Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Nickbat on 21 October 2006, 23:11:41
-
Once again, my aircon has gone up the spout. :'(
In the last three months, I have changed the compressor (with new compressor seals), got a new receiver/dryer, condensor and high pressure valve.
About ten days ago, the garage that fitted the valve re-gassed the system and confirmed that there were no leaks.
Since then it has gradually been chucking out less cool air and today the output has almost been on the warm side.
I have bought a uv light from Maplins for £9.99 in the hope of finding the leak (I think they put dye in last time round) and when I get the batteries - thought I had some fresh ones at home- I'll take a good look around. My worry, though, is that the leak might be in the the area of the heater matrix. I presume that, if that is the case, it's curtains for the aircon as getting at the matrix means practically having to dismantle the car, unless anyone knows any different, that is. I've never explored down that part of an Omega!
Every time I get the sodding thing regassed it's costing me about £70 and this is the third time this summer. The money would have been better put aside to get a newer car!
-
I assume you have it set on LO then?
Just wondering.....coz it is getting colder outside these days
I have mine set on 20 at the mo.....and esp in the mornings it blows warm air out.
-
Just a point have you checked the HBV valve that the vacuum pipe is on and working and not split after i had same problem the garage said it did not need gassing must be another fault then it started leaking water changed the HBV and now on LO freezing cold, it could be pipe split if not leaking
Robert
-
Thanks Robert, that's something that hadn't occurred to me.
I'll check it out.
-
OK, didn't get to check the HBV today due to the weather. However, I did notice that when I put the aircon on (the compressor still engages so there must be some gas left in), there was a distinct hissing, slightly tinkling sound coming from the face-level vents which wasn't there before. I think this could point to a vacuum leak, as Robert suggested,. I need to check out the HBV, but I've looked in the Haynes manual and there is no mention of a heater bypass valve (no suprise there, then!). To save me a bit of time, could someone let me know precisely where it is located.
A piccie would be nice!
-
Right at the back of the engine, best to remove wipers and scuttle to gain access. My HBV was leaking and after changing it the aircon was much better
-
No picture of the HBV in Haynes but if you go to page 4A*8 and look at picture 7.2b. Look at the arrow, to the left of it you will see a gap between the plenum and the scuttle, it's in there... It's on a bracket fastened to the back of the breather box behind the drivers side head. Best to take off the scuttle and see if you can get to it, easier to remove the plenum as well.
-
Thanks for the info, guys.
-
Took the car to Kiplings (where it was last regassed) and they put it up on the ramps. It was clear that I have quite a leak coming from the metal section of the long pipe which runs from the compressor to the low side service valve near the bulkhead at the top of the engine. The guys there reckon it's a pinhole break on the top of the pipe as it runs underneath the compressor.
Vx say that pipe is a non-stock item and even if they order it, it may never show up. If they could get hold of one, it would cost £104 + vat. :o To make matters more complicated, there are a few different versions according to the chassis number (mine is apparently an"AQ").
Is there a solution? Could the pinhole, if identified, be repaired? Presumably not as it's aluminium, so it can't be welded. If I could locate one from a breaker, could I be sure that it fits?
Oh dear, methinks this is the end of my aircon system, on which I have spent several hundreds this year :'(.
Poxy car! >:(
-
Just had a thought over a cuppa. Would a really tight tourniquet of PTFE tape and self-amalgamating tape be enough to stop the refrigerant leaking out? Probably a daft idea, but the leak is on the low pressure, rather than high pressure, circuit.
-
Hmmm. Just found this place
http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/html/all_kits.html
For £12.50, I may be able to repair the pipe, it seems.
Any comments?
-
Sorry, no idea, but would be interested in if it works...
-
You might be able to seal it with some metal to rubber sealent (cam cover gasket sealent?), a rubber patch and a jubilee clip.
If it was me I would be getting one from a breaker though (there are only two versons I know of).......I suspect that this actualy throws the faulty compressor diagnosis into doubt though.
-
Thanks Mark.
When you say there are only two versions, are you talking pre-facelift and facelift?
I would try to get them from a breakers - that would be the best option financially - but I had hell's own delight getting that hi-side valve section and in the end had to go to Vx (£65!!).
At that time, Mr McB's breaker friend was in hospital. Maybe I need to find out if he's back in circulation.
-
Hae you tried on here in the parts for sale section......maybe Issunaz has the bit on the shelf somewhere. The change was about 1996......
-
Hmmm. Just found this place
http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/html/all_kits.html
For £12.50, I may be able to repair the pipe, it seems.
Any comments?
Hmmm! I would think long and hard about considering a welded repair on your aircon ally can be difficult to weld and if your not very carfull you can end up blowing a larger hole in the pipe than you are repairing. Another thing to take into account is that refridgerant gas becomes toxic when exposed to a naked flame :o An alternative you can concider is a special epoxy resin used on refridgeration repairs,I had a commercial fridge successfully repaired using it .If you contact a local fridge engineer i'm sure the'll point you in the right direction :y
-
R134 is not toxic when expoed to a naked flame like R12 was....god forbid any aircon guys who smoked on the job.
Of course......none of these people (fridge, aircon, heating) are engineers in the real meaning.....probably the most miss used word in the english language!
-
Hmmm. Just found this place
http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/html/all_kits.html
For £12.50, I may be able to repair the pipe, it seems.
Any comments?
Hmmm! I would think long and hard about considering a welded repair on your aircon ally can be difficult to weld and if your not very carfull you can end up blowing a larger hole in the pipe than you are repairing. Another thing to take into account is that refridgerant gas becomes toxic when exposed to a naked flame :o An alternative you can concider is a special epoxy resin used on refridgeration repairs,I had a commercial fridge successfully repaired using it .If you contact a local fridge engineer i'm sure the'll point you in the right direction :y
Hmmm. According to the homepage of that same website http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk, one of the specific uses for that welding product is on aircon pipes. Point taken about the gas, but I would have to tke the pipe off the car to do the job anyway. As it is, I'll probably try Mark's suggestion of a hunt round the scrappies first. However, if I draw a blank, the welding option may become my only option. (That, or driving the car over a cliff! ;D)
-
Motorcycle radiators are often made of aluminium, I've holed mine twice and paid to have it repaired the first time. It turned out they just used a high temperature epoxy resin. So when I holed it the second time is used some high temperature "liquid metal" epoxy and it did a great job.
So if you can't find a replacement part I'd use some "liquid metal" epoxy based stuff on it.
-
Just had a thought over a cuppa. Would a really tight tourniquet of PTFE tape and self-amalgamating tape be enough to stop the refrigerant leaking out? Probably a daft idea, but the leak is on the low pressure, rather than high pressure, circuit.
Static pressure is around 75 psi (cold) reducing to 30 psi when running so I doubt that you can patch it.
-
What year?
Quick release or bolt-up connector?
I would get one from a breaker but removing it requires access from below to remove the compressor first,
its not a difficult job, just fiddly but would be impossible if you cant jack up.
Try putting a wanted add on here and wait for someone to start breaking one.
-
It's a 1995, with bolt up connectors.
Not sure I would have to remove the compressor though. If I undo the top end of the pipe, the sump bracket and the plate connector on top of the compressor, that should give me enough manoeuvrability to ease it out.
Problem with breakers is that either they cut through the pipes to get engines out, or they insist on you taken aircon parts out yourself - which would be fine if the car wasn't at the bottom of a pile in three inches of wet mud - wouldn't want to crawl under that or in that. ;D