S60 Air Con Failing

[Steveh24]

I've noticed on my S60 T5 that when my Air Con has been on for about 15 mins it starts to blow out warm air and I have to turn it off, if I turn it back on after 10 mins it starts to blow cold air for another 15 mins.

I was thinking that my AC wanted charging again, but surely it wouldn't work at all if this was the case, or should I just get it charged anyway.

Does anyone know what is wrong

[T5frankie]

my v70 used to do that its the compressor thats at fault it won't make a difference if its fully charged or not

[t5 stealth]

if its low on pressure then it will do strange things,if its so low on gas then it wont work attall as there is a pressure sensor in line that detects a pressure drop and wont operate the ac if it aint up to pressure,
you night be right on the limit of gas thats just enough to run ac for a short time,
i dont suppose its been used through the winter so now it dont wana go again,
check where you can to see if any leaks or bright green colouring to any of the ac components,usually you need a uv light but sometimes if its leaking enough then you can see a collection of dye around the ac rad or pipework etc .
but i think a regas might help it,
if you go to local place that does ac im sure they will check it for you,
halfords etc may have some deal going as the summer is on its way...

[wegal]

yup regas and have it checked for leaks. The aircon gas is very very leaky, it has tiny molecules and they are small enough to leak out through the ruber pipes over time. The aircon system has oil in it that flows round and coats the pipes, hugely reducing loss through the pipe work. If you dont run the aircon for a prolonged period then the oil in the pipes dries out and the gas leaks away.

You should run your aircon at least once a week to keep the oils flowing round pipe work.

I suspect that when the gas is cold is has enough pressure to operate the system, but as it absorbs the heat from the car and runs through the heat exchanger that the pressure is dropping and cutting out the system.

The first port of call with dodgy aircon is always a regas and a leak test. The aircon rad sits at the front of the three heat exhangers ( i think ) on the S60 and so is the first port of call for stones and other things to hit it. Eventually they get so mashed up that they stop working and need to be replaced.

[The Flying Moose]

If you can be bothered here is a tip with Kwik-Fit and re-gassing.

A Kwik-Fit re-gass typically costs £50.... this can be reduced to about a tenner. Nonsense you might think. Actually no. All you need is a couple of spanners 10 minutes and an auxiliary belt from a car without airconditioning, Im sure you see where im going here. Swap the belt for the non a/c belt and take it to Kwik-Fit. There policy states that if there is not a notable difference in the a/c temperature its free. Go home put the other belt on and away you go.

I have tried and tested this in Lincoln Kwik-Fit and they fell for it as the a/c clutch still clicks into action.

[t5 stealth]

If you can be bothered here is a tip with Kwik-Fit and re-gassing.

A Kwik-Fit re-gass typically costs £50.... this can be reduced to about a tenner. Nonsense you might think. Actually no. All you need is a couple of spanners 10 minutes and an auxiliary belt from a car without airconditioning, Im sure you see where im going here. Swap the belt for the non a/c belt and take it to Kwik-Fit. There policy states that if there is not a notable difference in the a/c temperature its free. Go home put the other belt on and away you go.

I have tried and tested this in Lincoln Kwik-Fit and they fell for it as the a/c clutch still clicks into action.

your a bad man lol

[Flatout Phil]

I am having the annual aircon man visit on Tuesday. His verdict on KwikFit is that a regas is all well and good but aircon does need more than just a top up - should be drained off, oiled and regassed and leak tested at the very least. Volvo aircon is fussy so I would definitely get a specialist involved. Your problem sounds like the clutch is needing a reshim and a regas (works fine for a bit, cuts out for a bit, etc) - not a massive job but needs a bit of nouse and not a job for the uninitiated. The condenser (the cylinder thing next to the radiator) tends to rust at the seams and is an easy replacement - but again one for a specialist - although even a good system on an old car leaks refridgerant in about two years.
IMHO a lot of money can be wasted trying to do things on the cheap (well, unless you are called Emlyn that is ;) ) so bite the bullet and get it looked at - I checked with Halfords and they charge the same for an aircon service as my mobile man - which
usually includes a re-shim - and he comes to my place saving me a lot of hassle.
Now of course if you have a leak in the evaporator - you might need Duane to help you rip your dash out ;)

[Flatout Phil]

If you can be bothered here is a tip with Kwik-Fit and re-gassing.

A Kwik-Fit re-gass typically costs £50.... this can be reduced to about a tenner. Nonsense you might think. Actually no. All you need is a couple of spanners 10 minutes and an auxiliary belt from a car without airconditioning, Im sure you see where im going here. Swap the belt for the non a/c belt and take it to Kwik-Fit. There policy states that if there is not a notable difference in the a/c temperature its free. Go home put the other belt on and away you go.

I have tried and tested this in Lincoln Kwik-Fit and they fell for it as the a/c clutch still clicks into action.

You'll be driving a three wheeler through Peckham before you know it...;)

[Steveh24]

Some interesting replies here and something I didn't say was that my A/C is on most of the time as it acts as dehumidifier which keeps the windows from misting up when it rains outside.

I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe it's my compressor`s magnetic clutch, the air gap is getting wider due to wear and tear, but I'm going to have to get it looked at before the summer arrives.