Air con

[Citroenesque]

Got the XM's air con regassed today. It hasn't been done in years according to the service history, and although it worked, it wasn't spectacular Sure enough, 400g was emptied out and the capacity is over double that, so in went a full charge of R134a and after a brief check over started up the car, setting the temp to 16 and, boy! what a difference! Got positively cold nice and quick. Now I will see how long that lasts.... I hope it's a couple of years (at £50 a pop I really do).

[citroenxm]

You want to try a properly Vacc;d and re charged R12 system!

When I had my V6 24v first done after a condenser change, I had the system done nicely, and re filled with R24 direct replacment (Could have been R22 as I know R12 is illegal now - certainly to let loose into the air) the air was soo cold the vents were also freezing! It was as cold as a freezer!!

Ill need to get my 2.1 SED done, shes an R12 system, that should be good for the summer when it comes!

Paul

[minijet]

.
I can't say I've been particularly impressed with the air con on my car.
I had it regassed last summer expecting it to be blowing snow out of the vents like other cars do, but no, it was pretty tame really.
It certainly cools the car - eventually - but not very enthusiastically.

But my main gripe with it is that it blows cold air on my feet, I don't want cold feet.
If cold air is vented onto the floor it will just stay there (quickly freezing your feet), it's not going to rise is it?
Better to vent it high up and it will find it's way to the floor as the warm air rises.

My old Opel Senator had a setting that allowed colder air to blow out of the top vents while uncooled air would blow from the lower vents resultng in a cool head and warm feet.

Paul

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[harryjoe]

Yes ! this is another one of my jobs to get done asap, , mine does blow cold after a while, but feel it coud do better, i can only compare it with the AC fitted to the 307, which i have to say is superb !!

Think i need to replace some bushes underneath somewhere, got a bit of a rumble going on !! and the odd clonk !!!!, get them done 1st i feel ,. could this be the drop links ??, or should i look elsewhere

[Dieselman]

Think i need to replace some bushes underneath somewhere, got a bit of a rumble going on !! and the odd clonk !!!!, get them done 1st i feel ,. could this be the drop links ??, or should i look elsewhere

It could well be but having done mine due to one being bad I still have a very minor clunk so will do the wishbone and anti-roll bar bushes when I get round to it.

[normantilbury]

Hi all,
Tried mine on the First hot day of the year ony to find there was no cold air so lifted the bonnet only to find the dryer was wet from half way down, My indy checked the gas pressure and there wasent a lot so has ordered a replacment dryer,
I'll let you know how things progress when it has been fitted and regassed

Regards,
Norman

[robertmnorton]

Hi all,the specs are in the PRIVATE CAR BOOKS, and give the temp readouts for the vents for the R134a system.They are obviously higher than those for R12,i recall when my SED was done,vent output temp was 4 deg C.I did have occaision on the SED when i hadn't installed the evaporator temp sensor fully and the evaporator iced up causing freezing fog in the cabin.
robertm

[xmexclusive]

As I understand it icing of the evaporator with its close proximity to the heater core can risk causing damage and premature failure of the evaporator.
Real fun to replace that. See Shanes posting on the old web site.

John

[normantilbury]

Hi all,
As promised the secua, Indie fitted the dryer took it up to Kwik fit and had it regassed now nice and cold. While working on the car he noticed the cam belt was shiny on one half he found the idler wheel was suspect, went and got another and replaced it, What a difference as i now accelerate away no longer does it suddenly surge away it is lovely and smooth it's going like a clock now. and no he could not explaine why the difference.

Regards,
Norman.

[Jan-hendrik]

Hi all,
Tried mine on the First hot day of the year ony to find there was no cold air so lifted the bonnet only to find the dryer was wet from half way down, My indy checked the gas pressure and there wasent a lot so has ordered a replacment dryer,
I'll let you know how things progress when it has been fitted and regassed

Regards,
Norman

I'm not sure I understand the relation between a low gas pressure and the need to replace the dryer, unless the diagnosis was that air (containing moisture) must have found its way into the system.

I do believe though the receiver/dryer should be replaced on a regular basis as eventually the silicagel gets saturated, expands, bursts out of its containment and starts clogging up pipes - worst of all the expansion valve. Now then you are in for a huge bill to fix that. Had that with a BX, so as a precaution I had the part replaced by the dealer last year.