Astra Air Conditioning Questions

[Gary Jackson]

Last September I hit a deer while I was driving my 2004 1.6 Astra

As a result the front end needed some work on it, including the aircon.

The insurer's appointed company couldn't get the aircon going, so they sent it to the local Vauxhall dealer, who told me that they couldn't work out why it worked fine on the day they gassed up, but by the next morning when they went to move the car, it had lost it's gas.

The central Vauxhall advice line eventually gave them some ideas, which seemed to do the trick.

Now it doesn't seem to be working again. I've been switching it on during the winter every few weeks in accordance with manufacturers instructions too.

Three questions spring to mind (you'll see from them I'm not mechanically minded) -

Is there a way of telling that the system has lost gas without pressure gauges?

It was 16.5 degrees here today. Should it feel cold in those temperatures? I normally only switch on when it's over 20

If it's degassed, do you think it's worth me taking it up with the insurance company who's repair work comes with a year's warranty?

Thanks

 

[mikeFNB]

Last September I hit a deer while I was driving my 2004 1.6 Astra

As a result the front end needed some work on it, including the aircon.

The insurer's appointed company couldn't get the aircon going, so they sent
it to the local Vauxhall dealer, who told me that they couldn't work out why
it worked fine on the day they gassed up, but by the next morning when they
went to move the car, it had lost it's gas.

The central Vauxhall advice line eventually gave them some ideas, which
seemed to do the trick.

Now it doesn't seem to be working again. I've been switching it on during
the winter every few weeks in accordance with manufacturers instructions
too.

Three questions spring to mind (you'll see from them I'm not mechanically
minded) -

Is there a way of telling that the system has lost gas without pressure
gauges?
It was 16.5 degrees here today. Should it feel cold in those temperatures? I
normally only switch on when it's over 20
If it's degassed, do you think it's worth me taking it up with the insurance
company who's repair work comes with a year's warranty?
*************


now this is where it gets intersting.
if it was sept and you would of been using it, and it must have worked,
cause if it didnt, you would of already been back to complain

so it has leaked over the winter, and maybe you havve not noticed
it..urm..diff one.

TBH, i would guess ata slow leak, get it regassed <£40 they might even do a
leaktest for you and a quick 'nip' up of what ever joint is leaking.
now of-course this is assuming it IS a leak, not something else


your choice.

 

[banjo]

take it to a proper air con place,
ask them to test it and top it up,and to put some die in it, then if it
leaks out, they can then use a infrared light which will show up the place
it is leaking from

going to vauxhall deallers is not allways thebest place to go.

 

[Gary Jackson]

take it to a proper air con place,
ask them to test it and top it up,and to put some die in it, then if
it leaks out, they can then use a infrared light which will show up
the place it is leaking from

going to vauxhall deallers is not allways thebest place to go.

Thanks to all

 

[Alan]

The thing to bear in mind that you will have to pay if you take it
elsewehere.

The system could have been faulty before the accident but it probably
fractured a pipe or loosened a joint in the accident so the insurance
company have a duty to pay for the repair.

I would speak to your insurer about it and ask there advice. In
practice I think it is down to the Vauxhall dealer to investigate.
Once they know what is the matter they will either have to

a) do it under their own warrant yif they made a mistake

b) get authority from the insurance company to do an additional repair

c) charge you if they can reasonably prove that there is an additional
unrelated problem.

Your first point of call should eb the insurance company though as
they will need to authorise any reapirs that are down to them

Alan

 

[Gary Jackson]

In the end, I got a local guy to come in and check the system. Within ten
minutes he had shown me at least three places in the condenser which had
leaked the gas out. I asked if they could have been holes made by stones,
but as he showed me, all three holes were behind the fan, so couldn't have
been hit by stones.

I arranged for him to change the condenser the following week for £250 and
wrote to the insurance company's complaints dept informing them and pointing
out that as their website states that repairs are insured for five years, I
would be expecting them to pay.

Twenty minutes before the guy was due to arrive to change the condenser I
had a call from them to arrange for one of their inspectors to come and see
for himself. I replied that he would have to be quick as it was going to be
fixed in twenty minutes but agreed to keep the old condenser should they
want to inspect it.

When the work was done I sent a copy of his invoice to them and within two
weeks a cheque arrived. They never did inspect the condenser

Gary