[Mattymatronic]

Hi, apologies if this is in the wrong place.

I have a 2010 ex police combo C 1.3 DTJ engine model.

Inside the cabin I have an air conditioning button, however it doesn’t have any present impact on air temperature.

It also doesn’t sound like the system kicks in (the fan usually makes quite a roar, not unlike a hovercraft or something on my normal car, although I understand that may not be the case in all cars).

I have checked and fuse 31 is present and is intact, however when looking at the manual fuse 53 says cooling fan air conditioning system and this fuse is not present. Moreover it looks like the space where it and the radiator fan (52) would go are blanking spaces, surely that can’t be right? I have attached some pictures in the hope someone can provide some advice before I go up to quick fit for a regas and end up looking a fool because the button was fitted to police vans but wired up to the blue lights or something mad.

 

[OpComDiagnostics]

Has the car got a secondary radiator in front of the main radiator? If it hasn't, your vehicle doesn't have air conditioning.

 

[Mattymatronic]

Has the car got a secondary radiator in front of the main radiator? If it hasn't, your vehicle doesn't have air conditioning.

Hi thanks,

I think so if you mean on the engine bay side of the radiator then yes it does.

It doesn’t kick in when I press the button though, would a good first step be to get it regassed and see if that helps?

 

[ozsubrosa]

No, it's wasteful (not very eco, if that concerns you) and, although Kwik Fit used to (don't know if they still do) make no charge if the regas doesn't cool the car, it's money spent for nada. Not knocking Kwik Fit - I've been through all this routine including AC "specialists" and paid for regasses several times for little or no effect - but a machine is wheeled up, stuff sucked up, stuff pumped in and the people in the blue workwear leave it unattended.

First off, see if you have AC. As an easier visual than suggested, get your bonnet up and look down at your radiator area. The compresser that Opcomdiagnostics mentions is a slightly difficult spot for the new owner so, look down at the rad and scan your eyes to the left. you should be able to see the drier - it looks a bit like a zinc thermos flask. There will also be fairly narrow metal to rubber pipework that does not look like coolant pipes. They will lead to a pair of metal pipes feeding into your bulkhead, quite high up near the middle. None of this present means you have a useless button.

If you have, then something isn't working. The fan noise isn't related to the AC, but 4 is fairly noisy, 3 not too bad and 2 or 1 very easy on the ears. If 4 isn't noisy, your blower isn't performing but I'll concentrate on your AC for now. I'm in another country from my Combo (that I did finally fix the duff AC - many don't work because it can get expensive and the car is cheap now) so I can't tell you about whether those fuses need to be there. Missing ones (or blanked off) sounds ominous to me, though.

Some of this video might help you check if you have AC installed.

How to Add Refrigerant to a 2000-2006 Opel Corsa 2006 Opel Corsa C Van 1.3L 4 Cyl. Turbo Diesel

How to add freon to recharge the ac system in a $YearMakeModel in this how-to video

www.carcarekiosk.com

If you definitely have the bits, I'll go through the things to troubleshoot before regassing but not right now as it takes a lot of writing and not much point if Plod took it out.

 

[Mattymatronic]

No, it's wasteful (not very eco, if that concerns you) and, although Kwik Fit used to (don't know if they still do) make no charge if the regas doesn't cool the car, it's money spent for nada. Not knocking Kwik Fit - I've been through all this routine including AC "specialists" and paid for regasses several times for little or no effect - but a machine is wheeled up, stuff sucked up, stuff pumped in and the people in the blue workwear leave it unattended.

First off, see if you have AC. As an easier visual than suggested, get your bonnet up and look down at your radiator area. The compresser that Opcomdiagnostics mentions is a slightly difficult spot for the new owner so, look down at the rad and scan your eyes to the left. you should be able to see the drier - it looks a bit like a zinc thermos flask. There will also be fairly narrow metal to rubber pipework that does not look like coolant pipes. They will lead to a pair of metal pipes feeding into your bulkhead, quite high up near the middle. None of this present means you have a useless button.

If you have, then something isn't working. The fan noise isn't related to the AC, but 4 is fairly noisy, 3 not too bad and 2 or 1 very easy on the ears. If 4 isn't noisy, your blower isn't performing but I'll concentrate on your AC for now. I'm in another country from my Combo (that I did finally fix the duff AC - many don't work because it can get expensive and the car is cheap now) so I can't tell you about whether those fuses need to be there. Missing ones (or blanked off) sounds ominous to me, though.

Some of this video might help you check if you have AC installed.

How to Add Refrigerant to a 2000-2006 Opel Corsa 2006 Opel Corsa C Van 1.3L 4 Cyl. Turbo Diesel

How to add freon to recharge the ac system in a $YearMakeModel in this how-to video

www.carcarekiosk.com

If you definitely have the bits, I'll go through the things to troubleshoot before regassing but not right now as it takes a lot of writing and not much point if Plod took it out.

Cheers for this, it’s much appreciated I’ll have a look at the engine tomorrow to see if I can see those parts.

yes part of the reason I thought kwik fit would be good is Because they are still doing the free if it doesn’t get 10 degrees colder offer. When I last had this issue in a car I ended up needing a new thermostat valve and I replaced it myself but had the benefit of a free regas essentially as that was my first port of call.

likewise this time if it makes it work then great, if not it will be free and if the compressor or something else needs replacing then I’ll have had a free regas. Better than fixing it, realising it needs gas and then having to pay for it I suppose.

 

[corsaz22se]

It's not clear from the photo's you put up as to if you have fuses 52 and 53 or any of the relays for the A/C system If you post a full picture of you fuse/relay box and a shot from above of complete engine bay some one will tell you if you have A/C or not.

 

[ozsubrosa]

* and I should have typed condenser, not compressor. I often mistype between the two but Omicron is fogging my head more than usual. Both are present, but the condenser is like a second radiator for the refrigerant - right in front of the coolant one and can be difficult to confirm in situ compared to the drier.

The Kwik Fit offer is a good one (they did not charge me for my Focus, which required replacement hosing) whereas ATS tried to hand it back to me with the fan on 4 and I returned inside 5 mins saying the regas had failed. They plugged in a laptop and pretended that it was telling them I had some body control module problem. I asked if they used Opcom or Tech2 and they scuttled off shrugging "no refunds". Although the machines should tell them during evacuation that there are leak problems, most places just go ahead and pump in R134a anyway. I can't help thinking cynically that - unless the system leak is catastrophic or the compressor is burgered - you'll notice the lovely cool air and pay up only to be back to square one in days or even hours.

HST, if plod really has removed the installed AC then they will have no high and low pressure valves to hook up to and you'll have an answer really quickly. It might just then be that it was well overdue for a regas and you're back to cool cabin but, if not, any parts replacement means evacuation and regas again.