Air Conditioning

[charged 10]

Hi all.

My aircon is not blowing cold so I took it to QuickFit to get a re-gas. QuickFit couldn't do it as their 'nozzle wouldn't fit' so after some reading on here it looks like I have the expensive gas.   Neither of my local dealerships have the right gas but Milton Keynes will pick my car up from home, give me a courtesy car and do it for £260.  Is that a good price? 

QuickFit also managed to damage my under tray when the car came off their lift and didn't tell me, which was nice of them. It has to go back next week for the a new under tray to be fitted at their cost.. You can't get shitter than a QuickFit fitter. 

 

 

[Rich196 103]

Yeh £260 is about the right price for the expensive gas unfortunately. 

[Carver 16]

My aircon wasn't blowing cold either. I asked my neighbour who is a refrigeration technician what he thought. He reckoned a three year old car shouldn't loose all its gas unless there is a leak.

Called up my dealer and explained the problem. They also wanted to 'service' the aircon for £260.  I said no that it must be a leak given the cars age. After much insisting on my part they agreed to look at it from that perspective and let me know. They found a leak. 

The high pressure hose from the compressor to the condenser had a leak. According to them they had just fixed the same problem on another GT86. There then ensue alot of palaver and multiple visits because they couldn't get organised to get the 1234y gas sorted out. 

All fixed now though and blowing like an good Easterly through Aberdeen.

I too had to travel to get a dealer who could deal with 1234y gas (all be it not very well) 

Cheers

[Lauren 2259]

Ollie, I would think this is a warranty claim. 

I can't believe you took it to Kwik Shit. 

[Keethos 842]

Yeah, even though the 1234y gas is mega expensive, it's supposed to last a very long time, a couple of years doesn't cut it so like Carver, I'd get your dealer to have a look for something suspect rather than a simple regas.

[charged 10]

Okay, thanks for the replies.  I will ask them to look at it on a warranty basis.  The price quoted was actually £235 for a re-gas. 

Has anyone had experience of a warranty claim for  a re-gas, specifically with the 1234y gas?  Is there a quoted period for how long the gas should last? My car is a 62 plate. 

[charged 10]

Another update.. they are now reducing re-gas cost to £153.00+VAT which is the price they are charged by a local independent air-con company.  

[un1eash 9]

My 62 plate 22k miles needed a regas when I bought it. Took it to Toyota Leicester and they got an external company in to do it, I saw the invoice and it was around £180. 

[Lauren 2259]

If it helps I have a 62 plate (2013) with 87K miles on it and the aircon works perfectly. I do run it constantly though. So it should definitely last. If you don't mind the trip to Macc, could be worth speaking to Riceburner (Richard) at RRG, to see what he says about it being a warranty claim. We'll meet you for curry etc, provide a room and all that.

[Willtl 54]

This seems ridiculously expensive. I just got our 5 year old Dodge Journey air con serviced at Ford for £49. I never got my 156 re-gassed in the 12 years I had it.

[un1eash 9]

It's because 1234yf gas is about 10 times more expensive then the usual 134a that's uses. If 1234yf is 30p per gram and 134a only 3p it soon adds up. 

[Willtl 54]

What do we get for this 10 times price? The BRZ feels no cooler than our other cars with the air con on. Maybe it is a lighter gas to keep the weight down, slashing the 0-60 time from 7.64 seconds to 7.6.

[Tareim 343]

1 minute ago, Willtl said:

What do we get for this 10 times price? The BRZ feels no cooler than our other cars with the air con on. Maybe it is a lighter gas to keep the weight down, slashing the 0-60 time from 7.64 seconds to 7.6.

something that's better for the environment apparently http://greencooling.org/?page_id=518

[Keethos 842]

And it's supposed to be less likely yo leak thus last a lot longer....but I have no idea really. I've heard that because there's hardly anyone able to do the re-gas so they're charging whatever they like.

[The Minion 63]

My aircon wasn't blowing cold. I assumed that, as on our DS3, the A/C would kick in when pressing 'Auto'! OK the blowers come on but not icy cold even with temp set to 17 degrees. Thought A/C not working, re-gas? No, not at all, didn't realise that you have to have the A/C switch turned to ON as well!!! Silly me! Surely 'Auto' means Auto?

As I said on the DS if the A/C is off and you press 'Auto' the A/C 'AUTOMATICALLY' turns on.

[Lauren 2259]

No, you can have it on auto without the aircon running as you can in many cars. It will still try and maintain the temperature but obviously it can't cool the cabin without aircon on. 

[The Minion 63]

I was just wondering if this may be the reason Charged's A/C isn't blowing cold. Kwik Fit and probably a few other places probably wouldn't point this out so that they could charge for an unnecessary, and not actually done, re-gas! They tried to get me to have suspension replaced on a car when a tyre had worn on one edge. Went to another Kwik Fit, as a test, and told nothing wrong with suspension probably a dodgy tyre. Correct it was a dodgy tyre!

[j@cko0Oo 2]

I had my  I conditioning  refuel in Toyota  garage ,  cost me  £120 .

[charged 10]

On 8/5/2016 at 8:13 PM, Lauren said:

If it helps I have a 62 plate (2013) with 87K miles on it and the aircon works perfectly. I do run it constantly though. So it should definitely last. If you don't mind the trip to Macc, could be worth speaking to Riceburner (Richard) at RRG, to see what he says about it being a warranty claim. We'll meet you for curry etc, provide a room and all that.

I only switched mine on for the first time in April..  I did test it when I bought the car but the test drive was on a freezing cold day...  so it may not have worked then either. 

My local dealership network are adamant that it is not a warranty claim unless a leak is found.  They have to pressure test the system when it is re-filled so I guess I'll find out then anyway. 

I need to get it done soon as I'm driving it to Spa for the GP in a few weeks and then up to Amsterdam. 

Thanks for the offer of room, very kind.  I really must visit you guys when I get the opportunity.  Not this month though.  This next 3- days I will be mainly moving house, then stag do, them wedding, then honeymoon. 

[charged 10]

10 hours ago, j@cko0Oo said:

I had my  I conditioning  refuel in Toyota  garage ,  cost me  £120 .

 Do you know if this was the 1234y gas? If so, which dealership did you go to?

[j@cko0Oo 2]

10 hours ago, j@cko0Oo said: I had my  I conditioning  refuel in Toyota  garage ,  cost me  £120 .

 Do you know if this was the 1234y gas? If so, which dealership did you go to?

The one I have I believe is R-1234YF. In Currie Motors Toyota Great West Road.

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[Captain Duff 79]

On 8/6/2016 at 10:31 AM, Willtl said:

What do we get for this 10 times price? The BRZ feels no cooler than our other cars with the air con on. Maybe it is a lighter gas to keep the weight down, slashing the 0-60 time from 7.64 seconds to 7.6.

The expensive gas was/is meant to be greener because unless there is a leak or other damage to the system it should in theory last for the lifetime of the car, whereas 'standard' gas needs topping every couple of years because the different type gas molecules gradually escape (a bit like when you blow up a balloon and even where there is an air-tight knot there is leakage through the rubber material itself over time), which means that costs aside in theory the expensive gas is better for the environment as over the life of a car you need to use a lot less of it.

The reason the expensive gas is expensive is that it is not widely manufactured and so there is a supply and demand issue. It is also worth pointing out that while our cars were made with the 'expensive ' gas from launch in 2012 and in line with the then EU directive, as that directive was later challenged and revised newer cars from around (I think) 2014 have the standard gas that needs re-topping every two years, and this has occasionally led to some confusion with less on the ball dealers applying the revised service schedule wrongly to older cars where the air-con should not need servicing (other than periodic sanitsing when it starts to get smelly, and that is possible to DIY cheaply with a 'bomb').

[Mike 458]

@Captain Duff have you found anyone with the cheaper gas in their cars? I'm sure Rich at RRG has mentioned he's yet to see one...

[Captain Duff 79]

16 minutes ago, Mike said:

@Captain Duff have you found anyone with the cheaper gas in their cars? I'm sure Rich at RRG has mentioned he's yet to see one...

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130824/ANE/130829947/toyota-switches-back-to-banned-refrigerant-in-europe

[long-gone 152]

^^ Nice find. May save a few bob if/when the time comes.