Ac compeser not spinning

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Si7
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Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

Hi, I have a citroen c4 grand picasso 2010 my ac gas was empty so I had it cleaned out and regas no mmy aiir con doesn't work at all, my garage said I need a new compressor but I find it strange that it was all working well before iit ran out of gas, looking on the Internet it says check the fuse but I can't seam to locate we're they are. Are the inside the care or under the bonnet. Thanks for anny help.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Post your VIN here so I can determine the model and correct fuse.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by GiveMeABreak »

F14 in the BSI is for the Control panel - Air conditioning ECU. If the control panels work OK, then it won't be that.
Are the engine radiator cooling fans kicking in when the vehicle engine temperature gets really hot? The Maxi Fuse for the engine cooling fans is in the engine compartment fuse box and is Maxi Fuse MF1.
It's always possible of course that the condenser has been hit with a stone chip after you had it re-gassed resulting in another leak of course..
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

Yes fans kick in no problem panels work fine they have checked by putting dye in it to see for leeks, I was told once the gass in the ac got low it shuts of the compresser to stop it damaged it further? Does this mean I need a new one? I have been on google that says check fuse but wasn't sure which one they was on a bout for this job.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Air con can be re-gassed, but it should ideally be done somewhere that knows what they are doing. The process should (with the right equipment) take around an hour to complete, as the equipment will reclaim the old refrigerant and oil, put a vacuum on the air con (to test for some leaks), then add new oil, refrigerant and indicator dye.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

It did go to a proper garage that took about 60 mins to do it, do these have a compressor clutch fuse I can check in the fuse box.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

Or is there an ac relay fuse to check.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Si7 wrote: 30 Jul 2019, 10:53 Yes fans kick in no problem panels work fine they have checked by putting dye in it to see for leeks, I was told once the gass in the ac got low it shuts of the compresser to stop it damaged it further? Does this mean I need a new one? I have been on google that says check fuse but wasn't sure which one they was on a bout for this job.
Yes, as I said, the A/C compressor will be shut down if the gas becomes too low, or if the engine temperature is too high (until the temperature drops, then it will re-engage again).

Compressors can fail (I had mine replaced a few years ago), after I had it back int he garage 4-5 times looking for a leak. They kept refilling it and finally replaced the condenser - but shortly after that the compressor packed up on a very hot day.

I can't say what the cause was - but possibly the constant leaking and filling of gas when they were trying to locate the leak might have damaged the compressor when operating but constantly low on gas.

Had no issues with my new compressor - but it is important to keep them operating weekly to ensure the seals are lubricated and don't dry out. Once they start to dry up, they perish and the gas leaks out. This puts strain on the system and although at some point the compressor will be switched off - I suspect cumulative damage can be done over time.

Some people leave their A/C off to improve fuel economy in the winter months - but when they come to use it in the hot weather - this is when we see a high number of failures. There must be about 5 threads this last week on failed A/C - I can only put it down to the hot weather and this might be a factor in the number of breakdowns / failures now that people who may not use it all the time are suddenly putting a big demand on their A/C.

If you have climate control. it is better to set the temperature and leave it on AUTO to ensure the system is operating regularly and kept lubricated.

As for the relays - no they are integrated into the engine Fuse Box electronics from what I can see.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

Is the car safe to drive as long as I don't use the ac.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Yes, it won't affect the car's running at all - you just won't have an A/C.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

Is there no way of engaging the clutch to get the ac working again or is it just a new compressre.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Without taking the compressor off and testing it, there's no way to know if the compressor is faulty for sure. These are not the easiest to get to on this model as space is pretty tight. An A/C specialist could do this, but by the time you've taken it off and tested it, there will be labour charges incurred. You could take it back to the garage and say it's not working since they regassed it.

Also, I've had one case here where the system was recharged with the wrong volume of gas and that shot the compressor! Ask you garage how much gas they filled it with.

It should be 450 grammes of refrigerant in total. There is another value (675 grammes), but that is NOT for your C4 Picasso - as 675 grammes is only for vehicles with additional air conditioning fitted - therefore a larger system - which your Picasso does not have according to your VIN. I would ask them what capacity they filled it to first of all - don't tell them - and see what they say. If they tell you it is the larger amount - you may have a claim as they have used the wrong amount!

You can't force the clutch to engage and doing so would surely finish it off if it's not already damaged as there would be no oil circulating and therefore no lubrication.
VehiclesEngine TypesRPO numberRefrigerant Charge (in grammes)
C4 PICASSOall models-450 *(1)
675 *(2)
*(1) = Single Air Conditioning
*(2) = Additional air conditioning
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by Si7 »

OK that's very interesting what you have put there thanks, the garage did say when you put new gass in when there is none in already, if there is a slight fault in the compresser it will make it worse and not work anymore, I did tell him I have never had a problem with it he said it can just happen.
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Re: Ac compeser not spinning

Post by xantia_v6 »

It is unfortunate that we don't know why the garage thinks that the compressor needs replacing. The two common reasons would be a faulty clutch or a leak.

If it is anything else, then more diagnosis is required, for example a lexia session.
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