Whooping aircon after valves changed

[Glen B]

I took my 2003 cdt to a nearby garage that deals with aircob yesterday to get it working. They checked for leaks and found the pressure valves leaking so replaced both and aurcon worked great. My wife has veen out in it today and said there was a whoop noise occasionally.
I've had a new fan motor and resistor fitted by Arctic last year after a garage told me fan wasn't working. I fitted a new condenser radiator myself a couple of weeks ago and took it to be regassed at a local Halfords. They said they hadn't got the adapters to do a test after regas as the bloke accidently took rthem with an empty gas bottle earlier that day. I said I'd been told by a garage that they didn't find a leak, it was the fan not working that was the problem ( before Arctic sorted that) and told him I'd just fitted new condenser so I'd risk it being regassed without him being able to test it. Guess what, it didn't work long at all.
I can tell the compressor kicks in and out when U turn aircon on or off. I also put a new pollen filter in the same weekend U changed the condenser.
So, 1, new fan and resistor, thanks Arctic
2, new condensor
3, can feel compressor go on and off with aircon on and off
4, new pressure valves fitted and gassed up yesterday and told no leaks now new valves fitted.
Aircon works great apart from occasional whoop.
Do I need to do anything now and if so, what else can I do?
I've googled whoop but everyone has different symptoms and suggestions like needing fan sorting or new condensor but I can't think of anything else that might not wirk.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Glen B

Do I need to do anything now and if so, what else can I do?

You should not have whooping. Your system is probably over or undercharged. Garages and Halfords are not experts in air conditioning. Halfords didn't use a can with a gauge attached did they?

Find a mobile specialist in your area who will come to your house and ...

• Evacuate your system
• Carry out a low pressure nitrogen leak test (vacuum tests are unreliable)
• Purge the system of moisture (recommended period is 30 minutes)
• Re-charge with the correct weight of refrigerant which is 450g
• Test for 4˚C at the centre vents

All this will cost you more than Halfords or a garage but it will be done properly and comprehensively so that you don't have any trouble for many years.

Simon

[Glen B]

Thanks for your reply. Not sure what Halfords used as they said it would take about 2 hours so I went for a walk. The garage that changed the valves and regassed was a garage 3 miles away that was recommended by a neighbour that does mechanicing jobs in his retirement. He said he was using a micture of lubricant and dye to check for leaks. I left the car with them about 9.30am and went back about 4.30pm so didn't see exactly what was done.

The aircon does work fine now. I didn't hear the whoop when I drove home ( about 3 miles) but my wife used the car for a 5 mile journey to Mansfield, left it parked for about an hour, then a journey of about 9 miles, parked up for about half hour then drove home about 4 or 5 miles. She said it did it 3 times all the time she was driving.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Glen B

They checked for leaks and found the pressure valves leaking so replaced both ...

I've never known this in over 35 years of having air conditioning in my cars. They are Schrader valves welded into the pipework. All the garage could have done is to unscrew the insert, just as tyre fitters do. The system would have had to be evacuated first and recharged afterwards and that's where the question lies; was this done correctly?

Originally Posted by Glen B

... took it to be regassed at a local Halfords. They said they hadn't got the adapters to do a test after regas ...

This is worrying. It sounds as if they were unable to attach a gauge set to check the operating pressures. This begs the question, how did they connect the recharging equipment in the first place?

Originally Posted by Glen B

The aircon does work fine now ... but my wife used the car ... She said it did it 3 times all the time she was driving ...
Do I need to do anything now and if so, what else can I do?

The whooping indicates that something is wrong. My view is that you should get the problem identified and corrected by booking a visit from a self-employed mobile specialist. He will have the expertise to check whether your system's pressures are correct and it is operating safely.

Simon

[Glen B]

I may not have written clearly. Halfords regassed the system a couple of weeks ago but said they couldn't do their usual leak check as somone had taken the adapters. I told them to go ahead anyway as I was confident it wouldn't leak. I was wrong, it leaked.
Last Thursday, I went to the local garage and explained the sequence of events re renewing condenser, fan motor, etc. Then left it with them and they said the only leak they could find was the valves, which they said they replaced. I have very limited knowledge of aircon and was pleased that it worked/still works. I have a receipt from the garage for the work. I had the system DE gassed by a garage near where I work in Chesterfield a few months ago as I intended to put the new condenser radiator on. I asked that garage a price and he said he didn't know. He looked on an old Rover site somewhere and said about £400 was the Rover dealer price. I did it myself with advice from Arctic. I booked in to have it RE gassed at Formula 1 ( not Halfords) the day after. As I said, that failed.

[Glen B]

I don't know why I said Halfords. I don't think I've ever had any work done on any car at Halfords.

[sean75]

There is a very good a/c specialist near you in Grassmoor. Woodleigh motor sales ltd, Grassmoor, Chesterfield 01246 850686 ,John Carr (CarrCool).