Frequently Asked Questions

Why get my aircon serviced and regassed?

Not cold enough
Air con making strange noises
Windows not demisting
Car sickness, headache and runny nose

Car air conditioning systems will on average loose up to 25% of their refrigerant every year. This can lead to problems for the car’s occupants, as a poorly performing car air-con system can cause a build up of bacteria, fungus and other nasty microbes inside the air-con evaporator core which often results in stale and undesirable odours and car sickness.

Most car manufacturer’s including Hybrid, Audi/Seat/VW, BMW, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Vauxhall etc recommend that your car air conditioning system is serviced every 2 years, however this is an extra, chargeable service item that’s not included in your car’s regular maintenance service schedules.

This includes both minor and major car services and as a result your car air conditioning system is never serviced, unless you specifically ask your dealer to carry out the car re-gas service of course, which can lead to an expensive bill, costing more than £100.

Why is my car’s air conditioning not working?

There are several possible reasons why your cars aircon is not working. The most common reason is a lack of gas in the aircon system, which may be due to a leak or lack of servicing.

Why do we add UV dye?

This is to help find leaks, If the Air Conditioning system has ultraviolet dye circulating in it, we can use an ultraviolet black-light lamp and special glasses to look for traces of the dye.

We also use a Electronic Gas Leak Detector

Do you offer a re-gas service for vehicles which take the new gas R1234yf ?

Yes.. R1234yf is the new refrigerant beginning to enter the British market, replacing R134a and providing substantial environmental benefits.

Cost start from £125 (upto 600g)

Which cars use the new R1234yf gas?

Cars made and sold from 2017 and all cars on the list below.

Unicorn B.V. – Vehicles with R-1234yf

BMW I3 2013 – 970 gram, Cadillac XTS , Citroën C-Elysee – 450 gram,

Citroën C4 Cactus DV – 400 gram, Citroën C4 Cactus EB – 425 gram

Citroën C4 Picasso (B78) – 450 gram, Fiat 500X 2015 – 450 gram,

Ford Transit Custom 2015 – 770 gram, Ford Transit Custom 2015 – 1080 gram,

Hyundai i10 2015 – 400 gram, Hyundai i30 2015 – 500 gram

Hyundai Santa Fe 2015 – 600 gram, Hyundai Santa Fe 2015 – with rear a/c – 750 gram

Jeep Renegade 2015 – 450 gram, Land Rover Range Rover 2013- 800 gram,

Land Rover Range Rover 2013 – with rear a/c – 1.200 gram,

Kia Ceed JD – 500 gram, Kia Optima TF – 550 gram, Kia Picanto TA – 370 gram,

Kia Rio UB – 470 gram, Kia Sorento XM – 600 gram, Kia Sportage SL – 550 gram,

Mitsubishi Space Star 2013 – 6KJJ61 – 270 gram Nissan eNV200 – 450 gram,

Nissan Note (E12) – 400 gram, Nissan Qashqai (J11) – 500 gram,

Nissan X-Trail (T32) – 500 gram, Opel Karl 2015 – 380 gram,

Opel Mokka 2013-benzine – 570 gram, Peugeot 308 2014 – 450 gram,

Renault Zoe 2014 – 1000 gram, Suzuki S Cross – 425 gram, Tesla Model S 2013 – 750 gram,

nissan-leafs-charging-on-the-go-Drive-Gr

Do you offer a re-gas service for Hybrid vehicles?

Yes.. These vehicles take a special oil which we will add during your full service.

What is the difference between electric/hybrid and ordinary vehicles?

Whilst hybrid vehicles still represent a relatively small percentage compared with conventional powertrains, the population continues to grow rapidly. And will do for many more years to come. So, if you haven’t already, now is the time to familiarise yourself with the common systems. One of these being A/C. Just like their diesel and petrol counterparts, A/C on hybrid vehicles still requires regular servicing. Whilst, for the most part, the procedures are common, there are some differences that you need to be aware of, in order to capitalise on this opportunity.

One obvious change is the high-voltage battery. Containing anything from 14 volts to over 200 volts, this adds an extra layer of complexity, and before attempting any A/C service, extra precautions should be taken. Technicians, for example, must power down the system to reduce any risk of electric shock when working in or around the electric compressor. For this reason, it is recommended that technicians should hold an approved hybrid/electric vehicle accreditation before working on high voltage vehicles.

Another difference is the components. Earlier generation hybrids such as the Toyota Prius (2001-2003) use a scroll compressor which is powered by either the belt, when the engine is running, or electrically when the engine if off. Most newer hybrids (2004 onwards) have moved to an electric compressor. Consisting of a spirally wound fixed scroll and variable scroll with a brushless motor, it runs on high voltage AC. This is supplied by either a small inverter, which inverts part of the DC battery power into AC, or an electric motor that’s built into the compressor housing, and powered by AC voltage from the vehicle’s power supply system. This allows the A/C system to operate even if the engine is not running.

Aside from the variation in component and system design, the biggest difference is perhaps the type of oil used in the system. Conventional A/C systems typically use PAG or Ester oil, however, all hybrid vehicles require a special polyolester (POE) type oil. These oils have high dielectric or non-conductive properties, that are designed to lubricate the compressor whilst protecting the compressors electrical windings.

Research has shown that as little as one percent of PAG oil in a hybrid system can affect the dielectric properties, reducing the insulation resistance of a compressor from over 10 mega ohms to less than one mega ohm. An impaired winding can damage the compressor, and even shut it down completely because of small voltage leaks that may occur. More worryingly, it can also conduct high voltage to the compressor housing and connected components, causing a harmful and potentially lethal shock to anyone coming into contact with it. Consequently, some vehicle manufacturers recommend that all system components are replaced if cross-contamination of the oil has occurred in a hybrid vehicle, potentially resulting in a very costly service and an unhappy customer.

To avoid this, every possible care should be taken to ensure the correct oil is used. Garages should invest in a J2788H specification recharging machine designed to work on both conventional and hybrid systems. Failing that, if a non-J2788H machine is used for conventional A/C systems, it should not then be used on hybrid vehicles with an electrically driven compressor, as residual PAG or Ester oil may still be present and inadvertently introduced into the vehicle during recharging.

How does ozone treatment work?

The third oxygen atom of ozone makes it extremely reactive. This atom readily attaches itself to other odor molecules. When contaminants such as odors, bacteria or viruses make contact with ozone, their chemical structure is changed to less odorous compounds. As more ozone attacks the remaining compounds, the odor is eventually destroyed. This process is called oxidation. Ozone essentially reverts back to oxygen after it is used. This makes it a very environmentally friendly oxidant.

What area’s do you cover?

We cover Leicester, Leicestershire and surrounding area’s ...

How much time will it take for the aircon re-gas service on my car?

We usually complete the car aircon re-gas service within 30 minutes.

Do you offer a re-gas service for HGV’s and Tractors?

Yes.. We can regas HGV’s and agricultural vehicles, however they usually require more gas than cars and will therefore be charged on the amount of gas used to re-gas the aircon system.

Why is there a puddle of water on the ground after using the car’s aircon?

This is completely normal, so don’t be alarmed. It’s caused by water dripping from the air conditioning evaporator as the evaporator has a drain tube to allow condensation to drain away from the car.

Why do you evacuate my car’s air conditioning system?

We do this to remove the air and moisture from you car’s aircon system.

Why is your service better than a standard garage service?

We do not use an automatic regassing machine like most garages, as these can be inaccurate and most are not calibrated, and the operators have minimal experience using them. Each air condtioning task we carry out manually, so every step carried out is accurate and correct to manufacturers recommended air con regas specifications.

I’ve seen aircon gas ‘top-up’ kits for sale in motoring shops, how good are they and should I consider using one?

We don’t recommend them for a number of reasons.

They are potentially dangerous and you could injure yourself.
Your aircon system requires a specific quantity of gas and with a top up kit you are unable to measure this.
Moisture and contaminants should be removed as part of an a/c service. Toping up does not do this. We remove all moisture and contaminants as part of our service schedule prior to re-gassing.

Frequently Asked Questions

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