I guess a lot of you in the UK don't need this much but over here in Thailand it's a necessity, I've had my car just over a year and never moved the temp dial off the coldest setting. My air con doesn't seem as cool as I would expect, I've googled it and it seems air con need filling with coolant or freon or similar, is this true with the Copen before I take it to a garage and try to explain to a non English speaking mechanic what the problem is ? Thanks.
Aircon diagnostics is pretty standard worldwide. They should be able to check the pressure left in the system and then use a refrigerant with UV dye to detect any leaks.
I've had it re-gassed or whatever the expression is, 500 Baht or about 12 GBP. Now someone has suggested I should also wash the evaporator and clean the cabin air filter if it has one. So does it have one ? And how to clean the evaporator ?
As standard, the Copen does NOT have a cabin air filter. See my video below for where it is located and how to remove the blanking plate to check if there's an air filter. When the A/C is on, does it make a gurgling sound? Does the compressor clutch kick in when you have the A/C turned on (Turn on the A/C, fan speed to max)?
Thanks for the video Number 6, I did a search here for air conditioning but never saw that video, I put it down to the fact most members are in the UK and use the heater rather than the aircon so not many posts! I will look over the next few days if I can contort my out of shape body under the glove box area. Not sure what you mean by the compressor clutch kicking in, I will turn the fan to max tomorrow and see what happens. BTW, what does that filter do and is it worth the effort to order one ?
It's a cabin filter. It filters the air going through the heater core / AirCon before it gets blown into your car. The effort is bugger all, but the price is not worth it. The filter needs to be replaced from time to time, and I've only seem them on Yahoo Auctions Japan
Took off the filter cover today and all I got was a face full of debris! So no filter. I will message my man in Bangkok who has a Copen garage as well as a couple of new Copens to see if he can get them. He sent me the proper small oil filter, 350 Baht plus 50 Baht postage, so just under a tenner. I also asked about the bonnet stay clip which he has for 350 Baht or 8 quid so see if he can get one. I will keep you posted. Edit : Forgot to add about the smell when the AC is on so I checked on Google/Youtube and you can buy some spray which you squirt down the air intake vents so I will look for that when I go to the mall today.
Got a reply from my man in Bkk and he wants 1,600 Baht for filter and housing which seems a bit steep compared to what you paid. 37 GBP or 42 Euros ! Maybe cheaper for me to source from Japan, I thought Thailand would be cheaper than the UK. Edit : what websites in Japan should I look at for supplies?
ヤフオク! - 日本最大級のネットオークションサイト <-- here. Use Streeter Corporation to export it to you. You send him the links from Yahoo Auctions that you want, and he'll send you a quote. Tell him "Nick from Ireland with the Copen" sent you ;-) Japan is an expensive country. 1600 Baht / 42 EUR / 37 GBP may be far cheaper - please let us know. The Dahiatsu Terios, I believe, uses the same filter housing (the plastic frame) style. Check out the search box here on Copenworld. The Copen ONLY has a blanking plate. Yahoo Auctions has the filters at very affordable prices, at least for Irish people
The Yahoo site you sent me has one, filter and housing, at around 14 Euro, which is what you said you paid. So I would need to check the postage. But does the filter make a significant difference to the aircon, or any difference ?
Not really, but I had the money to spare and wanted something a bit different. I've, literally, noticed no difference in the A/C. I don't have asthma or hayfever, so maybe it would help if you have these issues
The aircon IS a necessity in the UK - how else do you keep the windows condensation free when it's raining? It might not be the most powerful cold blast thing but it is really effective at clearing the windows.
You can get desiccant packs from Amazon. I got this one, works a charm at stopping the windows from fogging up - Pingi Dehumidifier - For Car and Home: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike I swung by my car parts place today and got some R134a gas. Tempted to do a video of recharging the system tomorrow, after she passes / fails the NCT (MOT)
I've looked in the motor accessory shops over here and no one has the aircon air freshener spray, Lysol brand or similar. if I open the cabin filter cover and place a household air freshener in there instead of the filter would that work as I presume the air is blown through and over the air freshener ?
Yeah but it does not help in the long run. If you want to disinfect your ac, you should take an alcohol based disinfectant/sanitizer like Lysol/Dettol (we call it Sagrotan here) and spray it in there so it will disinfect the evaporator. Even better if you could get your hands on something made specifically for AC
