Anyone has an aircon recharge

[cascas]

My Berlingo Mk3 is now 4 years old. AC is working, is it now time to give it a regas. The honest john website, suggested 4 years, then every 3 years. This sounds more reasonable than other companies who suggest ever 1-2 years.

Has anyone has it done? Did it improve cooling? Any ideal how much gas (see other link)

[geoff]

My only experience has been ( apart from industrial chillers ) with Honda cars a few years back and they had a level sight glass which indicated the gas quantity in the system. Does the Berlingo have a similar set up ? It would be most useful if it did. Sorry I'm not at home at the minute so cannot look up any reference material.

[cascas]

My only experience has been ( apart from industrial chillers ) with Honda cars a few years back and they had a level sight glass which indicated the gas quantity in the system. Does the Berlingo have a similar set up ? It would be most useful if it did. Sorry I'm not at home at the minute so cannot look up any reference material.

AFAIK modern systems are no longer fitted with a sight glass, and to check the qty of gas, it needs to be removed and weighed, and then the correct amount put into the system.

[3rensho]

According to my manual the charge is 450g plus/minus 25g of R134.a refrigerant.

[addo]

The most practical approach is to use the aircon regularly (eg, at least once a week if not always) as this keeps the lubricant relatively dispersed through the system. Until I dismantled it for service a year ago, my 1999 Xantia still had the original charge and still cooled decently. If yours can still nearly ice the evaporator return line, I suggest keeping your hands in your pockets, rather than feeding the starving dealers.

I have seen comments by two polymer chemists (cannot recall which website, but it was discussing aftermarket AC hose stock like thinwall Galaxy) stating quite confidently that "reverse migration" can occur whereby - in this case - water molecules eventually entered the AC system through the AC flex hose linings. (At least one forum member will refuse to believe this.) Point here being, that eventually the R/D needs replacing or reinvigorating, but this is well into the future compared to your four years now up.

[Opensauce]

Citroen say aircon service every 2yrs. I left mine 4yrs & it was still working ok. I had aircon serviced at last service & was told there was not much coolant left in. They put some sort of luminous stuff in it & told me to return in a month to check it wern't leaking. I did that & it was ok so hope its ok for another 4yrs. I always run aircon at least half hour a week throughout year as suggested.

[addo]

That stuff's a fluorescent dye, which dissolves in the lubricant oil. You use a black light (UV torch) to see it.

If you know the oil is a greeny-yellow to begin with, it's already got the dye in.

[ffrenchie]

I use the aircon to demist in winter, it clears the screen in no time. We actually had to put it on yesterday to cool the car interior :whistle: