C5 Air con not working

Post your Cit/Peu/Ren air conditioning queries or advice.

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skycar
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C5 Air con not working

Post by skycar »

Hello to all here and thanks in advance for any thoughts/feedback.
I live in Queensland Australia were it is nearly always hot and humid, therefore the air con is on all year round. My air con was working as per usual (perfectly) up until yesterday afternoon when I drove home from work, (it was working in the morning on the way to work).
Now the there is no cool air at all but the fan works?
My car is a 2012 C5 VIN VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], mentioned here before as a .............DW10CTED4 163 2.0 HDi
Maybe this topic has been addressed before, my apologies if this is repetitive.
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

I would guess that the condenser has taken a stone in the matrix (it is like a radiator), letting the refrigerant out. If it was properly re-gassed it would have had a UV dye added, which can then be seen using a UV light and suitable googles.
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by xantia_v6 »

It could also be a downstream effect of another fault. If there is any engine fault that could affect the cooling system, the engine ECU will disable the A/C compressor (some of these faults are not notified on the dashboard).

I would think that you would be best to take it to an A/C specialist, if he finds no pressure in the system, then he will know what to do to refill it or find a leak. If he finds that there is normal static pressure but the compressor does not cut-in, then you need to have the engine fault codes and A/C fault codes read with a Lexia/Diagbox tool to get some clues as to where to look next.
skycar
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by skycar »

Thanks Xanta very helpful.
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by GiveMeABreak »

skycar wrote: 19 Feb 2020, 19:51 Hello to all here and thanks in advance for any thoughts/feedback.
I live in Queensland Australia were it is nearly always hot and humid, therefore the air con is on all year round. My air con was working as per usual (perfectly) up until yesterday afternoon when I drove home from work, (it was working in the morning on the way to work).
Now the there is no cool air at all but the fan works?
My car is a 2012 C5 VIN VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], mentioned here before as a .............DW10CTED4 163 2.0 HDi
Maybe this topic has been addressed before, my apologies if this is repetitive.
If it's low on gas the compressor will cut out as a preventative safety measure. Getitng someone to switch the A/C in and out will get the fan running when active and off when stopped and you should be able to see the compressor clutch engaging or not - but not if it has been disabled due to low gas.

A top up with a UV dye would be a good start from a garage with A/C testing / refilling kit. if it is leaking then it won't take long to leak out. If it is a leak, don't leave it too long - my X7 was in the dealer 5 times in a month trying to locate the leak. When they finally found a nick in the very top of the condenser and replaced it, then topped it up I thought that was the end of it - unfortunately not. A long journey in the sweltering heat and the compressor went next. New compressor fitted!

I suspect that the constant filling and discharging of the refrigerant and the air entering the system has possible caused problems, or the oild in the compressor may have been over diluted, who knows. But I suspect it had something to do with it.
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skycar
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by skycar »

xantia_v6 wrote: 19 Feb 2020, 22:04 It could also be a downstream effect of another fault. If there is any engine fault that could affect the cooling system, the engine ECU will disable the A/C compressor (some of these faults are not notified on the dashboard).

I would think that you would be best to take it to an A/C specialist, if he finds no pressure in the system, then he will know what to do to refill it or find a leak. If he finds that there is normal static pressure but the compressor does not cut-in, then you need to have the engine fault codes and A/C fault codes read with a Lexia/Diagbox tool to get some clues as to where to look next.
I have a warning on the speedo display before I start the engine which says "Oil level measurement invalid". This has been there for a year even though the oil is replaced every 6 months at service and the level is always full.
There is also a very strong engine oil (crankcase) smell when the car is driven for 25 mins or more.
My car has very low K's for a 2012 model .......64,000.
Do you think this might be related or more problems?
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by GiveMeABreak »

I don't know of any cases where the engine ECU will disable the A/C apart from overheating or cooling issues / or of course a direct fault with the A/C system compressor or low gas etc.

Your oil leak may possibly be from several locations - seals on the crakshaft seal support on the cylinder block or lip or the upper sump seal and several other places - so some further troubleshooting may be in order.

If the warning only comes on when the ignition is turned on - then get it diagnosed with Diagbox. if the code returned is P250E, (Engine oil level sensor: Invalid measurement when the ignition is turned on), this is caused by a fault in the plausibility of the oil level on starting, detected through a fault in communication between ECUs.

It may disappear after 10 consecutive starts, but if not then the above code should be stored in the engine ECU.

You may experience any one or more of the following symptoms:
  • Oil level display incorrect
  • Engine acceleration at wrong time
  • Noise
  • Leak of fluid/odours (fuel, oil, etc.)
  • Smoke from the exhaust
  • Engine hesitating, cutting out
  • Lack of power
  • Starting problem
In this case, the suspect is the Engine ECU...
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Marc
skycar
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by skycar »

Thanks to all here for your helpful thoughts and knowledge.
I took my car to a local Peugeot Technician, firstly he noticed my oil fill cap had been changed for an emergency (simple) replacement. This is where the fumes are coming from, so a replacement has been ordered.
Secondly the air con system was down on gas and the magnetic drive clutch stopped working.
Also the oil measurement sensor was replaced.
Everything is all good, thanks again to all here,
regards from Australia. =D>
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C5 MK II 2.0 HDi Exclusive Obsidian Black
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Glad you got it all sorted in one go it seems :)
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Hell Razor5543
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Re: C5 Air con not working

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Good news, and I do like highly competent mechanics.
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