Aircon pump

[robbiemcvee]

I've just taken my A6 1.9 tdi avant to Audi as the air con stopped producing cold air, they said they have recharged the system and put some kind of dye to detect problems, This apparently revealed that there is a problem with the pump.
They have quoted me just over £1000 to fix it.. question is can i get a recon unit and how difficult is this to replace?

Any help will be greafully received.

Cheers
Rob

[Crasher]

You can get recon or aftermarket replacements from various sources. They are easy to change apart from the de/re gassing

[robbiemcvee]

Thanks for the response
Any idea on the various places to get one from?

[Crasher]

You could try www.readerair.co.uk

[Peter D]

You will need to have the system pumped out and purged ensuring you A/C is OFF then drive home and change the pump. Good underside access required and tool for the belt tensioner. then return to the A/C guy and have the oil and gas replaced and topped up. An VAG indi may not charge as much as you think so check it out. Regards Peter

[robbiemcvee]

Thats great - thanks for the hints and tips..!

[gazza57]

Robbie,
A good tip once you have had your aircon problems solved is to make sure that you run the system once or twice a week through the winter.
An aircon bloke near me gave me that tip when I had a SAAB 9000 aircon service.
Commonly, people leave the aircon switched off through the winter months and the seals in the pump dry out and the refrigerant gas dissolved in the oil leaks away and sometimes the compressor oil too.
I suspect that may have happened in your case as well.
The refrigerant gas in aircon systems shares a characteristic with that of Brake Fluid, in that it is Hygroscopic, in other words it absorbs moisture from the outside atmosphere.
This happens in an air conditioning system also so merely topping up the system pressure with a recharge kit is not only ineffective but will not remove the accumulated moisture which builds up over time. This moisture will accelerate corrosion in your pump, seals and internal components leading to leaks and loss of refrigerant pressure and a tepid or warm aircon and a big bill to face, hence your replacement pump.
What you need to do after your pump is replaced is to get a proper Aircon service done every 24 months, this is done at numerous places and costs £100 or so.
The old gas is sucked out of the system and replaced with Nitrogen Gas, this gas is circulated through a heater and around your system picking up all of the accumulated moisture as it does so.
After about an hour the Nitrogen Gas is completely dry and is removed and replaced by fresh refrigerant and oil which also contains a flourescing dye you mentioned which makes spotting leaks much easier.
The system is then charged up to proper working pressure before being sealed off.
Some systems also have a dessicant or coalescer filter designed to trap moisture like an oil filter traps sludge. This also should be changed during an a/c service.
This is the same reason why brake fluid should be changed in your braking system every two years, fail do do so and your system merely rots from the inside.
Hope this helps you
Regards
Gazza 57

[robbiemcvee]

Thats some great advice Gazza, thanks for taking the time to respond