[Stranger17]

There has been no cooling in my Swift, took the car to the Maruti A.S.S , they are saying there is no gas due to leakage and have stripped the dashboard to find the cause of leakage. They are currently trying to find the source of leakage but have been unsuccessful so far saying that the leakage is minor and they are trying to find its exact location. Any help from the experts would be useful.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Stranger17

There has been no cooling in my Swift, took the car to the Maruti A.S.S , they are saying there is no gas due to leakage and have stripped the dashboard to find the cause of leakage. They are currently trying to find the source of leakage but have been unsuccessful so far saying that the leakage is minor and they are trying to find its exact location. Any help from the experts would be useful.

1. Check the AC filter and make sure it is clean.
2. Cooling coil / compressor etc check for leaks.
3. Inject UV dye through the system mixed in refrigerant and see where the leak is
4. Check your radiator and see that it isn't choked with rust / low on water etc .. that too will cause AC cutoff

[Stranger17]

Originally Posted by hserus

1. Check the AC filter and make sure it is clean.
2. Cooling coil / compressor etc check for leaks.
3. Inject UV dye through the system mixed in refrigerant and see where the leak is
4. Check your radiator and see that it isn't choked with rust / low on water etc .. that too will cause AC cutoff

Thanks for your input, they put the car for nitrogen gas testing to find the source of leakage as there was no problem in cooling coil / compressor. After several hours they couldn't find any major leakage and confirmed that the culprit was O-rings which had swollen in size.
The car was low on AC gas so they refilled it, O-rings on the joints were replaced and total damages turned out to 4880 , out of which labour for Car AC inspection and gas refilling was 3300 which I felt was on the higher side.

[boniver]

Originally Posted by boniver

Uncanny resemblance.

Update: The issue has resolved itself on its own. Drove ~90kms in the city over 5 hours last night and the AC was working fabulously. I had to keep changing the controls because I was feeling really cold

A new issue has cropped up though. The belt squealing sound was coming on sometime in May, and I got both the AC belt and the fan belt replaced, which got rid of the noise. The belt was tightened properly back then. Previously I had to wait till the engine heated up and then turn on the AC, and then the sound wouldnt be there. After replacing the belts, I could turn on the AC even when the engine was cold and there would be no issues. A month back, the squealing noise started again. I reverted back to switching the AC on only after the engine heated up. Now though, the sound comes on randomly when the AC is on. It definitely comes on when I slow down and accelerate again without downshifting. Whenever this happens, I turn the AC and the blower off, downshift, accelerate and turn the AC on again. That gets rid of the noise, but it comes back on whenever I slow down again. The noise also increases with accelerator input.

Seems like the belt has become loose again. I'm ruling out the possibility of them being worn out in just a couple of months. The belt changing work was done at a HASC. What could be the issue now?

[interest]

This about an AC related issue with my 8 yr old i20. Earlier this year, I got some major works done on the AC involving cooling coil replacement, level 5 service and possibly compressor replacement. Am not completely sure about the last name but there were 2 components including cooling coil that were replaced and given that the bill was around 35k, I think it was the compressor. The works were done at a Hyundai service station.

The AC has been working fine since but off late I have been observing that there is a significant time delay before cool air starts coming out of the vents. This happens mostly when I start the car after a long period (8-10 hours). Once the cool air starts flowing, there is no problem with the cooling. Even if I am running errands where I have to periodically halt the car and then start it again, the AC works fine and cool air starts coming out instantaneously. It is only when the car is started after a long gap that I face this issue. The warranty related to the works that I got done will expire by the end of this month so I am keen to get the AC retested but it would be useful to know what could be the possible reasons so that I don't face a situation where the service guys brush it off as a non-issue, taking note of the approaching warranty deadline, only to have the issue become more severe next month when it is out of warranty. Grateful for your suggestions and guidance.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by interest

This about an AC related issue with my 8 yr old i20. Earlier this year, I got some major works done on the AC involving cooling coil replacement, level 5 service and possibly compressor replacement. Am not completely sure about the last name but there were 2 components including cooling coil that were replaced and given that the bill was around 35k, I think it was the compressor. The works were done at a Hyundai service station.

What was the condition of your condenser? Did you have that checked too? If you've got a new coil and compressor, the only other critical component I can think of is the condenser.

[interest]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

What was the condition of your condenser? Did you have that checked too? If you've got a new coil and compressor, the only other critical component I can think of is the condenser.

The service advisor has said that there was no problem with the condenser. I hope there is no problem with it. What do you think could be the problem with the condenser that would lead to the symptoms I described.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by interest

The service advisor has said that there was no problem with the condenser. I hope there is no problem with it. What do you think could be the problem with the condenser that would lead to the symptoms I described.

Because the symptoms you mentioned could be due to a clogged condenser or evaporator.

Does it blow hot air or blows no air at first and then after you switch it off for a while and turn it on again it blows cold again? If this is the case, it could be due to icing. Usually happens due to low refrigerant.

You'll need to get the entire system checked by an AC expert. A wrong diagnosis can set you back by a few thousands without really fixing the actual problem.

[interest]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Because the symptoms you mentioned could be due to a clogged condenser or evaporator.

Does it blow hot air or blows no air at first and then after you switch it off for a while and turn it on again it blows cold again? If this is the case, it could be due to icing. Usually happens due to low refrigerant.

It blows normal (room temperature) air for an extended time (1-2min) when I start the AC after a long period (8-10hours). Once cold air starts coming out, it functions perfectly fine. It works well even when I start it after a short halt (45min-1 hr). It is only the long halts (half a day, for eg.) that lead to the behaviour I described.

[boniver]

Originally Posted by boniver

Update: The issue has resolved itself on its own. Drove ~90kms in the city over 5 hours last night and the AC was working fabulously.

The very next afternoon, the AC stopped working completely after driving through traffic for ~3 hours. Fortunately, I was close to home so I just drove home and brushed it aside as the AC acting up like it does usually on my car after a long drive in the heat (notice that the AC doesn't trip at night even when driving for a long time).

Was occupied over the next week so didn't get a chance to take the car out. Finally took it out yesterday morning, and exactly 30 minutes into the journey, the AC stopped working. It was keeping the cabin chilled until that point, and it simply just gave up. No amount of cajoling on my part (stopping for a while, taking out the fuse and replacing it) would help, and I got cooked in the midday heat. Decided to get the issue solved once and for all, and drove straight to Daga Autolek in Kolkata (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/other...k-kolkata.html (Automotive Air-conditioning - Daga Autolek (Kolkata))). Friendly DBHPian SS-Traveller also happens to be a well-wisher of the place, and he was kind enough to drop Mr. Daga a text stating that I was known to him.
Got the car back today, and all appears to be fine. The condenser and the compressor clutch had to be replaced. The compressor also had a leak so that was sealed. Total damage: Rs. 11,000.
Took a longer route back home today (45kms instead of the usual 29kms) over a period of 3.5 hours and I'm happy to report that the AC works fine now. There's less cooling at standstill (expected, I guess?), but the cabin gets chilled when I'm driving steadily. Keeping fingers crossed, and hoping no more AC issues crop up in the near future.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by interest

It blows normal (room temperature) air for an extended time (1-2min) when I start the AC after a long period (8-10hours). Once cold air starts coming out, it functions perfectly fine. It works well even when I start it after a short halt (45min-1 hr). It is only the long halts (half a day, for eg.) that lead to the behaviour I described.

The next time, when you start the car after a long period, notice if the compressor kicks in. I feel that the compressor is kicking in late, whixh is what translates to normal temperature air flowing in and then as soon as the compressor kicks in, the cool air starts flowing.

Check the above. And if it's the case, take it to a car electrician. He'll be able to diagnose the issue.

[Pancham]

My 9 year old i20 these days start off with a squealing noise. It goes away after about 30-45 seconds of the vehicle moving. Very recently I observed that if I switch off the AC the sound goes away. All this happens in the initial 30-45 seconds of starting the car. This usually happens when I start the car after about 8-10 hours in the morning.

P.S: I remember this sound used to come out a lot of old Tata Indicas.

[vigsom]

^^Please get your a.c. belt changed; it is purely due to the part ageing.

[boniver]

Originally Posted by Pancham

My 9 year old i20 these days start off with a squealing noise. It goes away after about 30-45 seconds of the vehicle moving. Very recently I observed that if I switch off the AC the sound goes away. All this happens in the initial 30-45 seconds of starting the car. This usually happens when I start the car after about 8-10 hours in the morning.

P.S: I remember this sound used to come out a lot of old Tata Indicas.

It's a squealing AC belt that has either gotten worn out or loose. My Santro exhibits the same behaviour too, which was rectified when I got the belt replaced at HASS in June. Stayed silent for exactly a month before cropping up again so I've learnt to live with it now. I now drive without the AC for a couple of minutes (till the engine heats up) and then turn the AC on. It doesn't squeal that way.
I was under the impression that since the belt is new, the sound would go away if the belt was tightened again, but I highlighted the issue at a recent visit to Daga Autolek, Kolkata (details in post #295) and was informed that the sound will come back no matter what and that there's no fix for it unless I change the bearing that the belt runs on, and that the bearing is a part of the engine so it can't be changed separately.
Although I don't mind driving the initial couple of minutes without AC, it would be good if it can actually be fixed.

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by boniver

It's a squealing AC belt that has either gotten worn out or loose. My Santro exhibits the same behaviour too, which was rectified when I got the belt replaced at HASS in June. Stayed silent for exactly a month before cropping up again so I've learnt to live with it now. I now drive without the AC for a couple of minutes (till the engine heats up) and then turn the AC on. It doesn't squeal that way.
I was under the impression that since the belt is new, the sound would go away if the belt was tightened again, but I highlighted the issue at a recent visit to Daga Autolek, Kolkata (details in post #295) and was informed that the sound will come back no matter what and that there's no fix for it unless I change the bearing that the belt runs on, and that the bearing is a part of the engine so it can't be changed separately.
Although I don't mind driving the initial couple of minutes without AC, it would be good if it can actually be fixed.

Originally Posted by vigsom

^^Please get your a.c. belt changed; it is purely due to the part ageing.

So basically there is no fix? And is it an expensive part? How much did HASS charge for your Santro?