My aircon not working

[tony rodaway]

Hello fellow members.
Since we have had a few hot days lately I decided to try my aircon.
I have had my 120 kdj for around a year now its something I have never tried.
I turn it on from the climate button and everything seems OK just not very cold.
I have checked my gas pressure and its full and the belt it going around so I'm confused.
After research I looked for relays and fuses that are all related to the aircon but all seem in good order. I have swoped relays with other relays just for test purposes but still blows coldish just not fridge cold. I bought a top up tin of aircon gas just to be sure and I can't get it in so its fully gases.

Any ideas with out replacement of the compressor.

 

[jibberjabber]

How did you check your 134a gas pressures?

 

[Deleted member 13129]

Hello fellow members.
Since we have had a few hot days lately I decided to try my aircon.
I have had my 120 kdj for around a year now its something I have never tried.
I turn it on from the climate button and everything seems OK just not very cold.
I have checked my gas pressure and its full and the belt it going around so I'm confused.
After research I looked for relays and fuses that are all related to the aircon but all seem in good order. I have swoped relays with other relays just for test purposes but still blows coldish just not fridge cold. I bought a top up tin of aircon gas just to be sure and I can't get it in so its fully gases.

Any ideas with out replacement of the compressor.

1 ,can you here the compressor kick in when you turn on the A/C manually , 2 ,can you see air bubbles in the sight glass at the front of the car if yes there should be enough gas in the system for it to work and the compressor is working , if low on gas but its not empty the A/C still stops working automatically coz the compressor wont work until there is enough gas in the system for it to work , when I got my 120 the A/C worked for about a month then it stopped working so I topped it up when a cylinder of Gas that you buy at Halfords and it worked for about a month and stopped like before , that told me there is a slow leak , so I went back to halfords and bought some stp A/C leak sealer , followed the instructions in putting a bit more gas in the A/C so the sealer could soak it up to power the stp sealer back in and topped up the rest of the gas in the tin and half of another gas tin as 120 has A/C in the back so needs 750 grams of gas oil mix , that was in August 2015 and I have never had a problem since , what you need to remember is you must use your A/C on cool at least once every 2 weeks for at least 10 to 15 minutes including the A/C in the back if you have it or your seals will dry up and shrink allowing the gas to escape , that goes for any car with A/C , hope that helps ,

 

[Shayne]

Having once visited halfords for a top up service that didn't work and discovering the guy doing it had no idea how aircon actually works , i took mine to a garage who offered set price servicing , mot , aircon , packages etc . They fixed it .......... for a couple of weeks .

The mobile aircon technician i called on the other hand was exhaustive in his investigation , topped it up found a leak - repaired , topped it up found another - repaired , i'm not sure what he did to be honest because i was mostly under the truck doing other stuff while he worked for over an hour but i got to thinking why didn't i call this guy first , he does nothing else so his reputation is invested in vehicle aircon . I can't remember what he charged but i do remember thinking it wasn't enough and so i paid him a tenner more .

 

[tony rodaway]

How did you check your 134a gas pressures?

How did you check your 134a gas pressures?

When i bought my top up bottles i bought the pressure gauge separate so i could top my own aircon up with out having to fork out £60 each time my aircon needed topping up.
Since bought 3 top up canisters off ebay for £36 bargin.

 

[tony rodaway]

Having once visited halfords for a top up service that didn't work and discovering the guy doing it had no idea how aircon actually works , i took mine to a garage who offered set price servicing , mot , aircon , packages etc . They fixed it .......... for a couple of weeks .

The mobile aircon technician i called on the other hand was exhaustive in his investigation , topped it up found a leak - repaired , topped it up found another - repaired , i'm not sure what he did to be honest because i was mostly under the truck doing other stuff while he worked for over an hour but i got to thinking why didn't i call this guy first , he does nothing else so his reputation is invested in vehicle aircon . I can't remember what he charged but i do remember thinking it wasn't enough and so i paid him a tenner more .

This all started when we had that hot summer a few yrs ago and my lexus needed aircon gas but every body either ripped you off or ran out of gas hence i looked on ebay.
Just like tonyc11 mine had a small leak so bought the stop leak and it worked perfectly and filled up with my kit of ebay for £72 included stop leak 2 huge refill bottles and pressure guage to fill up with.

Thanks shayne

1 ,can you here the compressor kick in when you turn on the A/C manually , 2 ,can you see air bubbles in the sight glass at the front of the car if yes there should be enough gas in the system for it to work and the compressor is working , if low on gas but its not empty the A/C still stops working automatically coz the compressor wont work until there is enough gas in the system for it to work , when I got my 120 the A/C worked for about a month then it stopped working so I topped it up when a cylinder of Gas that you buy at Halfords and it worked for about a month and stopped like before , that told me there is a slow leak , so I went back to halfords and bought some stp A/C leak sealer , followed the instructions in putting a bit more gas in the A/C so the sealer could soak it up to power the stp sealer back in and topped up the rest of the gas in the tin and half of another gas tin as 120 has A/C in the back so needs 750 grams of gas oil mix , that was in August 2015 and I have never had a problem since , what you need to remember is you must use your A/C on cool at least once every 2 weeks for at least 10 to 15 minutes including the A/C in the back if you have it or your seals will dry up and shrink allowing the gas to escape , that goes for any car with A/C , hope that helps ,

When i topped up the other day i only got to put a few squirts in and it sounded like the compressor kick but my guage was in full/alert position on my guage so i stopped at that point. I got back in the car to find my a/c light flashing and made me think there was to much gas in the system.. When i use my aircon it feels cold but on a hot day it goes warm even with airconon full but i can live with out it but if can fix cheap i will try.
Dont have a leak and my pressure guage works correct so im stumped.
Apparently when the a/c light flashes its a compression clutch relay fault .
I have changed the relay for another relay and since the belt goes round to me the clutch has engaged.
Hope this helps my fault a little.
Thanks for your input.

 

[Deleted member 13129]

This all started when we had that hot summer a few yrs ago and my lexus needed aircon gas but every body either ripped you off or ran out of gas hence i looked on ebay.
Just like tonyc11 mine had a small leak so bought the stop leak and it worked perfectly and filled up with my kit of ebay for £72 included stop leak 2 huge refill bottles and pressure guage to fill up with.

Thanks shayne


When i topped up the other day i only got to put a few squirts in and it sounded like the compressor kick but my guage was in full/alert position on my guage so i stopped at that point. I got back in the car to find my a/c light flashing and made me think there was to much gas in the system.. When i use my aircon it feels cold but on a hot day it goes warm even with airconon full but i can live with out it but if can fix cheap i will try.
Dont have a leak and my pressure guage works correct so im stumped.
Apparently when the a/c light flashes its a compression clutch relay fault .
I have changed the relay for another relay and since the belt goes round to me the clutch has engaged.
Hope this helps my fault a little.
Thanks for your input.

You could try tapping the clutch with something with the engine stopped just in case it is seized on in the off position , but flashing A/C light usually means its a electrical problem , if you change the relay with another of the same value switch engine and A/C switch off so it can reset its self when you switch it back on or the A/C will still flash and not work even if it was the relay at fault . the belt will still go round even if the clutch is not going round , try checking if the clutch is going round also .

 

[jibberjabber]

This all started when we had that hot summer a few yrs ago and my lexus needed aircon gas but every body either ripped you off or ran out of gas hence i looked on ebay.
Just like tonyc11 mine had a small leak so bought the stop leak and it worked perfectly and filled up with my kit of ebay for £72 included stop leak 2 huge refill bottles and pressure guage to fill up with.

Thanks shayne


When i topped up the other day i only got to put a few squirts in and it sounded like the compressor kick but my guage was in full/alert position on my guage so i stopped at that point. I got back in the car to find my a/c light flashing and made me think there was to much gas in the system.. When i use my aircon it feels cold but on a hot day it goes warm even with airconon full but i can live with out it but if can fix cheap i will try.
Dont have a leak and my pressure guage works correct so im stumped.
Apparently when the a/c light flashes its a compression clutch relay fault .
I have changed the relay for another relay and since the belt goes round to me the clutch has engaged.
Hope this helps my fault a little.
Thanks for your input.

Also sounds like you've overcharged the system, efficiency drops rapidly when overcharged, and the compressor will work much harder.

BTW, I have been a HVAC-R engineer (C&G 2079) for over 40 years (retired) amongst other trades.

Any Air Conditioning or refrigeration system should never be 'just topped up' (see F-Gas regs) if you suspect insufficient refrigerant in the system, presuming the system was charged correctly in the first place, then there is a leak, on a car system that could be on the rigid pipe or the rubber hoses (as rubber is naturally porous) or just as Tony says, lack of use, most common leak through 'lack of use' is through the compressor shaft seal, as the compressor is semi-hermetic.

If the gas is low, then what is left in the system (if any) should be recovered uesing a 'Recovery Machine' and 'Recovery Cylinder' then the system should be 'Pressure Tested' using OFN (NOT air, very important) OFN = Oxygen free Nitrogen, if leak is found, repair, evacuate (with vac pump), recharge with the correct weight, refrigerant is charged through weight not pressure, then if your A/C system is all in good order I.E condenser, evaporator clean, TEV X 2 (if you have rear air-con) are in good working order, fans working, no moisture in the system, comp clutch, pressure switches, etc,etc, then your 'low' and high side pressures should read normal (see below).

Below is a chart of the weight you should use for a Land Cruisers, J100, for example, if you have rear A/C the your recharge weight will be 1050 grams +/- 50 grams, and the rear A/C should be running during recharge, recharge will take longer the colder the ambient weather conditions.

https://www.ictworkshopsolutions.com/ict2014/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Complete-Refrigerant-Filling-Chart.pdf

Also adding oil is very, very important even for just a recharge, as oil will be lost with a recovery or a leak, oil and refrigerant are miscible.

I'm sure there are things I have missed, as I'm old , but this gives you the gist.

 

[tony rodaway]

You could try tapping the clutch with something with the engine stopped just in case it is seized on in the off position , but flashing A/C light usually means its a electrical problem , if you change the relay with another of the same value switch engine and A/C switch off so it can reset its self when you switch it back on or the A/C will still flash and not work even if it was the relay at fault . the belt will still go round even if the clutch is not going round , try checking if the clutch is going round also .

I have just been out and double checked my compresor and it's not kicking in.
A/c no longer flashing so everything as it was before just no cold air.
Have fitted a thomomiter in the car to see how much colder it Goe with aircon on. Not much change if any.

 

[tony rodaway]

I have just been out and double checked my compresor and it's not kicking in.
A/c no longer flashing so everything as it was before just no cold air.
What part do I need to tap and what does it look like and is a under the car job.

 

[jibberjabber]

Also check this site out.

Waynes Garage :: Your Car's Air Conditioning System

 

[tony rodaway]

Also sounds like you've overcharged the system, efficiency drops rapidly when overcharged, and the compressor will work much harder.

BTW, I have been a HVAC-R engineer (C&G 2079) for over 40 years (retired) amongst other trades.

Any Air Conditioning or refrigeration system should never be 'just topped up' (see F-Gas regs) if you suspect insufficient refrigerant in the system, presuming the system was charged correctly in the first place, then there is a leak, on a car system that could be on the rigid pipe or the rubber hoses (as rubber is naturally porous) or just as Tony says, lack of use, most common leak through 'lack of use' is through the compressor shaft seal, as the compressor is semi-hermetic.

If the gas is low, then what is left in the system (if any) should be recovered uesing a 'Recovery Machine' and 'Recovery Cylinder' then the system should be 'Pressure Tested' using OFN (NOT air, very important) OFN = Oxygen free Nitrogen, if leak is found, repair, evacuate (with vac pump), recharge with the correct weight, refrigerant is charged through weight not pressure, then if your A/C system is all in good order I.E condenser, evaporator clean, TEV X 2 (if you have rear air-con) are in good working order, fans working, no moisture in the system, comp clutch, etc,etc, then your 'low' and high side pressures should read normal (see below).

Below is a chart of the weight you should use for a Land Cruiser J100, for example, if you have rear A/C the your recharge weight will be 1050 grams +/- 50 grams, and the rear A/C should be running during recharge, recharge will take longer the colder the ambient weather conditions.

https://www.ictworkshopsolutions.com/ict2014/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Complete-Refrigerant-Filling-Chart.pdf

Also adding oil is very, very important even for just a recharge, as oil will be lost with a recovery or a leak, oil and refrigerant are miscible.

I'm sure there are things I have missed, as I'm old , but this gives you the gist.

View attachment 164806

I think it's a compressor problem as when I turn on the a/c I'm getting no adjustment in the rev counter and I can't hear it kick in.

 

[jibberjabber]

I think it's a compressor problem as when I turn on the a/c I'm getting no adjustment in the rev counter and I can't hear it kick in.

Something you could try, put a fan heater in the car, I,E get the interior nice and toasty, then start the car and lower the temp and see what happens.

 

[Deleted member 13129]

just been out to look at mine and looking from above at the front at the radiator side the A/C compressor in run on the pulley directly under the fast heat-up pump and its clutch is magnetic on the pulley and only needs to pull in to the compressor about 1mm to kick in , with the engine stopped get some thing like the wooden handle of a hammer and tap the outer end of the clutch on the pulley which is about 10mm wide , try it a few times checking each time starting up the engine and A/C on and switch off each time and maybe spray some WD40 in the 1mm gap aswell , you could also try tapping the compressor with the hammer handle , did the A/C work when you first got the 120 , if the relay is good and the tapping dont work it could need a A/C specialist to sort out I dont know if you would want to go down that road with the mild summer the UK has .

 

[jibberjabber]

mild summer the UK has .

Show off A/C's good for demisting/dehumidifing wet car interiors

 

[jibberjabber]

just been out to look at mine and looking from above at the front at the radiator side the A/C compressor in run on the pulley directly under the fast heat-up pump and its clutch is magnetic on the pulley and only needs to pull in to the compressor about 1mm to kick in , get some thing like the wooden handle of a hammer and tap the outer end of the clutch on the pulley which is about 10mm wide , maybe spray some WD40 in the 1mm gap aswell , you could also try tapping the compressor with the hammer handle , did the A/C work when you first got the 120 , if the relay is good and the tapping dont work it could need a A/C specialist to sort out I dont know if you would want to go down that road with the mild summer the UK has .

I've got a mate who has a holiday apartment in north Cyprus, he says the cars are so expensive to buy over there.

 

[tony rodaway]

I've got a mate who has a holiday apartment in north Cyprus, he says the cars are so expensive to buy over there.

Just been out and found the compressor and just gave a little tap and Wd40 also but to no avail.
Since I had the Wd40 in my hand sprayed all the clips related to my egr clean to help hopefully. New compressor on euro parts is £222 I think it was but not important at the moment as can probably take it off and get it fixed as clips on YouTube it don't seem that hard but that's for another day. Just wanted to no why I had no aircon.
Not sure if it worked when I got the car as just never used or just assumed it worked on auto mode.
Was hoping it was just down to a fuse or relay. May just get a spark to take a look just to verify my conclusion it's the compressor.

 

[Deleted member 13129]

I've got a mate who has a holiday apartment in north Cyprus, he says the cars are so expensive to buy over there.

I've got a mate who has a holiday apartment in north Cyprus, he says the cars are so expensive to buy over there.

Its hard to get things like cars in the North of Cyprus unless it comes from Turkey coz its a fake nation called the trnc its a area of Cyprus that was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and ethnically cleansed of its Greek Cypriot inhabitants the poor souls who could not escape the invading Turkish troops were murdered and women and young girls as young as 9 years old were gang raped and then murdered ,Turkey then sent over 100 thousand mainland Turks to live in the houses people fled from you can not fly there direct one has to go to Turkey first or go to the legit side of the island and make your way across , your friend has bad manners and should feel like a criminal buying property in the north as its like buying a stolen car and knowing its stolen but still buy it coz its ridiculously cheap , and is unrecognised by the world except Turkey , you carnt even buy anything on ebay or amazon or anywhere else coz no one will ship goods there , all things come from the invader Turkey , sorry about the political rant . second hand cars are quite expensive in all Cyprus coz they last a long life time coz they never rust . cars still look like new underneath that are 25 years old or more .

 

[tony rodaway]

Just been out and found the compressor and just gave a little tap and Wd40 also but to no avail.
Since I had the Wd40 in my hand sprayed all the clips related to my egr clean to help hopefully. New compressor on euro parts is £222 I think it was but not important at the moment as can probably take it off and get it fixed as clips on YouTube it don't seem that hard but that's for another day. Just wanted to no why I had no aircon.
Not sure if it worked when I got the car as just never used or just assumed it worked on auto mode.
Was hoping it was just down to a fuse or relay. May just get a spark to take a look just to verify my conclusion it's the compressor.

I've got a mate who has a holiday apartment in north Cyprus, he says the cars are so expensive to buy over there.

I believe Cyprus has always been an expensive place to buy cars especially the likes of landcruisers and other 4x4s but with out aircon not a good car to have.
I used to work for arriva buses and they expanded to Malta as a trial simple because Boris Johnson wanted all the bendy buses out of London and 1 guess we're they ended up. Drivers were earning upto a grand a week over there but all went tits up and arriva pulled out but the bendy buses stayed.
Apparently something to do with fuel and the malties mafia.

 

[tony rodaway]

Its hard to get things like cars in the North of Cyprus unless it comes from Turkey coz its a fake nation called the trnc its a area of Cyprus that was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and ethnically cleansed of its Greek Cypriot inhabitants the poor souls who could not escape the invading Turkish troops were murdered and women and young girls as young as 9 years old were gang raped and then murdered ,Turkey then sent over 100 thousand mainland Turks to live in the houses people fled from you can not fly there direct one has to go to Turkey first or go to the legit side of the island and make your way across , your friend has bad manners and should feel like a criminal buying property in the north as its like buying a stolen car and knowing its stolen but still buy it coz its ridiculously cheap , and is unrecognised by the world except Turkey , you carnt even buy anything on ebay or amazon or anywhere else coz no one will ship goods there , all things come from the invader Turkey , sorry about the political rant . second hand cars are quite expensive in all Cyprus coz they last a long life time coz they never rust . cars still look like new underneath that are 25 years old or more .

Well let's face the Turkish drivers drive like its a stolen car. I once got in a fiat 500 over there with a Turkish driver at the wheel as we had to go see the coast guard cos a boat crashed into our boat and I was an apparent witness to it all. (bollocks) I don't no any rules of the sea but got told if I did not cooperate I would have trouble getting back into Turkey in the future. Needless to say I have never been back since. 3 times was enough.