All AC systems lose a small amount of gas over time, and so topping it up from time to time helps to maintain peak performance. I didn’t mention doing it “every few months” you did. I check it annually and top up as and when. it only gets a full regas if it needs it. You don’t have to change it like an oil change. Checking it regularly also helps to diagnose problems like a failing compressor, so i for one prefer to manage my AC system this way.
You obviously have no understanding of how a professional regassing works.
The gas is the system is not “changed”; it is removed and stored while the car is pressure tested, and is then returned to the car (along with some extra gas, should it be required).
You also appear to have no concerns about the environmental impact of leaking gas into the atmosphere.
I guess it’s a bit like the difference between having your car regularly serviced or waiting until the engine to blows up! I would rather regularly service my AC and so DIY is cost-effective.
It’s absolutely nothing like that lol - your first sentence is the definition of a straw man argument. I already agreed with your second sentence. 
And you obviously have no understanding of why DIY top up kits are available and how they can be beneficial in diagnosing system problems such as leaks or failing compressors.
As well as my MX5 which I use occasionally I also own an EV (something else for you to be rude about?) so I suspect I have more concerns for the environment than you do.
Am I alone in seeing a certain irony that a discussion about aircon has become so … heated?
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Yer, chill out guys…. Just to ham it up a bit more😀
Anyone used one of these?
Could such a thing be carried in a car to provide “air-con”……… not truely air-con, but might be helpful??
Management tried that pointless evap “air-con” idea in some of our top floor workshops one hot summer in the 1970s or 80s (too long ago) because the 50% glass roof made them an oven. And at the time, while a minimum temperature for the environment was listed, the “Schools and Factories Act” did not specify a maximum temperature!
The evap system merely stopped people sweating because the humidity became too high, and stuff began rusting. It made life a lot worse.
People at risk of heatstroke were of little consequence to the higher powers, and fewer than half the staff were in our Union, so no muscle there.
It was the rust spreading on valuable test gear and equipment that finally prompted effective remedial action.
Their final solution was sticking metal-coated film inside those roof lights. Radiant heat was banished and a simple fan at each work station sufficed in helping sweat to be effective.
I’ve applied a modern version of the film to relevant glass in my house glazing, it’s reasonably successful in repelling long-wave infra-red insolation, but it’s not as effective as the dichroic gold film inserts were in my old conservatory’s polycarbonate roof.
My house’s double glazing was specified as e-coated and carries the correct markings, but it’s actually useless.
What’s the history of air-con in our car. When I bought my 1.8 SE ‘56 I hadn’t even considered it. OK, it had the flashy roof but otherwise was basic. So what is something as complicated and expensive doing on my car?
Don’t get me wrong, it’s huge in winter when the absence of it will destroy visibility but I don’t quite get why I have it and some don’t.
How cold should an NC 2.0 A/C be? I’ve had my 2010 for a couple of months and when it was 28°, with he top up, if felt fine but not particularly cold.
I thought that being such a small cabin the A/C should be able to make it very cold, even during summer, does mine need a re-gas or am I expecting too much?
From experience of driving in Italy and Spain, once the temperature exceeds 30C, driving with the roof down becomes uncomfortable. The ND hardtop is worse than our previous NC folding hardtop even with the windows down, you can really fry in the car if you are not careful. Over 30C, roof up and air con on full is much more bearable IMHO.
Groupon offer vouchers for a re-gas at ATS which are good value.
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Good to see another post that disses the ND folding roof. Not only is it a permanent blind spot, up or down, it’s now a heat trap too!
I suspect it is because the NC with its three parts is more groaning and cracking over time. But at least you have a proper roof off experience.
Nope! Not dissing the ND folding roof, I was fully aware that it is more susceptible to wind noise than was the previous hard folding roof. That said, I find the interior of the ND less claustrophobic with the roof up and it is certainly quieter at motorway speeds. Having air con certainly makes the car even more practical across a wider range of conditions and temperatures. Apart from really hot, dry weather, it is a real boon during heavy summer rain when the roof needs to be up but the temperatures are still relatively high and it helps with the inevitable window fogging and provides a more comfortable cabin environment.
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That’s interesting and could be a game changer for some. The folding hard top is elegant in the NC and stunning in the ND. Just hate the blind spots they create.
Aren’t the blind spots for the soft top and prht the same in the NC?
Yes, but you can get rid of them with the roof down. Not when it’s Silverstone weather of course😀
I agree re. the blind spots. The blind spot door monitors that display in the door mirrors are a significant help in this regard.
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I bought my NC 2 years ago knowing that the Aircon was not working. Didn’t bother investigating it at the time as it was the lesser of all the issues then and I didn’t expect to need aircon that much in a convertible. Boy, was I wrong… The temp is fine with the top down but the actual sunlight s roasting me these days.
I have no idea if a regas will do the trick but before giving halfords a call I would like to run a basic investigation myself. I do not think I hear a click when starting the aircon (which is worrying) but I am not sure what I should expect as I never heard that on another miata. Is it really noticeable or faint? Would listening from the outside with the bonnet open be a better idea?
If I am confident the click is not present, I will check the fuses in the hope a fuse has blown. If that fail, what can I do before resorting to an expert and forking out a few hundreds?
Booking it in for a re-gas is in itself slightly diagnostic as they have to do a pressure test to see the system will hold the gas. You shouldn’t be charged if they discover a leak.
Just re-reading this thread and think @mxomatosis point about there is a temp above which roof down becomes less comfortable than roof -up is probably spot on. Tomorrow is our last very hot day so will try a run roof-up/ max aircon and see if I can get shivering…..