P38 Air Con how good is it, please?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
zzr1200

zzr1200

Well-Known Member
Posts
1,862
Location
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
I've seen various members here state that their P38's have excellent Air Con, including having an icy blast when the vehicle has been standing in the sun and is hot inside.

My aircon seems to take a couple 2 or 3 minutes to produce a cool breeze which then cools the interior, but definately not an icy blast.

If for instance the outside temp (30+) is shown on the Hevac and the inside temp is set to 16 deg when the vehicle has been sitting in the sun, should I expect a blast of almost instant icy air to rapidly cool the inside or a gentle breeze which will cool vehicle slowly, when the engine is started?

I had the system re-gased late last year, theres no book symbol showing on the Hevac and the Hevac bulbs are all ok, the air con rad in front of the engine radiator is clean n clear.

Your advice please, peeps, is my air con working correctly or should i get the tools out and if so where should I start looking???


zzr
 
do you put it on auto or do you set the fan speed yourself? i think that's what determines blast versus breeze. also in 30 deg+ and esp if bright sunlight, open your windows a bit for 2 or 3 mins to let the hot air out. sometimes if its really hot i even crack the sunroof. lastly hit the recirc button, it'll cool the interior much faster that way than if it keeps trying to chill the warm outside air and blow it in.
 
I believe that if you are thinking that the large interior of the P38 will go from say 30 down to 16 in about 30 sec's then you are going to be disappointed. The system, when workng correctly is good and will maintain the set temperature easily. For quicker cooling after the car has been stood, the recirculation switch should be on as this will draw the interior air only over the evaporator.
A lot of people think that the interior temperature can be set just above freezing when in reality the lowest temperature is always relative to the ambient temperature outside, e.g. say 20 degrees lower at maximum. Bear in mind that the compressor, evaporator and other components are only a fraction of the size of domestic or commercial units and will not chill the same volume of air.
 
Irishrover said:
I believe that if you are thinking that the large interior of the P38 will go from say 30 down to 16 in about 30 sec's then you are going to be disappointed. The system, when workng correctly is good and will maintain the set temperature easily. For quicker cooling after the car has been stood, the recirculation switch should be on as this will draw the interior air only over the evaporator.
A lot of people think that the interior temperature can be set just above freezing when in reality the lowest temperature is always relative to the ambient temperature outside, e.g. say 20 degrees lower at maximum. Bear in mind that the compressor, evaporator and other components are only a fraction of the size of domestic or commercial units and will not chill the same volume of air.
Click to expand...


so to summerize: W A N K :doh::doh::doh::D:D
 
The P38 aircon is one of the best I've ever noted in any vehicle when its fully operational - if you follow Irish's post and the others and let the hot air out first, set the aircon to manual rather than auto and crank it up, and recirc once the hot air is out and you've closed windows / sunroof again....I think you may find a big improvement. If its not really cooling efficiently despite using it like that, I recall someone suggesting to me once that I should check the pollen filters weren't clogged, as this will reduce efficient air flow in the vehicle, can't hurt to check them, anyway, most people forget them and they get totally clogged up.
 
Thanks for the replies folks, I suspected that my air con is/was working correctly, I just didn't know if the Hevac unit would automatically increase the fan speed to maximum to reduce the temperature quickly.

Rangiegal, the pollen filters were changed when I serviced the vehicle, they were blocked solid, more like slices of burnt toast than a filter.
 
The blowers do run at high speed for maximum cooling when in Auto and do not boost the fan speed for maximum heating until the water temperature is warm in winter so that you don't get cold air blowing into the car. All this is controlled by the HEVAC.
It is important that the in car temperature sensor is working. That is a sensor with a small fan at the front located behind the small grille just below the clock. It can get clogged with fluff etc. which stops the fan from drawing cabin air over the sensor. Blow it out about twice a year with an airline through the grille.
 
Irishrover said:
The blowers do run at high speed for maximum cooling when in Auto and do not boost the fan speed for maximum heating until the water temperature is warm in winter so that you don't get cold air blowing into the car. All this is controlled by the HEVAC.
It is important that the in car temperature sensor is working. That is a sensor with a small fan at the front located behind the small grille just below the clock. It can get clogged with fluff etc. which stops the fan from drawing cabin air over the sensor. Blow it out about twice a year with an airline through the grille.
Click to expand...

Thank you Sir, I will have a closer inspection, it seemed clean when I replaced a blend motor, but I may have missed it or the sensor is just simply screwed.
 
Irishrover said:
I believe that if you are thinking that the large interior of the P38 will go from say 30 down to 16 in about 30 sec's then you are going to be disappointed. The system, when workng correctly is good and will maintain the set temperature easily. For quicker cooling after the car has been stood, the recirculation switch should be on as this will draw the interior air only over the evaporator.
A lot of people think that the interior temperature can be set just above freezing when in reality the lowest temperature is always relative to the ambient temperature outside, e.g. say 20 degrees lower at maximum. Bear in mind that the compressor, evaporator and other components are only a fraction of the size of domestic or commercial units and will not chill the same volume of air.
Click to expand...

How do you set the temp to freezing? I must not be using the right controls as mine go's to "LOW" setting only...is there another way to set inside temp??
 
You cant set it lower than "LO". If your thinking that you can make ice cubes in the car, you are mistaken. See my previous reply about cooling, not freezing.
I honestly believe that some think that car aircon should perform like a blast feezer and ice the inside up.:eek::eek::eek:
 
Well, mine gets quite cold on LO. Condensation starts to appear on the outside of my windscreen and side windows. I have to say, it's great. Give it about 10 mins to get to temperature.
 
Condensation is not cold enough, some are expecting ice on the inside when it's over 30 outside!! Answer to that is to buy a Thermo King unit and mount it on the roof..like refrigerated trucks!!
:smokin:
 
checked my air con today after repairs, cold 1.5c, hot 75c, outside temp 11c seems good to me
 

Attachments

  • 023.JPG
    023.JPG
    203.3 KB · Views: 151
Sounds good to me. Mine seems to take a few miles before it gets properly chilly. Sticking it on low, recirculating and pushing the blowers to full helps.

You can check and tune it with the Nanocom if you so desire.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Air Con
Replies
10
Views
880
Alteredtech
Alteredtech
A
P38A Air con regas
Replies
12
Views
1K
Datatek
Datatek
J
P38A p38 EAS - immediate drop of pressure
Replies
11
Views
718
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
Lackingsense
Sport Air suspension/HDC fault
Replies
16
Views
3K
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
D
3.0 td6 Discovery hse lux - Air con compressor fault - is it a cover up?!
Replies
3
Views
717
lynall
L
Back
Top