L322 Air Con HELP!

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TomL322

New Member
Posts
6
Location
Devon
Hi all,

I’m new to this and am in desperate need of your expert help.

My young family and I are currently driving through Spain in our 2011 L322 TDV8 (after a 7 hour delay on the boat to Santander). It’s 35C and we’ve been driving for 6 hours and our aircon has packed up. We had the system re-gassed within the last week in preparation for our trip recently it hasn’t seemed as cold as it used to.

Earlier we stopped, opened the bonnet and I couldn’t hear the compressor engaging/disengaging when the switch was turned on/off. Could the pressures by wrong? Bad switch, or sensor maybe?

Any help would be so gratefully received, it’s so hot!

Also, sorry if this has been asked before and/or I’m in the wrong area.

Tom
 
TomL322 said:
Hi JohnM70,

Thanks for this. It’s really hot, my brain may have boiled somewhat. Also (and to be totally honest) I’m totally new to forums I’m afraid.

Tom
Click to expand...
The compressor will not engage if all the gas has gone and a leak from the condenser is a common problem. Lots of crud collects between the condenser and the radiator and rots the alloy.
Lucky it's only 35C, it's been over 41C here:eek:
 
First thing is to find out if you have gas in it.

We have same car.
There is a pressure sensor for gas pressure, and a couple of others that could affect.
First thing is find out if gas in system or not.

J
 
Thanks guys, I’m actually in a boiling hot workshop right now getting the pressure checked. The mechanic thinks it may have had too much gas (there appear to be 2 quantities used, depending on the number of AC systems there are in the car; there is a sticker on the front showing just front, or front and back).

What other switches/sensors/weird AC devices could cause this?

P.S. 41C?! Where abouts a are you in the world?
 
Do you have three control knobs in the rear seat control panel?
If so you have the the front & back.

J
 
TomL322 said:
Thanks guys, I’m actually in a boiling hot workshop right now getting the pressure checked. The mechanic thinks it may have had too much gas (there appear to be 2 quantities used, depending on the number of AC systems there are in the car; there is a sticker on the front showing just front, or front and back).

What other switches/sensors/weird AC devices could cause this?

P.S. 41C?! Where abouts a are you in the world?
Click to expand...
Until the gas pressure is checked, don't bother worrying about other sensors. The different quantities are for information, showing the amount of gas needed to obtain the correct pressure, so a pressure check should reveal all, I'd bet that the pressure is down.
I'm in western France, we recorded 43 in the shade on our terrace a couple of weeks ago, cold now though.
 
Datatek said:
Until the gas pressure is checked, don't bother worrying about other sensors. The different quantities are for information, showing the amount of gas needed to obtain the correct pressure, so a pressure check should reveal all, I'd bet that the pressure is down.
I'm in western France, we recorded 43 in the shade on our terrace a couple of weeks ago, cold now though.
Click to expand...
Well I wholeheartedly disagree that 41C is in anyway cold, but I would bow to your superior knowledge of aircon systems. I spent about an hour and a half at the garage, while they poked around, emptied and refilled the gas (it was still charged apparently) and eventually told me they didn’t actually know exactly what was wrong, but that it could maybe be either the compressor, or an obstruction in the system. They wouldn’t accept any money, even though I offered repeatedly!

So no we have another 5 hour drive to Portugal without AC . I’ll try to find someone to help repair it when we get to the Algarve (final destination).

Where do you tho k I go with this next? New compressor? New AC lines?
 
They blamed our compressor too. Turned out to be expansion valve as it was intermittent cold.
Pressure switch needs checking first if you actually had the right gas & pressure.

Where you going in Portugal? Maybe near @Shippers he maybe able to help out. I know it’s a big place but hey you never know.

J
 
marjon said:
They blamed our compressor too. Turned out to be expansion valve as it was intermittent cold.
Pressure switch needs checking first if you actually had the right gas & pressure.

Where you going in Portugal? Maybe near @Shippers he maybe able to help out. I know it’s a big place but hey you never know.

J
Click to expand...

We’re headed to the Algarve for a couple of weeks. Where is @Shippers? My current plan is probably to find an AC expert there, leave the car with them and hire a car for the time it takes to get it fixed. Usually I’d be a lot more hands on, but I have no tools, no parts and only a very limited amount of time to spend with my family while we are here...
 
TomL322 said:
We’re headed to the Algarve for a couple of weeks. Where is @Shippers? My current plan is probably to find an AC expert there, leave the car with them and hire a car for the time it takes to get it fixed. Usually I’d be a lot more hands on, but I have no tools, no parts and only a very limited amount of time to spend with my family while we are here...
Click to expand...

I have no idea exactly but if you say whereabouts you are going he maybe close and pickup the tag to give advise or help.

Good luck, enjoy the holiday.

J
 
TomL322 said:
We’re headed to the Algarve for a couple of weeks. Where is @Shippers? My current plan is probably to find an AC expert there, leave the car with them and hire a car for the time it takes to get it fixed. Usually I’d be a lot more hands on, but I have no tools, no parts and only a very limited amount of time to spend with my family while we are here...
Click to expand...

Hi where in Algarve you heading got workshop facilities with diag and a local re-gass site near Vilamoura...pm me if you need help...by the way fuel tank drivers went on strike yesterday not much fuel about...
 
Datatek said:
I did not say 41C is cold, I said it's cold now ie the temperature has dropped dramatically, 9C this morning.
Need to put the car on diagnostics.
Click to expand...
We're in the Tarn and similar temps up in Montagne Noir! Hope this poor guy gets sorted in the midst of tankers being driven by soldiers! Mind you, did once have a fortnight in Italy with the temps similar, (hottest for twenty years they said) in a car with no aircon, and our Pluriel (which we uses most of the time here in France) has none either. And i have a Spanish friend who hates aircon and will never use it even if she has it on her car!
It IS possible to live without air-con, it's just a bit less comfortable especially when you are used to it.
I'd be more worried about harm being done to the compressor, drive belt failure etc.
 
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