Air conditioning diagnosing

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Ollymuk
Bongonaut
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Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by Ollymuk » Fri Aug 07, 2020 2:36 pm

Hi all

My Aircon isn't working. I think I'm being led down the garden path.

Aircon doesn't work either front or rear. Fans do.

I took the van to the garage to have it regassed and they said that the gas ended up leaking from a pipe running under the van from the bonnet to the rear side heating unit. They are ordering a new pipe and new clips (the cause of the pipe damage). I was assuming that this leak, draining the Aircon gas/fluid, was the cause of the issue.

However Given that neither front nor rear AC is producing cold air, I wonder whether that is the cause.

Also, some people that they just remove or disable the rear heater unit, but if that also processes AC then I don't see why anyone would, as the van is SO hot I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to turn off AC.

Any help diagnosing the issues would be appreciated. I can't find a bongo aware AC specialist so I'm having to use normal local garages.

Olly
willow2u
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by willow2u » Fri Aug 07, 2020 5:49 pm

I would imagine if you’re leaking from that pipe your air on won’t work front or back. I would be super surprised if ordering a new one is possible would it be worth finding where the pipe is leaking from and solder a sleeve in
Ollymuk
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by Ollymuk » Fri Aug 07, 2020 5:53 pm

It's leaking in multiple places. At some point the clips have been replaced with jubilees which have ribbed through the pipe.

New pipe is on order, but the clips are on back order. I tried to find another source for the clips and this lead down a rabbit hole of people saying that that unit doesn't do AC, only heat. Other people saying it should be removed completely, some saying that there are two AC units etc.

So, hence my question about how to diagnose AC faults. I have no reason to disbelieve the garage at all, they've always been very good, just want to understand it more.
Bob
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by Bob » Fri Aug 07, 2020 6:38 pm

Some of the details are indeed contradictory, maybe if you pop a rough location in your profile someone might be able to suggest a local expert? :)

I'm not familiar with rear aircon, but if you have a gas leak none of it will work.

Also, keep in mind if the system has had no gas, or not been used, for some time the seals will have dried out and new gas may well leak away.
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g8dhe
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by g8dhe » Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:07 pm

The system is only one system, one compressor, and two cooling matrices one for the front and one for the rear why not use the mechanical diagrams ?
http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... tr.html#12
Geoff
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Ollymuk
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by Ollymuk » Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:20 pm

Literally Japanese to me.

Not looking to repair them, just understand them.

Thanks anyway.
willow2u
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by willow2u » Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:52 pm

I have done away with the rear heater unit running all those pipes especially the water ones seems like a problem waiting to happen hoping to run a bit of trunking from the front heater/air con and connect into the head level vents to blow some heat or cold for the second class occupants in the back and another plus the extra storage space created is immense
cwilliams255
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Re: Air conditioning diagnosing

Post by cwilliams255 » Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:16 pm

What’s a bit contradictory here is you’re are talking about aircon and “clips”, sure there are clips that hold the pipe work in place along its path but there are no clips in AC pipe work itself, all fittings are hold by screws or screw fittings.

The AC and heaters are completely independent in terms of pipe work components so some clarification is needed. If you look underneath where the rear heater is you’ll see 2 rubber hoses and 2 metal fixings. The metal ones are the AC and the rubber ones coolant (heater). You can trace their path reasonable easily if you can get underneath.

If the problem is with the pipe work of the metal ones, then to fix normally you’d need to remove from the vehicle and give them to an aluminium welder. The main section which runs from the front to the back is difficult to remove in one piece and in terms of ordering new pipe work the only place I found was via the Ian and this forum direct from Japan (although bongo spares will have some spares probably). In the end I fitted some flexible hose inbetween on mine but needed an AC hose crimper to do this

I’ve spend quite a bit of time with the AC system so can probably help
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