Bloody aircon is faulty..

[ChurchiesCup197]

Second clio 197 and still aircon doesnt work bleeeding hell.
Checked fuse inside and looks ok.
when i press it doesnt make a clicking sound like most cars do under bonnet
Lee

 

[Bux]

I know it may sound silly, but does it have gas in it?

And I don't notice a clicking noise with mine, and my aircon works

 

[JoshV]

I had the same problem and it was a switch that was faulty. It's not part of the aircon as such, it basically tells it to switch on/give it power, but it fixed it--I will try and get you a pic and a part number. However, mine has now broken again!!!! Grrrrrrr. I havent yet checked the fuses but I only had it fixed 2 months or so ago so it shouldnt be the switch again...

 

[MikeDX]

I think the engine needs to be on for the aircon to work, and ive not heard a click either!

 

[JoshV]

**if you switch the aircon on, the revs should increase, if they dont then its nothing to do with gas it means its either the switch as I said or something worse i.e. the compressor or electromagnet. I know what you mean about listening for a 'click', people won't realise the noise until their aircon doesn't work, but the best thing to do to make sure the pump is getting power etc is to listen and look at the revs when you switch it on

 

[Adrian]

probably a faulty compressor unit, I had mine replaced under warranty

 

[RalphyBMW]

If the charge gets too low the ECU will prevent the A/C compressor from running. The ECU then needs to be reset using a Renault CLIP computer. At least that was what happened with mine.

 

[JoshV]

See below a pic of the part I had to replace which fixed mine. Mine has however just broken again so Im hoping it isnt that again!! I havent yet had time to check the fuses however so Im hoping its just a simple thing like that this time:

 

[Foxspeed]

thats the condensor pressure sensor - if the gas pressure drops to low it shuts the system down to protect the compressor as the air-con gas carries the lubricating oil for it

most air-con issues will be low gas - they are usually gassed at the lower limit from new - had mine re-done to the specs and its a lot colder than before

also in extreme cold weather (below 4deg) the air con will not work

 

[gaz]

Most early 197's have a issue. They log DF1070 fault codes and shut the compressor down. Thats low pressure fault supposedly.... I had all sorts done on my 06 plate, reset about 4 times, re-gas, then when it went again new loom section (switch to the compressor) It was working when I sold it

Google that fault code, with the word Renault. Megs and Scenics were also affected.

 

[Arran]

I had a a leak on my a/c pipes, which caused it to stop working completely. I had the system refilled with a dye (by Renault Wolves), they found the leak, repaired it and refilled it. It has been fine since.

 

[Matt197]

I know this is an old thread however I am having some problems with mine and wondering if it could be the compressor that's seized up or the condenser pressure sensor that's playing up.

The air con was working fine before I layed the car up for 8 months, when I started to use the car again the air con was making a shhh type of sound and was not getting cold.

When I had the car serviced a few months later I had the air con re-gassed however I don't remember if this solved the problem as I was not using the car very much, I was told it appeared leak free but a die was added anyway.

Now its getting hot again I find the air con is not getting very cold at all, I cant hear the compressor kicking in like before and my revs don't increase either when the AC is on.

Is there an easy way to tell if its either the compressor or condenser pressure sensor without changing them ?

 

[1tjh]

Its more than likely were you've been leaving it sat, the gas will slowly leak through any seals in the system as they dry through lack of use. They are kept lubricated by the oil in the AC system with normal usage.

 

[Russell]

I have the same problem as u Matt, my car doesn't really get used a great deal as I get lifts to work but when I do I havent been using aircon as ide rather have the windows open but was stuck in traffic 2 Sundays ago when it was baking hot but it but was just blowing hot air and not gettig cold. Gonna take it to get re gassed next week I think to see if that solves it

 

[Matt197]

Well I managed to borrow a pressure sensor from work and changed it over tonight but the compressor clutch still would not kick in so I put the old one back in because I am not paying £60 for a part that does not fix the problem.

At a bit of a loss now, really need it connected to CLIP to test all aspects of the system but I fear its going to costs a fortune. Might check to see if there are any fuses for the compressor under the bonnet and see if they are ok.

But then it might be a leak or just not been done correctly, I was told a die was applied however when I removed the pressure sensor no die came out so like you say might also be worth seeing if recharging the system works.

 

[CL10]

When you say a 'shhh' type sound - could this be a bearing on the pump that has seized while the car wasn't in use? Maybe be worth jacking the car up, removing the undertray and checking the pump itself is fine - it's just below the alternator.

 

[1tjh]

Why dont you just take it to Renault, have it re gassed, dye put in and a system check?, £69, you'll know one way or another then. The wooshing sound may not mean anything, I've had a few cars AC that have done that but worked perfectly well.

 

[Foxspeed]

are you sure the sound wasnt the cooling fan running at low speed to keep air flowing over the condensor?

mine needs re-gassing again due to not working - not been used in ages...:swear:

 

[Mike]

I had mine re-gassed twice when I had it, leak was fixed, compressor unit was fine, but it still never blew out really cold air. Got the 182 and it was like icicles in the car

 

[gaz]

Well I managed to borrow a pressure sensor from work and changed it over tonight but the compressor clutch still would not kick in so I put the old one back in because I am not paying £60 for a part that does not fix the problem.

At a bit of a loss now, really need it connected to CLIP to test all aspects of the system but I fear its going to costs a fortune. Might check to see if there are any fuses for the compressor under the bonnet and see if they are ok.

But then it might be a leak or just not been done correctly, I was told a die was applied however when I removed the pressure sensor no die came out so like you say might also be worth seeing if recharging the system works.

It wont click in with an new part. If the fault code has been logged (see my post on the previous page) it needs clearing by CLip before it will re engage, regardless of whats been fitted.