[Shyamtanu]

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

PS: Since you are in re-circulation mode, are you sure that your driving path does not have this pungent smell in the air itself???

No Sir :-) It is all clean, but I do see a point in heating up the air, as hot air will surly help, I never tried to infuse fresh, hot air after a long recirculation mode.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by Shyamtanu

No Sir :-) It is all clean, but I do see a point in heating up the air, as hot air will surly help, I never tried to infuse fresh, hot air after a long recirculation mode.

Been a long time, isn't it.

I do hope the pungent smell has ceased to exist. If so, were you able to find out the cause?

[narayan]

Just want to revive this thread to check on something..
i see that many of you who used the GULF air neutraliser say that it should be sprayed into the air vents in the dash board ( basically the 4 vents )

but Gulf car care's website says that

"Insert the Naturalizer spraying tube and nozzle into the air inlet opening of the air-conditioning/heating system. Then spray back and forth in all directions"


now are the air vents in the dashboard the air inlets ?? shouldnt the airinlets be some where outside the car in the bonnet area ? can some one confirm this

thanks

I doubt that the gulf thing has to be applied from the outside. It would get quite confusing and may not be mass marketable. I guess it can be presumed that it is from the normal ac vents, as when done this way it does remove the funny smells giving a another smell of its own. once applied that odor of its lasts about 2 months or so.

I havent been able to find a 'how stuff works' article on it so..... help me

I dont quite know how the nuetralizer works, does anybody have any ideas?

At present my assumptions are that it sort of plasters itself on the sides of the vents and on the insides. Maybe creating some sort of antibacterial layer, preventing fungi or bateria from staying.
the can just calls itself an airconditioner nuetralizer, it does not state that it kills bacteria or wipes out germs so what and how does it nuetralize?

Or does it forms a coat of itself on the vents making a smell of its own come continually this smell is just a masking odor, meaning bacteria exists but it is just not as noticable.

But if it makes a coat, inside the vents, does it mean that eventually over time a build-up of the 'gulf magic' may be made?
Does that mean that it is going to need proffesional help to be removed?

And has anybody experienced any long/short term side effects from the 'Gulfing' of your car??

[ramki067]

Searched the forum couldn't find AC issues thread. Hence, posting it here. If not, please move it to the appropriate location.

Guys,
My WagonR LXI(Oct 2007) AC is not working properly. When i set it to cold mode and start the car, i get hot/warm air and no cold air at all!!! What may be the problem. Showed this to Pratham motors while i had given the vehicle for servicing and they said they need to do a overhaul of AC system which cost Rs.3500 - Rs.4000!!! What may be the problem on my AC.

Thanks,
RAmki

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by ramki067

My WagonR LXI(Oct 2007) AC is not working properly. When i set it to cold mode and start the car, i get hot/warm air and no cold air at all!!! What may be the problem. Showed this to Pratham motors while i had given the vehicle for servicing and they said they need to do a overhaul of AC system which cost Rs.3500 - Rs.4000!!! What may be the problem on my AC.

What was the reason mentioned by Pratham motors? Not sure how much evaporator coil costs for Wagon R. Even if for filling compressor gas I guess rate should be around 2K range and not 4K.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

What was the reason mentioned by Pratham motors? Not sure how much evaporator coil costs for Wagon R. Even if for filling compressor gas I guess rate should be around 2K range and not 4K.

Well, they said that AC system needs overhauling which will cost 3.5K - 4K
They didn't go into detail of what has gone wrong and also as i was in a hurry to pick up my car as i was headed for a tour next early morning, just took the vehicle and left in a jiffy!

[mpksuhas]

Ok, just asked since as far as I know any single unit should not cost around 4 K for replacement. Also, Pratham motors had tried to fleece my colleague saying some AC cleaning and all when he had given car for service and billed without doing anything worth notice.

[getsurya]

On the subject of the thread: I have always used the sanitizer spray near the air intake area of the car and the air filter for the blower in periodic intervals like once in two months. I would put the car on and apply the spray and leave the car running with windows open and A/C on. This would make the A/C blow smell fresh and clean!

[gpa]

Originally Posted by ramki067

My WagonR LXI(Oct 2007) AC is not working properly. When i set it to cold mode and start the car, i get hot/warm air and no cold air at all!!! What may be the problem.

From what you have said, it seems like you have lost refrigerant completely. This can be due to leaking seals in the system. Did you leave the car idle for an extended period of time without using the a/c? The problem could also be due to a leak in the condenser or evaporator.

The former is an easy fix, you just have to recharge the system with refrigerant and keep an eye for any drop of cooling in a few weeks/a month. The leak in the condenser/evaporator can be fixed by replacing the part, which will cost you a fair bit.

For now, you can recharge the system with refrigerant and see if you have problems before moving ahead.

[lambuhere1]

Originally Posted by getsurya

I have always used the sanitizer spray near the air intake area of the car

Surya

Can you be kind enough to educate on sanitizer spray ? Might help with the foul smell in the car

Thanks a ton

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by gpa

From what you have said, it seems like you have lost refrigerant completely. This can be due to leaking seals in the system. Did you leave the car idle for an extended period of time without using the a/c? The problem could also be due to a leak in the condenser or evaporator.

The former is an easy fix, you just have to recharge the system with refrigerant and keep an eye for any drop of cooling in a few weeks/a month. The leak in the condenser/evaporator can be fixed by replacing the part, which will cost you a fair bit.

For now, you can recharge the system with refrigerant and see if you have problems before moving ahead.

Thanks gpa and suhas.
I had not used the car for about 1.5 months around 4-5 months before and have not used the car frequently till now. I used to take out once in a month or so. Could this have left all the gas evaporated completely?
Is it possible for me to find out if any leaks are present?

Thanks,
Ramki

[gpa]

Originally Posted by ramki067

I had not used the car for about 1.5 months. I used to take out once in a month or so. Could this have left all the gas evaporated completely? Is it possible for me to find out if any leaks are present?

Well, a car lying idle for over a month is the culprit. The a/c system should be used at regular intervals to keep the gas and oil circulating in the system. The oil ensures the rubber seals retain their suppleness and not turn hard and start to crack which will lead to loss of refrigerant as it happened in your case.

Once you have repaired the a/c make sure to run it for about 15-20 minutes every fortnight to ensure that this problem doesn't reoccur again. There is no DIY way to find leaks in the system. The only way to check for leaks is to take the car to an a/c specialist or your regular M.A.S.S and ask them to do a leak test for the system.

Originally Posted by lambuhere1

Can you be kind enough to educate on sanitizer spray?

There used to be a Gulf a/c sanitizer spray can available in the market a few years ago. This is essentially a chemical composition of foam that is sprayed around deep inside the a/c vents of your car to clean the system. There is a pleasant smell that emanates once the process is complete. I have used this a couple of times in my cars but have stopped it as I noticed a sticky build up deep inside the vents when the air louvers were removed.

If the car is a few years old and you are looking to keep it free of odors, then a regular a/c service where the cooling coils are vacuumed and cleaned thoroughly will do the trick.

A tip: Disconnecting the fresh air inlet lever ensures that no leaves, dust or other gunk enters your cooling coils from the fresh air intake area located outside the car. This will keep the system running trouble free for years. If you need fresh air in the cabin, roll down your windows every 15 mins or so. I have followed this on my Alto and have had no problems with the a/c for four years now.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by gpa

Well, a car lying idle for over a month is the culprit. The a/c system should be used at regular intervals to keep the gas and oil circulating in the system. The oil ensures the rubber seals retain their suppleness and not turn hard and start to crack which will lead to loss of refrigerant as it happened in your case.

Once you have repaired the a/c make sure to run it for about 15-20 minutes every fortnight to ensure that this problem doesn't reoccur again. There is no DIY way to find leaks in the system. The only way to check for leaks is to take the car to an a/c specialist or your regular M.A.S.S and ask them to do a leak test for the system.

Thanks gpa. Will take the car this Saturday to Mandovi Motors, Basaveshwarnagar which is nearest M.A.S.S dealer to my home and check with them.

RAmki

[ynot]

Your A/c not throwing cold/cool air could either be an electrical problem or a problem with the amount of refrigerant in the system. pressure sensors would disable the compressor if there is less/no gas in the system. first thing is, when was the last time the system was cooling? did it stop suddenly or was their a gradual decrease in cooling?
a full service of an a/c system cost around 3/3.5k, depending on the amount of work involved. a gas charge under 1500 and a top-up around 750.
finally the cost will depend on the amount of work involved and the parts repaired/replaced.