Car air conditioning · Mansfield Woodhouse
Car Air Conditioning in Mansfield
Air con blowing warm, smelling musty or slow to clear the windscreen? We regas, leak test and repair car air conditioning, on older and newer cars alike.
We have machines for both refrigerant gases used in cars, the older R134a and the newer R1234yf, and a nitrogen leak tester to find out why a system has lost its gas before we fill it back up.
Air con regas Mansfield
Two gases, two machines: we do both
For years almost every car used the same air con gas, R134a. EU rules then moved new cars to a gas with a far lower impact on the climate. R134a was barred from new car designs from 2011 and from all new cars from 2017, and the industry switched to R1234yf.
So the cars on the road now are split. Older cars still run on R134a, and they can legally keep doing so. Newer cars run on R1234yf. The two gases aren’t interchangeable, and each one needs its own servicing machine.
We have both. Whether your car is fifteen years old or nearly new, we can regas it here with the gas it was built for.
Not sure which gas your car uses? There’s usually a sticker under the bonnet that says which refrigerant the system takes and how much. Or just send us your registration and we’ll check for you.
Signs of an air con fault
Symptoms worth getting checked
Air con usually fades rather than failing overnight, so it’s easy to put up with it for a summer or two. These are the signs we hear about most.
Not blowing cold
Air that’s only a bit cooler than outside, or warm altogether, often means the system is low on gas, and low on gas means it’s leaking somewhere.
Cold, then warm again
Cooling that comes and goes can point to an electrical fault, a sensor or a compressor that isn’t engaging properly.
Musty smell from the vents
Usually damp and bacteria in the system or a tired cabin filter, rather than a gas problem.
Noise when it’s switched on
A rattle, squeal or grinding that starts when you press the air con button should be looked at before it gets worse.
Water dripping under the car on a warm day? That’s usually normal. The air con takes moisture out of the air and drains it under the car. It’s the same reason the air con helps clear a misted windscreen, so it’s worth using it in winter too.
Air con leak test
Why we find the leak before we refill it
Car air con is a sealed system. If it’s low on gas, the gas has got out somewhere: a perished seal, a corroded pipe, a damaged condenser at the front of the car.
A regas on its own puts the gas back, and on a system with only a slow loss that can be all it needs. But if there’s a real leak, the new gas follows the old one out and you’re back where you started.
That’s what our nitrogen leak tester is for. The system is filled with nitrogen under pressure and watched to see whether it holds. If it doesn’t, we trace where it’s escaping from.
It means we find the fault without losing refrigerant into a leaking system, and you only pay for a regas once the system can hold it.
How it works
What happens when your car comes in
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Check the system
We look at how the air con is performing, whether the compressor is working and whether there are any fault codes, so we know if it’s a gas problem or something else.
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Recover the old gas
Whatever is left in the system is recovered by the machine for your car’s gas, not vented into the air.
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Test for leaks
If the system won’t hold, the nitrogen leak test tells us where it’s losing gas, and we quote for the repair before doing anything.
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Regas
The system is refilled with the right gas and the right amount for your car.
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Check it blows cold
We run the air con and check it’s cooling properly before the car goes home.
How much does it cost?
It depends on which gas your car takes, how much the system holds and whether anything needs repairing. The newer R1234yf gas costs a lot more than R134a, which is why an air con regas can vary so much from one car to the next.
Gas and parts prices also move, so rather than publish a figure that’s out of date by the time you ring, we quote for your car on the day. Send us your registration and we’ll come back to you.
Faults we can repair
If the leak test or our checks find a failed part, such as a leaking pipe or seal, a damaged condenser or a faulty compressor, we’ll tell you what it is and what it will take to put right. Repairs are done here by our own repairs team.
Why Star Garage
Why have your air con done with us
Old and new gas, in-house
We have machines for both R134a and R1234yf, so we don’t need to send your car anywhere else whatever its age.
We find the leak first
Nitrogen leak testing tells us whether the system will hold its gas, so you’re not paying to refill a system that will just empty again.
The whole car, not just the air con
We’re a full workshop. If there’s an electrical fault behind the problem, our diagnostics will find it, and the air con can be checked at the same visit as a service.
Questions
Air con questions we get asked
How often does car air con need a regas?
There’s no fixed interval. Systems lose a little gas over the years, so if it isn’t as cold as it used to be, it’s worth a check. If it needs topping up often, there’s a leak that should be found.
Should my older car be converted to the new gas?
No. Cars built to run on R134a can legally keep using it, and we have the machine to regas them with it.
Why does a regas cost more on newer cars?
Newer cars use R1234yf, and the gas itself costs much more than the older R134a. It also needs its own servicing equipment.
What causes a musty smell from the air con?
Usually damp and bacteria building up in the system, or a cabin filter that’s overdue. A new cabin filter is the first thing to check. Running the air con regularly, even in winter, helps too.
Should I use the air con in winter?
Yes. It dries the air, which clears a misted windscreen faster, and running it regularly keeps the system working rather than sitting idle for months.
How much does an air con regas cost?
It depends on which gas your car uses and how much it holds, so we quote per car. Send us your registration and we’ll come back to you with a price.
Air con not what it was? Send us the registration
Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00. 2 Warsop Road, Mansfield Woodhouse.