I bought my Copen last year, but it's only this year I have got around to looking at the Air Con. Went to Kwik-fit to get it re-gassed. With an internet money-off coupon it came to £40.00, with the guarantee that if it didn't work, they wouldn't charge. Inevitably, it didn't work. However, their efforts did suggest it was empty at the start. They did a vacuum test for 5 minutes which found there is no leak in the system and they filled it with R134a, but no sign of cold air... They left it filled, which is useful, but didn't have anyone on site to do any more investigation. So, I have had a look to see where I am at... The A/C light glows when the button is pressed, and if it is pressed with the cabin heater fan on and the cabin temperature set to cold, it immediately sets the radiator fan going, and the engine increases speed. But no cold air. Since the system is full, I assume any signal telling the thing not to compress due to low pressure shouldn't be an issue. I can't hear any clicking of the compressor working - I am thinking that this has to be why I have no cold air. I can't see a specific fuse for the A/C - does anyone know which one I should be looking at? There is a relay under the bonnet (in with the fuses and relays) marked MG/C. I think this is the magnetic clutch relay for the A/C. It looks pretty much the same as the heater relay. I am temped to swap them about, because I know the heater relay works. This would give me some clues - if it works then, all is good. It it still doesn't work, then I should at least look for another reason for it not working. I can't see whether the clutch is engaging or not - it's all very tight under the bonnet. Another possibility is that the pressure switch is broken, preventing the compressor from working. I have read that it is possible to bridge the terminals going to that valve to take it out of the system for testing the system. Any comments, anyone? I am also looking for a wire going to the compressor, which I assume must be there somewhere sending an 'On' signal to the ECU. But it was just too hot today to mess around with it. It's possible there is a wire broken somewhere. Last possibility is that the compressor is broken/seized. But that sounds expensive, so I'd quite like to eliminate the other possibilities first before handing the problem over to an expert. Has anyone had any experience of fixing A/C? Any ideas you have would be gratefully received!
The A/C light will glow even if the compressor is FUBAR. I found that out the hard way. You should be able to hear the A/C compressor kick in (and see the rev drops as well). A voltage meter should drop a small bit when you turn on the A/C with the engine running. Could be the A/C pressure switch has gone bad, which is next to the wee little viewing port for the A/C system. Run a multimeter across it and check for continuity. The A/C has a 10A fuse in the relay block. Think position 6. No harm in swapping out the relays and fuses just in case, anyway. Otherwise the mag clutch is completely fucked and you'll need a new compressor. Don't get a refurb, they don't last long. Think I got my replacement for ~120GBP from imparts on eBay
I checked the pressure switch for continuity - there is no continuity across the terminals. The plug that goes to the pressure switch shows 14.5V - which is how it should be. I tried bridging across the plug using a bit of wire. This changed something, because as soon as I did that, the radiator fan started to work. But no joy from the compressor, which still refuses to do anything. But for a moment, I thought it was OK... I checked the fuse (as Number6 suggests, there is one 10A marked 'MTG' in the relay block). That is OK, and I tried swapping the relay out for one of the others, but nothing changed. With a mirror and a flashlight I can confirm that the middle part of the fan rotor isn't moving at any time - so at the least there is a problem there. It's still possible that the electrical feed to the A/C compressor and on to the magnetic clutch is broken somewhere. I read somewhere that it is possible to check that by disconnecting the compressor electrical lead and running a live wire to the compressor via the plug. I might have a go at that just to be sure if I can get to it, but I suspect the A/C clutch is broken, and maybe the A/C itself. The only thing that makes me wonder if it isn't just a broken connection is that the fuse to the Clutch is OK - I would have expected the fuse to pop if there was anything seriously awry with the A/C. I've been looking for a replacement unit. They seem to be used on Kubota tractors and a few other cars, and there are a couple of companies doing their own versions, but the price is a bit high. I haven't seen one at anywhere near £120 without another £100 needed to cover the postage. I'll keep looking!
You really need to connect some gauges to the high and low side A/C ports and verify there is actually refrigerant in there. If the pressure switch is open-circuit, it probably means there isn't enough gas pressure to activate it. If there's a leak, it's most likely at the compressor. I found a compressor on AliExpress for $93 US plus shipping, which was a fraction of what they wanted for one over here. To find the leak, you can inject oil with fluorescent dye in it, which you can get on eBay, and will light up with an ultraviolet torch. My mechanic showed me where it had been leaking underneath the compressor; didn't even need the UV torch. My experimenter nature, and my seeming inability to follow the rules, caused me to gas up the system with LPG rather than conventional R134a, which seems to work just as well and costs almost nothing. There is no significant fire/explosion risk in doing this, contrary to what many people think.
Hi Freddyzdead Could you post a link to the compressor on AliExpress, please, as it looks like I will be needing a new one soon Cheers
@Toozalii This isn't the exact same link, but it's the right compressor, and only a little more than I paid. The same compressor is used in a lot of little cars. car mini ac a/c air auto 12v compressor SV07E for Daihatsu Mira spare parts-in A/C Compressor & Clutch from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group @shane If the fan starts running, the compressor probably is, too. You can't really see if the clutch is engaged or not. But if there's little or no gas in the system, the compressor will be damaged in a short time, so don't leave the plug shorted for very long. Like I said, you need to attach some gauges to see what's going on. You can get a set of refrigeration gauges on ebay pretty cheap. But if you're going to mess around with this, you need a vacuum pump as well. You need to pump it down for at least half an hour before you put any gas in, else you're just wasting your time and money. You probably want to put some dye/oil in as well, to show any leaks. You can get the dye on ebay also.
