P38a diesel: aircon: refrigerant leakage

My 1998/99 RR aircon is leaking its refrigerant and the problem is getting
worse. Pumped up in May it lasted until August. Pumped up again it lasted
two weeks. Now the normal charge of 1100 grams goes down to 300 grams
overnight, so it is a pretty rapid loss.

There are two oddities about this leakage:
(1) on test, the system holds vacuum perfectly.
(2) the garage cannot detect any leakage anywhere in the system, either by
an electronic sniffer or by an ultra-violet detector of the fluorescent
stuff they mixed with the refrigerant.

The garage's only suggestion is that the fault lies in the condenser -- a
common site for trouble, I gather -- and that the engine fan blows the
escaping refrigerant away before the sniffer or the fluorescent detector can
detect it. (But there's no fluorescent stuff thrown up on the inside of the
bonnet).

Grateful for any suggestions!

Stephen

Not sure where you're based Stephen but try this guy...

John Goggin
Air Car Automotive

www.air-care-automotive.couk

John is based near Guildford, I've used him on two of my cars and I can't
fault him, the most thorough and pleasant chap.

John is mobile and solves the problems that dealers can't.

He does Bentley, Astons, Merc infact anything from top to bottom.

I'm no relation - honest! It was just nice to find a guy that new exactly
what He was doing.

Muddy

"Stephen Mawson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My 1998/99 RR aircon is leaking its refrigerant and the problem is getting
> worse. Pumped up in May it lasted until August. Pumped up again it lasted
> two weeks. Now the normal charge of 1100 grams goes down to 300 grams
> overnight, so it is a pretty rapid loss.
>
> There are two oddities about this leakage:
> (1) on test, the system holds vacuum perfectly.
> (2) the garage cannot detect any leakage anywhere in the system, either by
> an electronic sniffer or by an ultra-violet detector of the fluorescent
> stuff they mixed with the refrigerant.
>
> The garage's only suggestion is that the fault lies in the condenser -- a
> common site for trouble, I gather -- and that the engine fan blows the
> escaping refrigerant away before the sniffer or the fluorescent detector
> can detect it. (But there's no fluorescent stuff thrown up on the inside
> of the bonnet).
>
> Grateful for any suggestions!
>
> Stephen
>

Thank you Alan, I am only 30 minutes from Guildford so John Goggin will be
my next port of call.

Stephen
"Alan Mudd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Not sure where you're based Stephen but try this guy...
>
> John Goggin
> Air Car Automotive
>
> www.air-care-automotive.couk
>
> John is based near Guildford, I've used him on two of my cars and I can't
> fault him, the most thorough and pleasant chap.
>
> John is mobile and solves the problems that dealers can't.
>
> He does Bentley, Astons, Merc infact anything from top to bottom.
>
> I'm no relation - honest! It was just nice to find a guy that new exactly
> what He was doing.
>
> Muddy
>
> "Stephen Mawson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> My 1998/99 RR aircon is leaking its refrigerant and the problem is
>> getting worse. Pumped up in May it lasted until August. Pumped up again
>> it lasted two weeks. Now the normal charge of 1100 grams goes down to 300
>> grams overnight, so it is a pretty rapid loss.
>>
>> There are two oddities about this leakage:
>> (1) on test, the system holds vacuum perfectly.
>> (2) the garage cannot detect any leakage anywhere in the system, either
>> by an electronic sniffer or by an ultra-violet detector of the
>> fluorescent stuff they mixed with the refrigerant.
>>
>> The garage's only suggestion is that the fault lies in the condenser -- a
>> common site for trouble, I gather -- and that the engine fan blows the
>> escaping refrigerant away before the sniffer or the fluorescent detector
>> can detect it. (But there's no fluorescent stuff thrown up on the inside
>> of the bonnet).
>>
>> Grateful for any suggestions!
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>
>