Astra 1.6 Club (02) : Aircon playing up??

Hi, my 1.6 16V Club may have a suspect air con problem.

I have noticed after extended use that as the revs increase, so does a
high pitch noise from the air con unit, that goes when it is switched
off. Also, noticed a whiff a smoke the other day when it was switched
off to normal fan operation.

It still pumps out cold air, but any ideas what is going on with it?

Your help as always ... appreciated.


M.

 

Have you had it regassed? Might be overgassed.

 

Can you do this? I thought it would be something like filling a butane
lighter, where you just fill a pressurised container until pressure
equalises. or maybe theres a pressure safety releasevalve somewhere?

Mike

(knowing nothing about aircon)

 

The pressures should be controlled by the expansion valve. There is a
careful balance between condensed (liquid) refrigerant, and vapourised (gas)
refrigerant. Too much gas will increase the amount of condensed liquid. If
there is liquid in the system where there is supposed to be much more free
flowing gas, the pressures can increase dramatically.

 

That sounds ok, but do you know if the level of gas is self regulating by
some form of mechanism?

Mike

 

When I've had my Astra re-gassed, the gas has been weighed, so I doubt if
it's self-regulating.

 

Yes, by the amount the bloke who regasses it puts in, normally by weight.
But if he types in the wrong info to his machine, or goes for a fag while
it's pumping in, etc.....

Normally you can see if there's too much gas by watching the high side
pressure, if you have gauges attached

 

probably just the compressor drive
as for the smoke again i doubt very
much it has anything to do with the aircon

over gassing is very diff to acheive,
and its not 'just like a fag lighter!!'

give it a test as i described in a previous msg
and maybe a halfords mould bomb.

mike

 

Thanks all, much appreciated. My garage thinks it might be the pump,
and I have been running the car with aircon on for the last couple of
days without smoke or noise problems, although only for short periods.

I'm wondering if the smoke may have been a condensation blow through??

M.

 

yes.
try a halfords bomb
that will sort it out.

i know its a bodg-ish
but i'd give the pump shaft a squirt of wd40 first before you spend out.

mike