rd83 Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Well, I did it. I know some of you will say just take it to a specialist, but on this occasion it was DIY for me. Car is a 328ci BTW. (1) Kit as follows. Large can of R-134a with gauge and hose, (£39.99 Halfords) Can of Comma Air Con Cleaner, (Free if bought with above) Gloves Safety Goggles Breathing Protection (precaution) (2) Start the car and put the air con on full blast. (lowest temp, highest blower speed) (3) Locate the low pressure recharge valve (pictured), unscrew the cap and put in a safe place. (4) At this stage just connect the gauge and hose to the valve so you know whether or not your system even needs regassing. Anywhere in the blue zone (I think halfway is ideal) means you already have the correct amount of refridgerant in your system. Mine read at the top of the green (25psi), indicating a recharge was required. (5) If you need to regas, remove the hose and gauge from the recharge valve and screw the other end onto the can. Be careful not to cross the threads as you do not want this stuff leaking and going anywhere near your skin. (6) Re attach the can, hose and gauge to the recharge point. Press the button on top of the can and the refridgerant will begin to enter the system. Rotate the can as per the instructions on it whilst filling. Stop occasionally to check you are not overcharging the system. (7) I emptied the whole can into my system and the gauge went into the blue, giving a reading of about 30psi. Remove the kit from the recharge point, and replace the cap that you have put in a safe place. (8) Next up was the air con cleaner, it came free so used it. Smells lemony too! Move the passenger seat as far forward as possible, tilting the seat back forward too. Place the can on the floor behind the passenger seat, make sure your aircon is still on full blast and set to re-circulate the air. Depress the button until it locks down then jump out of the car, and shut the doors as the can dispenses its load. (9) Once empty, leave the car and aircon running for a further 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes is up, retrieve the can, turn car and aircon off. Hold your breath as you do so! Then open all windows, doors and boot to ventilate. This completes the process. Results: Well I have to say, the car is like a fridge inside now, so at the moment I am happy. Obviously time will tell, so I'll let you know how it is over the next few days and weeks. The can said it contained leak seal and oil. On the whole it was easy to do, and made zero mess. The cleaner has also freshened up the system a treat. NOTE: This is intended as a guide, I do not accept responsibility for any injuries, accidents or damage you cause, by following it. It worked for me, it might not work for you. Always follow the instructions on the product you buy. This is a dangerous product. If you are in any doubt whether you can do this or not, you should probably seek professional advice. analogue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Well done that man, excellent job and great write up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Im sure i read this the other day, am i going crazy?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezer-D Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Good write-up mate. Might give this a go myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffman Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 well done lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Im sure i read this the other day, am i going crazy?? You did, but it was a question topic. We asked him to write it up as a DIY Good guide! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Tool Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 Nice write-up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam190679 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 are you meant to do the refill whilst the aircon is still running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///Marty Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Great write up and pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd83 Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 are you meant to do the refill whilst the aircon is still running? Yes, according to the instructions on the kit I bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayP07 Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Nice one mate.. excellent write up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark330Vert Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Excellent write up mate, where abouts did u get all the bits from aswell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark330Vert Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 excuse the last bit just read again.......Halfords lol.......Im such a numpty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMA 330 Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 u said it has a repairing agent in it, currently my air con doesnt work because it has a hole in the condensor apprently... i had it re-gass a bit ago it lasted 2 days then stoped working took it back and they told me about this hole. so was wondering if this stuff if i put it into my air con would it plug up that hole and let my air con work again? or there is always option b for me if you dont think that will work if i purchased a new condensor i found one for £70 are they easy to swap and change? and then if i purchased one of these kits to fill it back up again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd83 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 If you know there is a hole in your condensor, I would probably get that done first as I'm not sure how good that sealing agent is. I can't really offer a lot more advice, as I'm certainly not an expert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Although this may be straight forward to do, I would recommend that you don't do it yourself. I have done this before myself, and having taken it to a specialist who talked me through the process, it is clear that it is better to let someone who has the proper equipment do it. The reason I say this is because there is no correspondence between the pressure that your self-fill equipment registers, and the weight of refrigerant that the car requires. I have seen the pressure readings from my car being in the acceptable range, yet the weight being only 10% of what is required. To fill the system correctly, the refrigerant must be weighed precisely. I would no longer attempt to do this myself, especially as I know a local aircon specialist who does it for £55! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Bhalay Posted July 12, 2009 Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 i dont want to be a thorn in your thread, but that stuff from halfords is terrible imo! i have exactly the same and tried to do a re-gas, the guage read that i had plenty. when i took it to a specialist they said i had none in the system! glad it worked for you though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy K Posted July 12, 2009 Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 Great write up, other halfs Clio needed Air-con doing i'd have given it a go but it's just been sold with no air-con Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd83 Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 i dont want to be a thorn in your thread, Not at all mate. This is a forum for debate too. I never said to anybody you must do it, the purpose of the write up was purely to show people what I did. On a side note... Has anyone worked out how to (permanantly) get rid of the smell when you turn the AC OFF. I've heard something about a drip tray that has drain holes that can get blocked, but don't know where to find this to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Good write up Dude , although if i was spending £40 @ Halfords , id spend another tenner and let a Pro do the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayP07 Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 I was in two minds as to whether i should share this but in for a penny and all that. Im far too impatience and curious so i went ahead and bought the same kit.... I haven't owned my E46 for long and it has a few issues. I originally went out this morning to buy an adjuster unit but after getting the run around at BMW and the heat (thats my excuse) i had to do something to the car so i remembered this thread. The air conditioning has never worked since i've owned the car - I admit i took a punt but curiousity got the better of me. All was going well, the needle was moving into the blue. then all of a sudden i saw the wider flexible part of the silver hose jerk and the needle dropped to green again. - My guess i have a leak. Either created today but more likely was there all along. Moral of the story... pay the extra 10 and let the experts do it at least they should be able to diagnose the leak if there is one....... Regardless, thanks for the guide it was spot on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellers Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 These cans are a good idea for some but like me if you were unsure whether the system worked you would have benefited from going to kwik fit and making use of their service. They say if the system leaks, or doesn't work etc after trying to refill they won't charge you! Well worth it to find out if there are unknown probs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayP07 Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 UPDATE: In typical man fashion i refused to be beaten by my failed first attempt at this. So, i gave it another go. I took more time to make sure the hose was connected properly. Slowly but surely the pressure rose and the air con refilled. I used the cleaner that came with the kit - Fantastic!! lovely cool air with a lemon twist - Not sure how long it'll last but right now i don't care. JOY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
