400 B car aircon "workplaces"

[FlorC]

With 95.000 km /7 year old car , the aircon is not as cool as it once was. At isuzu , they don't do aircon.

All around Thailand , you see these signs for "AIR" , from roadside shacks to improvised workplaces, complete with de double pressure gauges and blue can of 134a. Went to see a couple of them , prices from 400 B in my neck of the woods, but no-one speaks english and my thai is not enough for this kind of information.

It looks like every thai with a pressure gauge , thinks he's an aircon man.

Now I see on youtube video's about car aircon , and it is not that simple as changing oil...

My question for you is : What do they do for this 400 B ?

Is it just a top up , or do they vacuumpump the old stuff out and replace it ?

Is this really something you want to have done in one of those "shacks" ?

What about oil for the pump , the right high and low side pressure.

Too much pressure , and the seals & pump are going to be an expensive replacement , too low , and it won't be cool enough inside. In a closed loop system , how can there be water ?

With the worst month ahead , aircon is vital in the car .

[WarpSpeed]

Haven't seen too many Freon or 134a recycling machines around (read never saw of heard of any, doesn't mean they don't exist somewhere just going to be hard to locate) most I've seen sadly just vent to atmosphere, I never found any with a sniffer for leak location either.

[LivinLOS]

For 400b I would expect them to simply add freon from a canister while intermittently grabbing the line to see if it goes cold.. If it doesnt go very cold they will vaguely point / prod about at it and proclaim 'mai dee'..

For a long time I was using a selection of these shop to top up leaking gas in an old motor.. 300 - 500b a refil.. One place looked at the system and told me I needed to spend 16k on a new pump / compressor / etc to repair it.. 16k or 400b twice a year ??

Then I happened to a place that use a full drain and replace machine.. Maybe 1200 or 1500 b for the job.. They took 2 mins looking at the system to diagnose the refill / top up valve was leaking, swapped it for a 60b part.. And never had problems.. Maybe 3 or more of those 400b shops had topped it up without seeing that was the issue.

[WarpSpeed]

Schrader valve failure is common, The inserts are so cheap and easy to locate I replace them regardless, which is why I wish they had sniffers. I think I may see about getting one for my own use before returning could be a very handy tool. FYI the 400b places wanted to return for more refills or go for the expensive option which is why they never "noticed" your leaking valve.

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[Pomthai]

Sniffers can be bought from RS here.

[WarpSpeed]

Good to know, now who's RS?

[Ace of Pop]

Isuzu/Chev have a Metal Tube like thing bout 3inches long 2inch dia ..Remove the Rad Grill,easy to spot and test for a leak with soapy water.Smearin Cold Cast stuff round the seams fixes it good.Cheap n Nasty looking thing it is too.

[Don Mega]

Good to know, now who's RS?

http://th.rs-online.com/web/

I had a leak detected on my Vigo, was an O-Ring in the TX valve thingo on the firewall.

New O-Ring and gas top-up cost me Bt.350.00. In Pattaya.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Don Mega

[Pomthai]

Good to know, now who's RS?

RS components

http://th.rs-online.com/web/p/gas-detection/3121093/

[stubuzz]

B quick have an air con-machine, but i don't think it is cheap. Remember, venting freon is bad for the planet, and illegal.

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/faq.html#q2

[giddyup]

Isuzu doesn't do aircon? that's news to me. I had my 10 year old Isuzu D Max regassed and new filter by the Isuzu dealership in Pattaya only 6 months ago.

[FlorC]

Isuzu doesn't do aircon? that's news to me. I had my 10 year old Isuzu D Max regassed and new filter by the Isuzu dealership in Pattaya only 6 months ago.

I live up north with only 1 Isuzu dealer in the province. They don't do it.

I could go ask at chevrolet , = same as isuzu , but then I have to pay a lot more....

The Isuzu dealer in Chonburi , where I bought it , does it too , but not so keen to drive 2 x 700 km , (and of course being a retirement extention prisonner ).

[LivinLOS]

Schrader valve failure is common, The inserts are so cheap and easy to locate I replace them regardless, which is why I wish they had sniffers. I think I may see about getting one for my own use before returning could be a very handy tool. FYI the 400b places wanted to return for more refills or go for the expensive option which is why they never "noticed" your leaking valve.

While I also usually go by the "never put down to incompetence, that which could also be explained by avarice" I really dont think they knew.. They are not usually that accomplished liars or actors to convey such an convincing level of incompetency..

Funny one.. Years back on Phuket when I bought that motor, I bought it with the AC non functional.. So I go around a couple of shops and being a german VW they wouldnt look at it.. Ohh Euro ? Mai chai.. So after 2 or 3 places I wa a bit more forceful and wouldnt take no for an answer in one place.. Pulled him over.. Popped the hood and I swear he had eyes like saucers, like there was a headless corpse under there.. Backing away from the car waving is hands at it and me.. I mean, an AC system is an AC system, different layouts and configs, but pretty much just a system.. But you may as well have asked him to disembowel a goat as touch that car.

[LivinLOS]

Schrader valve failure is common,

Are the valves on roadie pushbike tires / tubes also called schrader valves ??

[Don Mega]

Schrader valve failure is common,

Are the valves on roadie pushbike tires / tubes also called schrader valves ??

Yes. those are schrader valves.

I cannot for the life of me recall when the last one on any of my vehicles failed.... vaguely recall an issue about 20 years ago but that memory is a bit foggy.

[WarpSpeed]

Isuzu/Chev have a Metal Tube like thing bout 3inches long 2inch dia ..Remove the Rad Grill,easy to spot and test for a leak with soapy water.Smearin Cold Cast stuff round the seams fixes it good.Cheap n Nasty looking thing it is too.

Ermm as Don has posted above not ALL leaks emanate from the condenser and some A/C parts like the evaporator and surrounding connections are very hard to examine well without one or doing a massive amount of work, also a sniffer will sniff out even traces even if the system has already bled out but soap and water will only indicate if it is still leaking. No external patch is going to hold back the pressure for very long, temporary fix at best.

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

Schrader valve failure is common,

Are the valves on roadie pushbike tires / tubes also called schrader valves ??

Yes. those are schrader valves.

I cannot for the life of me recall when the last one on any of my vehicles failed.... vaguely recall an issue about 20 years ago but that memory is a bit foggy.

Well it's every bit as common and even more so as any other joint in the system say an O-ring in the expansion valve joint for example only a Schrader valve actually gets used even more often so in that context it is common, you've been lucky I guess, good for you.. "Failure" also refers to loosening up and that is even more common for the valve insert to loosen up in it's seat.

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

Good to know, now who's RS?

RS components

http://th.rs-online.com/web/p/gas-detection/3121093/

Thanks for that, good info. bookmarked.

[WarpSpeed]

B quick have an air con-machine, but i don't think it is cheap. Remember, venting freon is bad for the planet, and illegal.

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/faq.html#q2

Of course it is, it's also toxic to breathe but TiT.

[WarpSpeed]

Schrader valve failure is common,

Are the valves on roadie pushbike tires / tubes also called schrader valves ??

Yes, all styles of the same valve...It's named after the inventor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrader_valve

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[sncoem]

On 2/21/2015 at 9:06 AM, WarpSpeed said:

Haven't seen too many Freon or 134a recycling machines around (read never saw of heard of any, doesn't mean they don't exist somewhere just going to be hard to locate) most I've seen sadly just vent to atmosphere, I never found any with a sniffer for leak location either.

 

Even in 2021 it seems difficult to find...