I have a 2009 Mk3.5 Sport Tech and had the air con re gassed about 13 months ago and in the last couple of weeks it has gradually stopped being as cold as it should be so looks like it needs a recharge.
In peoples experience how long should the gas last before it needs re charging? I only got the car in July 2015 so don’t have anything to go on as to how long the gas should last in this car.
A year seems short to require a re gas so suspect I might have a small leak somewhere?
Yes, it does seem a short period. They usually last for years. The most common place for them to leak is where the thin pipe joins to the left side of the condenser when viewed through the air intake in the front bumper. Look for an oily patch.
What’s the fix for that then Rob? Will it need a new condenser or is there a joint that needs a new O ring?
Josh
Firstly I would take it back to person who did the re-gassing they may do it for free! and also all air con systems need to be used at least once a month to keep the seals etc fresh. It may be that as stated above you have a very small leak and is a quick fix fingers crossed.
John
The garage will extract the air con gas and insert a dye, usually purple coloured. Any leak can be detected visually or by using a UV light.
As mentioned above you need to run your air con at least once a month to circulate the gas because it contains a lubricant to stop the seals drying out.
I recently had my air con regassed and the garage recovered only 45g of gas whereas it takes 475g when full. The guy said generally around 20% is lost every year and recommended a regas every 3 or 4 years.
Thanks for the replies. The Air Con has been used at least once a week since I have had the car.
The Mazda dealer who topped it up, Hughes, no longer exists, as that garage closed earlier this year so I will have to contact the group, who still have other dealerships nearby.
Hopefully if anything its just a small leak.
Small leak or big leak,it is unlikely to be a quick or cheap fix.Modern car O rings don’t leak either,they are very robust.You may be better off to find a local indy a/c specialist rather than main stealer.