How cold is the air conditioning?

[Jon 41]

I also have a similar problem which could also answer the original question.
My air con isn't performing as it used to so I tried having it re-gassed. The garage said it couldn't be done because there was a fault on the cooling fans. When the air con is switched on, after a couple of minutes of running the air con radiator (at the very front) becomes quite warm at which time the fans are supposed to kick in at slow speed to cool it. If they don't the condensor clicks off until it cools enough and then cuts back in, thus reducing the air con cooling efficiency. The cooling fans work perfectly for the coolant, both kicking in at full speed until cooled and then switching off completely, but not for the air con. Apparently the brown electrical plug on top of the condensor when disconnected and the terminals bridged should bring the cooling fans on at air con speed (about half normal speed) but on mine it doesn't. To me this suggests a relay or electrical problem. Has anyone else come across this before who can point me to the offending relay or wiring. The two air con relays behind the o/s/f headlight have been interchanged to no avail.
If I had any hair left I would pull it out

[francophile1947]

The fans should come on when the aircon is switched on IIRC - therefore running all the time the aircon is on.

[g8dhe]

Which type of A/C do you have the Manual or Electronic version ?

[Jon 41]

I have the climate control / electronic type

[trevd01]

This thread reminds me of many I have read and replied to in the past.

We were fortunate to have a relatively new and pretty perfect Bongo. It came with a full Japanese provenance, service history and 100% documented genuine mileage (which incidentally was much higher than many). It was also very expensive. (And despite having a fabulous brand new camper we really miss it).

There are so many times I have responded to posts of people wondering whether it is normal for a Bongo to do this, that, or the other.

A Bongo in perfect nick behaves like most of the other vehicles I have ever owned, in other words

• it doesn't overheat and leak water from its cooling system,
• the doors don't flex outwards in the wind at speed,
• it doesn't vibrate at the traffic lights,
• you can carry on a normal conversation with passengers while driving,
• the wheels don't wobble,
• there are no knocking noises from the suspension,
• the headlamps are clear and bright,
• the roof goes up and comes down again every time,
• the air conditioning is a cold as any other car etc, etc.

We had our Bongo for three years and it never had any problems whatsoever. Not even a bulb needed replacing. Three MOTs passed first time. But we did pay for a full service each year despite us doing a modest mileage.

It's not that it is old that causes a vehicle to have problems, it is down to lack of maintenance sometime in the past. (Doesn't explain the flexing door syndrome, though, I grant you that)

So if your aircon is not cold, its not right and needs some maintenance.

[Jon 41]

The fans should come on when the aircon is switched on IIRC - therefore running all the time the aircon is on.

So if they don't, does anybody have any idea what the cause is or could be?

[splitpin]

The fans should come on when the aircon is switched on IIRC - therefore running all the time the aircon is on.

Don't think fans should run all time aircon is on, should switch off and on as condenser is cooled, only when van is stationary or slow moving, when moving fast enough condenser cooled by natural airflow.

[mister munkey]

Saying that, it sounds familiar.

My fan comes off & on but I only ever use the Auto button & setting the temp, once it gets about right the fan becomes intermittent as its just topping up (or down) the temp.

On the rare occasions I've used the fan button, it does seem to have been running all the time.

Gonna go for a spin & check it out.

[mikeonb4c]

This thread reminds me of many I have read and replied to in the past.

We were fortunate to have a relatively new and pretty perfect Bongo. It came with a full Japanese provenance, service history and 100% documented genuine mileage (which incidentally was much higher than many). It was also very expensive. (And despite having a fabulous brand new camper we really miss it).

There are so many times I have responded to posts of people wondering whether it is normal for a Bongo to do this, that, or the other.

A Bongo in perfect nick behaves like most of the other vehicles I have ever owned, in other words

• it doesn't overheat and leak water from its cooling system,
• the doors don't flex outwards in the wind at speed,
• it doesn't vibrate at the traffic lights,
• you can carry on a normal conversation with passengers while driving,
• the wheels don't wobble,
• there are no knocking noises from the suspension,
• the headlamps are clear and bright,
• the roof goes up and comes down again every time,
• the air conditioning is a cold as any other car etc, etc.

We had our Bongo for three years and it never had any problems whatsoever. Not even a bulb needed replacing. Three MOTs passed first time. But we did pay for a full service each year despite us doing a modest mileage.

It's not that it is old that causes a vehicle to have problems, it is down to lack of maintenance sometime in the past. (Doesn't explain the flexing door syndrome, though, I grant you that)

So if your aircon is not cold, its not right and needs some maintenance.

All true of course, though not sure how this helps us with identifying precisely is wrong with the aircon on our ageing imperfect Bongos. Also of course yours was a later model and whilst a new car behaves (or should) like a new car, one model may behave differently from another one.

Very interesting post from Jon 41 about condensor clicking on and off in absence of adequate cooling. My condensor DOES I think click on and off, though I think my rad cooling fans are coming on OK (but I will check). Can anyone else confirm if their aircon condensor switches on and off in normal use?

Jon 41 - would fitting manual over-ride switches to your cooling fans provide a crude workaround (maybe also fit a Mason alarm to keep an eye on possible overcooling of engine with them on?)

[trevd01]

All true of course, though not sure how this helps us with identifying precisely is wrong with the aircon on our ageing imperfect Bongos. Also of course yours was a later model and whilst a new car behaves (or should) like a new car, one model may behave differently from another one.

Ah yes, MIke. I was trying to point out the subtle difference between maintenance/servicing (fixing/replacing something before it goes wrong) and repair (fixing something after it has gone wrong). Fortunately the airliners we fly on are maintained, but many Bongos are repaired when they need to be. Difficult call when running an older vehicle, though, it may well be cost effective most of the time to just repair when things go wrong. For example it is far cheaper to fit a coolant alarm and repair your cooling system when warned by it of an over heating problem, than do all the flushing and cleaning and replace all the old hoses, pipes, thermostat, radiator etc, that you need to do with preventive maintenance.

anyway back on topic:


Most cost effective port of call after checking you have blown air coming out of the vents is to recharge the system - it should cost about £30.

Our Bongo had perfectly adequate aircon (manual aircon not climate, btw and no rear aircon) and we were perfectly happy with it for the first summer. But when we had it serviced before our second season camping, I asked my local garage to recharge (cost about £25 extra on the service) , having given them the spec from the factsheets for a front-only system. From then on it was a real arctic blast, turning us into Arctic Monkeys when turned up full...

[helen&tony]

Hi
I asked Tony what the guy over here said when he re-gassed the system, and with a probe or thermometer placed by the vent on the dash, it should read 5 or 6 degrees. Now, I believe an aircon system loses around 14% gas every year (approx.), naturally, so every couple of years it's worth having a re-gas as part of the running costs. What I have noticed over here, where it can get VERY hot in summer (A couple of years ago, a local shopkeeper put a thermometer outside and registered 50 Celcius), we find the Bongo aircon is as cool as a cucumber first thing in the morning when it's only 25C. in the courtyard, but park the Bongo in the sun, and the dashboard is as hot as Hades, so the aircon is warm until the air has been flowing for a while, and the vehicle is moving....when the dash gets hot, so does all the pipework underneath, and cooling it all down takes a while...
You must also run the aircon regularly to help maintain the seals, even in winter as when the system is re-gassed , they also re-oil it. Although the system in the Bongo is a partially divided system , it is still re-gassed from one point.It is a real pleasure to watch the experts here work as they pay huge attention to the environment and contain the released gas from the system (into the air), with safety in mind ...smoking a fag , but then a re-gas and system check reflects the level of consternation for our precious world...20.00 quid all in.
I would pay more for an ecologically sound job....but there isn't one!
Cheers
Helen

[Alison01326]

So, spend my hard-earned £35 and see what happens, then?

[mikeonb4c]

So, spend my hard-earned £35 and see what happens, then?

Excellent insights from Trev and from Helen - thanks. Alison, I'd just check and see if rad fans are coming on as they should be (as discussed above) when aircon is running. If they are, then I'd check air temp at e.g. dashboard front vents to see if you can get figures as per above. if not, then regass and keep fingers crossed it makes a difference. And let us know the outcome as this is a really useful thread for gathering info on what is normal and what is not, and what to do about it.

I know that mine has not been regassed for 2.5yrs so logic does suggest it would benefit from one. I may try and get mine done before hols if poss.

[Alison01326]

Really stupid question about checking radiator fans, but does that mean I have to pull over and run round the front and have a listen?

Will try and fit in checking temperature and possible regas before hols but that's only a week away. I shall need to get a thermometer from somewhere and work out whether I can manage without the Bongo for a few hours while the regas is done. Should have thought of this much earlier, really Will report back at some stage though, as I agree this is very useful.

I very rarely use the air con to be honest (yes, I know that I should for its own good), as it never gets that hot here - if the sun's been on the Bongo for a bit, I just open all the doors up for five minutes before we get in and get a through draft going. I normally drive with the windows slightly open anyway, and the rear windows open so that Isaac gets a bit of fresh air but I imagine it's going to be hotter on hols.

[mikeonb4c]

Really stupid question about checking radiator fans, but does that mean I have to pull over and run round the front and have a listen?

Indeed! I haven't thought that one through fully yet. You can test they come on with aircon by - with key in start position but engine not running - pressing in the aircon button (manual aircon - not sure how you do it with climate control). You should hear the rad. fans start running.

You have to find a position from which you can observe rad fans running when engine is running and aircon is switched on. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me from my query higher up, whether it is normal for the compressor (condensor?) to cut in and out when working properly. I'd assumed it was as the compressors job was to compress something up to a certain pressure before switching off, and switching on again when a sensor detected pressure had dropped and needed rebuilding. But this talk of condensors switching on and off because rad fans aren't switching on properly has got me confused.