C4S whine

Ghianightmare · 8 Feb 2019

Spurred on by this thread, I decided to address my whining a/c.

I had a look at all of the options here in Dublin and decided to go to a place near me where they had a machine that drains cleans checks and re gasses the a/c system. I googled the machine make and model before I called them (they referred to it by name on the website) and by all accounts it seems to be a comprehensive bit of kit.

When I spoke to the service manager (who is contemplating buying a 996.2) he was able to talk about a/c in a very informed manner. When I asked about replacing the drier and the whine, he said if there is moisture in the system and the drier is overwhelmed, it can cause resonance as the refrigerant is being pumped through, but the wouldn't know for sure. He also advises that the machine would dry out the system and restore the existing drier if it wasn't too bad.

He could do it immediately as there isn't much manpower required so I bit the bullet.

The process took about 90 min. The hook up said machine and it measures the refrigerant in the system. 290g in mine - so that was the first problem. Then it extracts the oil - it was low too. Then it puts in dye and checks for leaks. Then it extracts any moisture - which in my case took a while. Finally it replaces the oil and the gas. All without any human input. The dye is similar to the oil and is left in there for future reference and leak tracing.

Cost â‚¬146. Result - silence restored, air noticeably colder, and a happy owner. Confidence that it is done properly.

So if you have a whine, I reccommend a similar comprehensive restoration of the system as opposed to a quick recharge at Halfords.

deMort · 8 Feb 2019

Young man thats excellent .. the gass was far too low , there should be 900 in it not 290 ... spurred on was a good call i think!

A vacuum which is what the machine does will suck out moisture .. but to be honest its a 24 hour type of thing to be fully effective if a system is badly contaminated .

replaceing a dryer .. its normally done when the system has been open to atmosphere for a while ... or a totally empty system as if the gass leaks out then mositure can get in .

Noise from the dryer .. yup possible i guess .. new one on me but im not going to doubt it .

I would argue about the oil lvl .. you can measure whats comes out but not whats actually in the system .. long depth answer if needed so ill leave it at that but as long as they added some .. which i know full well they have then you are fine .

Modern machines are far .. far better than the old ways and you have no noise and a good a/c .. result :thumb:

Edit ..

Ill also add thats an mot ramp and the geo kit in the back ground isnt cheap , again the a/c machine is not going to be cheap either .. any garage that invests in equipment is worth useing .

Ghianightmare · 8 Feb 2019

Eagle eyes deMort!

They have a wheel straightening machine, several types of scopes, many types of code readers, 5 Other bays with lifts of some
Kind in all. A pretty comprehensive set up!

Here is the info on the a/c servicing and the machine they used.

http://www.greenautoservice.ie/air-conditioning.html

I won't burden you to explain re the moisture, all I know is that it works good now!

They have a second machine for the newer gas (post 2012 Porsches) but that gas costs about 3 times the price. I think he said the machine was circa â‚¬6k

Robertb · 9 Feb 2019

Great thread, very informative. I've had a 'grumbly' compressor for ages, had an air con recharge and it helped, but not perfect. Clearly I need to find a specialist.

Alex · 9 Feb 2019

Ghianightmare said:
So if you have a whine, I recommend a similar comprehensive restoration of the system as opposed to a quick recharge at Halfords.

Don't Halfords do the same process with their Air Con service:

https://www.halfords.com/advice/motoring/service/halfords-car-air-conditioning-services

To quote:

Air Con Recharge and Clean Service
For the ultimate air con service, our experts can recharge your air con and clean the system at the same time for only £60 (â‚¬65).

Included within the recharge and clean service is the air con cleaner product.

Ghianightmare · 9 Feb 2019

Alex,

Halfords do the same thing for £60.

That is correct in the same way that I can buy a SSK off eBay for a similar price. Or I can buy one from you. They are the same but different! :wink:

So I chose to pay more for my air con service which is not done in the car park of a retail park and when my funds recover, I will buy your version of the SSK!

:thumb:

Alex · 9 Feb 2019

There's a massive difference between the SSK I sell and the Chinese ones as well you know it.

Point I was getting at is these nationwide outfits machines do the full clean out vac down then refill process that you had done. Just like they have Hunter Hawkeye tracking machines like CG and the likes use.

Ghianightmare · 9 Feb 2019

alex yates said:
There's a massive difference between the SSK I sell and the Chinese ones as well you know it.

Point I was getting at is these nationwide outfits machines do the full clean out vac down then refill process that you had done. Just like they have Hunter Hawkeye tracking machines like CG and the likes use.

That's my point Alex - I think there is a massive difference between the 20 min process Halfords do, and the 90min process that the machine did on mine.

Alex · 9 Feb 2019

When I had mine done the 1st time at Kwik Fit it was just short of 2 hours. The time element is the Vac down process as it's taken down to the equivalent of being in space. Putting the gas and lubricant in takes a matter of seconds. The machines these days are programmed to do the full cycle and there isn't really any operator element apart from setting the amount of gas and lube required then pressing go.

The last time I had it done my mechanic did it as he bought himself one of those machines. That was also well over an hour, although when I came to pay him, he just smiled and said don't worry about it.

Ghianightmare · 9 Feb 2019

Hi Alex,

We are in agreement here - bring your car to the man with the proper machine to do it properly. The cost is a seperate point. And apologies if you thought I was belittling your SSK. Far from it.

In Dublin, based on personal experience, not many men have said machines and I could only find one and was happy to pay him what he charged. I appreciate it is cheaper in the UK - but so is everything to do with cars. And there is far more choice of supplier. 24 hours and 60 miles on and it is all quiet in the cockpit.

I rang Halfords prior to posting this and asked them could they service my air condition. The nice man said yes. I asked how they do it. He said he had a bottle and a hose. I asked could he check for leaks, he said if the gauge goes into the red it means I have a leak and I have to take it to a garage to get it fixed...

I spoke to an independent German car garage on Tuesday last. I asked him if he could service air conditioning. He said yes. He said the cost would be approx â‚¬150. I asked him about the process. He waffled on. He never mentioned a dedicated machine. I walked away.

Fast fit (only equivalent near me) stopped doing A/C servicing.

Hence my decision.

Regards

Alex · 9 Feb 2019

:thumbs:

Hey, nothing wrong with paying under 200 dabs for your aircon sorting properly. My point was most country wide outfits now use similar kit that does the full job. That topping up with a can and a hose is a no brainer when you look at the cost of a proper job.

No offence taken in anyway with regards to the SSK. We're all in it together and its great to discuss the various options open to us all. :thumb:

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