doing ac jobs looked like a local small shop ac guy, he didn't even have the uniform on like its mandatorily worn and was worn by all the other staff and technicians. He was surely not standard staff and he was filling gas in a Santro! Cost cutting by Hyundai? Keep and eye out for similar scams people.

[rsidd]

Originally Posted by somu_john

@rsidd I fail to hear the clicking sound, it could be because I set the A/C to the lowest temp so the compressor must be running all the time or as you said it might have conked off.

If you listen carefully, you hear a click immediately after you press the ac button (not simultaneously, but just after.

[somu_john]

Originally Posted by rsidd

If you listen carefully, you hear a click immediately after you press the ac button (not simultaneously, but just after.

No I fail to hear any click sound, anyways I'm planning to take the car to 'cool days' lajpat nagar. I got the address from team bhp directory, reviews on him seem to be good enough. Lets see if he can fix it at a reasonable cost. Shall update after the visit.

[promit]

Originally Posted by somu_john

@promit, thank you, I was wondering if you remember the A/C used to come on intermittently like in my case, or it used to give out only air all the while.

With the AC on with the blower at 3. It was a wee bit better than having it function on fan.
When Hyundai, took the car to diagnose the issue, they fiddled with it, and thats when blower at 3 or AC at 3 were the same. Had it like this for a week before getting it rectified.

[somu_john]

"Cool Days" has really made my days cool, and here goes the story.

I took my car to 'Cool days' but unfortunately the boss Mr. Manjeet was not around, and the next best man Mr Suresh, seems to have taken up some other opportunity.

So one Mr Kamlesh was there, upon general checkup their meters pointed towards a conked compressor. My heart sank on that information, Kamlesh was over the phone all the while with his boss Mr Manjeet, they said a new compressor would cost around Rs.14000. But it was not available currently in the market. Then the Boss came up with an alternate solution which saved my day.

He said if the compressor valve has blackened, then we can be sure that the compressor is dead, if not we still have a chance by replacing the valve.

He warned me 'but its a gamble'
1) have to release all the refrigerant gas- cost around Rs.1000
2) have to purchase a new compressor valve- cost around 2200
3) labour cost Rs.300.

All together Rs 3500/-if this doesnt work then add the cost of a new compressor to this as well. With prayers on my lips I gave them the green signal.

They replaced the valve and found the old one to be clogged, filled the refrigerant, poured in some compressor oil, checked for leakages, and cranked the car and thank God, the A/c was working perfectly, the meter readings were now close to perfect. So kudos to Cool Days, attached is an image of the valve, and in the background kamlesh is at work.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by somu_john

All together Rs 3500/-if this doesnt work then add the cost of a new compressor to this as well. With prayers on my lips I gave them the green signal.

They replaced the valve and found the old one to be clogged, filled the refrigerant, poured in some compressor oil, checked for leakages, and cranked the car and thank God, the A/c was working perfectly, the meter readings were now close to perfect. So kudos to Cool Days, attached is an image of the valve, and in the background kamlesh is at work.

That's very good news! Congratulations on getting the job done at nearly one-tenth of the price it would have cost you at a HASS! Kudos to the guys @ "Cool Days" for identifying the fault exactly, and doing only the needful.

This is why I often turn suspicious on hearing some dealer workshop wanting to replace expensive things like the air-con compressor. Most of the times, it is only a smaller, much less expensive component that would have gone kaput. All it needs is a bit of patience and technical skills to identify it, plus a will to ensure the customer doesn't have to bear the cost of unnecessary repairs. Sadly, many dealer workshops (across brands) don't operate on these principles. They are only looking at the bill they can generate from each customer, by taking the easy way out (total replacement of stuff) which results in their customers' pockets getting drained.

Even as I type this, the air conditioner on our five-year old i10 has stopped working, as it only blows out air, and that too warm air (because of the engine heat). Would I be taking the car to a HASS? No way! I've found an independent specialist here (thanks to the Team-BHP directory) and he's going to be the one entrusted with restoring the i10's air-con functioning.

[somu_john]

Originally Posted by RSR

Would I be taking the car to a HASS? No way! I've found an independent specialist here (thanks to the Team-BHP directory) and he's going to be the one entrusted with restoring the i10's air-con functioning.

+1 to the decision, But I would advise you to take opinions from two or three sources depending on the severity of the fault.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by RSR

Even as I type this, the air conditioner on our five-year old i10 has stopped working, as it only blows out air, and that too warm air (because of the engine heat). Would I be taking the car to a HASS? No way! I've found an independent specialist here (thanks to the Team-BHP directory) and he's going to be the one entrusted with restoring the i10's air-con functioning.

Oh, I forgot to post an update to this. The A/C repair work got delayed because of a bigger issue (engine oil leak due to a cracked oil filter). So the A/C job had to be postponed till I got the leak fixed, which was eventually done by replacing the cracked oil filter and filling in new engine oil at a My TVS multi-brand workshop.

I got the chance to fix the A/C last week. Thanks to our fellow Chennai Team-BHPians who had recommended an independent A/C specialist in Parthasarathypuram, T. Nagar called Suresh Car A/C run by Mr. Suresh Kumar. He is a very skilled, courteous, down-to-earth, professional guy with loads of experience. A self-made man, he had learned the trade the hard way by working on car air conditioners since he was a lad. He also puts together and fixes air-conditioning units on non-A/C vehicles. As far as repairs go, he does only what is necessary and the bills are very reasonable too.

His workshop is not easy to find, and therefore he was quite surprised when I went there without even giving him a call (thanks to BHPians for providing very easy-to-follow directions on another thread ). After connecting a pressure gauge and checking for leaks in the refrigerant circuit in the engine bay, the fault was duly traced to a leak in the evaporator coil.

Replacing the evaporator involves removing the dashboard and it would take at least three hours. He confirmed that he could source an original replacement part and finish the work the same day (it was already 3 p.m.) and I gave the go ahead. I left the car and went to T. Nagar to have lunch and purchase some stuff. I returned before 6 p.m. to find that they had replaced the evaporator and were fixing the dashboard back in place. The old evaporator was lying there and it was very dirty, clogged, corroded and cracked at one place. Only the refrigerant needed to be filled in, and it was done. I sat inside and kept the engine running while they were filling the refrigerant and the air-con began its work of chilling the cabin very soon. Phew! What a relief it was to be able to feel the cold air from the air-con after a long time - thank God it was working again!

The total bill for the new evaporator, R134a refrigerant and labour charges for removing/refitting the dashboard etc. came to a reasonable Rs. 6500 - and the end result was well worth the money spent.

The A/C is an absolute chiller now, I don't know if it was ever this effective other than the first year or so after the car was driven out of the showroom. At speed 4, the air gets blown out of the vents with good force. Earlier, only speed 4 would cool even the front of the cabin but now, there is no need to use this speed at all, even when the rear seat is fully occupied. The cooling effect is excellent, and the air-con is functioning just as it should.

[ravi_ranjan]

I have 2005 Hyundai Getz GLS ABS. For past 1 year i am facing the issue of low cooling during summer months.

I got the car checked at the local hyundai workshop in Patna last summer. After checking the service advisor confirmed me that the gas pressure were good and also the compressor is working properly. He could not give me any good answer for low cooling. Now after reading that it has a 155 cc compressor i think the problem might be with warm air mixing with cold air.

Does anyone know what is the system in Getz as in

1. The Coolant is flowing through the heater core all the time and blend doors control the air flow through heater core

2. The flow of coolant is controlled by a thermostat valve. If yes what type of actuator is used ?

3. Both blend doors and thermostat valve control the mixing of hot air.

If any can please advice me how can i temporarily disconnect the heater core or stop the flow of coolant through the heater core for confirming my doubt.

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by ravi_ranjan

I have 2005 Hyundai Getz GLS ABS. For past 1 year i am facing the issue of low cooling during summer months.



I got the car checked at the local hyundai workshop in Patna last summer. After checking the service advisor confirmed me that the gas pressure were good and also the compressor is working properly. He could not give me any good answer for low cooling.

Technically the service guys should be able to explain the decreased cooling temperature. Maybe the HASS guys want you to say it through your own mouth that you want a complete Ac overhaul/ service which might set you back about 5K to6K at least, excluding possible spares which might be needed. And still some service centres can't offer a satisfactory result in Ac department. Now, assuming that the main factors like the compressor and the gas pressure is good, that leaves us with other smaller but important factors which could be adversely affecting the optimum and desired Ac performance which may be:

1) Hot ambient air entering and mixing with the cool Ac air via leakages in and around the fresh air vent/flap area ( this is the culprit most of the time),

2) Clogging up of the Evaporator Coil (cooling coil) and/or condenser which reduces air flow through it hence directly affecting cooling also,

3) Hot air from the heater area mixing with the cold air due to faulty flap which controls the hot/cold air mixture,

4) If the problem is noticed more in the summers only you might need to get a good transparent film with at least 70% transparency installed on your windshield and other blinds on side windows as there in huge amount of heat radiation which drastically affects cooling what with the extremely harsh direct sunlight in our almost tropical country. I know it's illegal as of today after the Nirbhaya case but personally I think that's the stupidest law I ever came across in my whole life. We're lucky the government didn't ask us to build houses made of glass to prevent rapes.

5) Other small faults which would need a physical check-up of the car,

I suggest you get it checked by a good FNG in your area based on members recommendation in the Ac forums and you might have a swift and satisfactory solution.