Aircon regas question

[grahamwhite]

I think my ac needs a regas, it isnt getting as cold as it could be i feel.

So is a regas the sort of thing it is easy to do oneself with a diy kit or would the £50 that most places charge be the wiser option?

Of course should my ac system have a leak then i suppose that is not user fixable but i just wondered how the 987 is regassed. I cant find any diy guides and the pictures on the pelicanparts website are so zoomed in i cant tell if the regas ports are on the front or back of the car.

2nd question.... The dashboard button for 'recirculating air' within the car seems to make the airflow colder and stronger for around 5minutes then it switches itself off. Does anyone know if this is normal?

Thanks

 

[Nick_USA]

ORIGINAL: grahamwhite

I think my ac needs a regas, it isnt getting as cold as it could be i feel.

So is a regas the sort of thing it is easy to do oneself with a diy kit or would the £50 that most places charge be the wiser option?

Of course should my ac system have a leak then i suppose that is not user fixable but i just wondered how the 987 is regassed. I cant find any diy guides and the pictures on the pelicanparts website are so zoomed in i cant tell if the regas ports are on the front or back of the car.

The condensers are prone to corrosion and leaking over time, cleaning and unblocking can go some way to prevent this.

A regas is normally carried out by a garage. I am not generally a lover of Kwik-Fit, however, they offer a 'If we can't improve the lower temp by 10%" no fee will be charged service.

A leak test is also part of the service, no obligation for rectification work either.

http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp

btw the ragas point is either to the left or right of the battery depending on LHD/RHD under the plastic covers.

ORIGINAL: grahamwhite

2nd question.... The dashboard button for 'recirculating air' within the car seems to make the airflow colder and stronger for around 5minutes then it switches itself off. Does anyone know if this is normal?

Thanks

Yes, normal.

 

[grahamwhite]

Thanks very much Nick!

 

[grahamwhite]

Took my car to be re gassed today, no leaks or anything, all went ok until they removed the filling machine and one of the filler valves wouldnt hold the pressure.

10 mins later and a 2foot jet of gas and oil blowing out all over the workshop and the guy told me that the machine couldnt check the valves therefore couldnt tell it would leak until he removed the hoses.

So he told me i need a new valve on the filler but he doesnt have any to fit. He didnt charge me anything and just said once i got it sorted to pop back for a refill.

I think i trust the guy and what he said, he seemed pleasant enough. Does this sound ok to you guys?

Where and how much can i get one of these valves fitted near in nottingham?

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers
Graham

 

[minny]

He is right that you cannot check if the valves are sound until there is pressure in the system and you disconnect the hose. The valve is just a larger version of that on your wheels. If there was no pressure in the system to start off with then the leak wouldn't show until they filled it and disconnected the hose. Also when the machine fills the system, it knows to stop when the right amount gas has been pumped it then it does nothing for a period of time to see if the pressure drops indicating a leak.

 

[grahamwhite]

Looks like i need 2 new condensors, both of mine have leaks.
I found a website Carcooling which can supply the new parts, just wondering how easy this sort of thing is to fit oneself. Does anyone have a tech article on how to change them? Im guessing its a bumper removal or at least wheels and arch plastics removal to gain access?
http://www.carcooling.co.uk/products/Condenser_Porsche_Boxster_2700_cc_1996_08_96_2_7_i_24_V_Man_Auto_PF_system_330_275_16mm_Left_and_right_module_same_part_15PR302-94119-187.html

 

[minny]

If all goes well, the job will take under 90 minutes to do. Get Kwik Fit to evacuate the system completely. Get the car home and remove the front bumper. This is the link for a write up I did for the 996 but it is the same for the 986 : http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=231942
After that follow the steps for cleaning the radiators and remove the air shields over the condensors:
http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=429801
After that its just a matter of unbolting the condensor for the connector. Be careful as the bolts can be tight so hold on to the connector with a pair of water pump pliers or the whole thing will twist including the pipes. Fit new o rings to the condensor and oil them with PAG oil (get a few mls from Kiwk Fit when you are there evacuating the system) then refit the whole lot. Take it to Kwik Fit to regas the system.