My car is going in for a full service in a couple of weeks time.
I didn’t know until I asked, but I assumed on a full service they checked the air con, but apparently they don’t. That is an extra.
So how much would you expect to pay, just roughly, for a full service (the big one), and air con drain and refill?
They told me the air con should be done every 2 years.
Would you agree with this?
Hi
there is no straight answer to your question Mups.
It depends what make and model your car is and how old and how many miles it has done.
Depending on age/mileage a full service could include the cambelts being changed, the transmission and brake fluids etc.
Air Con change costs £35 locally, which is cheap.
My last service was a biggie, the 60,000 mile one.
It cost me £130, a third of the main dealer cost.
I understand that now they have to use a new gas for aircons
“As of 2017, a new type of air conditioning gas is required by law for all new vehicles. The gas, called HFO-1234yf, replaces previous refrigerants, as it produces 98% fewer climate-damaging pollutants than its predecessor, R134a.”
My last full service was over £200 at local garage where I lived before, wouldn’t go there again!
Aircon gas is about £36 hereabouts.
Hi mups I have a small service one year and a big one the next , small approx £60 and big approx £ 130. My mechanic comes to the house and usually with me a good couple of hours . He did air con this year £28 . I never go to the seat’ dealer .
You can still get R134a if that’s what the car uses. No need to change.
Also, if the a/c is currently working - tell them to leave it alone. You would only decant, leak test & refill if it has a problem, so don’t get conned Mups.
Our first service is £275 :shock:
We have taken ot a 3 yr service plan on the Nissan and will do on Sue’s Honda when it is out of warranty.
I know it sounds a load of cash But long term the price is fixed for each service and as service costs go up we think we are on a winner. Included in that is RAC breakdown cover There is a slight advantage as well if selling a car ( heavens knows how many cars I have had) with a main dealer stamped log book. it can add a few hundred £ to the resale value let alone more desirable to purchasers
The chap in the garage said that too, RS.
I queried the price becuase it seemed a lot dearer than where my son goes at Halford’s.
I believe Halfords were £40 for a top up, or £50 if you wanted a clean and refill.
At Fiat they want £79! He told me it was because they were using the new gases and they were a lot dearer to buy. 
The big service this year is £199.
I am wondering whether to cancel it and shop around.
Thanks very much for your opinions and prices everyone, much appreciated.
@Mups - does your a/c work at the moment?
The new refrigerant is cheaper, not dearer for a start - so they are talking bull.
My original trade is commercial refrigeration & a/c. I’ve repaired car a/c countless times in the past.
With my previous Peugeot, I had the air con on almost continually for ten years and it was still good the day I swapped it in. My current Honda is not so good, I hardly use it now because it needs a re gas.
Thanks fender. So do you think I ought to cancel the air con bit then, as it is working perfectly at the mo? I could just have the service instead?
The garage bloke told me the new gas cost him nearly double what the old gas did!
Hi Mups, yeh cancel it - no need.
The newer gas is cheaper so they are telling porkies…
Thanks fender. I will do that today. x
Did you look in the service manual for your car? The A/C is serviced and pressure tested/refilled in my Isuzu at various service intervals (I don’t have the manual with me so I can’t tell you exactly) but like everything else it is checked on distance travelled (also with a time limit).
Definitely check the car’s service manual.
BTW I don’t know if you are aware but you should always run your A/C at least once a month, I don’t know why you need them in Britain really but that would be important in your winter. It is not a problem here but I read that because they are not used for months at a time one European manufacturer was thinking of making the A/C run whenever the car was in reverse gear.
If they are not run the seals dry out and the gas escapes - at least I think that is the problem but if not exactly right it is something like that
Bruce,
My trade is a/c - I’ve repaired countless cars, along with a/c on helicopters.
There is NO NEED to have the system decanted, pressure tested and refilled at ANY interval. It’s just a way to extract money from customers. If it’s working, you leave it alone. The only part where I agree, is it is a good idea to run it for a couple of minutes every month to keep lube on the compressor shaft seal.
I didn’t say that it was necessary what I said was that is just part of the service schedule for the Isuzu (which has fixed price servicing) it is usually just inspected, run and very occasionally pressure tested at the most because a working reliable A/C is important here.
There are parts of the A/C system that needs more attention than others I would be very unhappy if the A/C cooling system wasn’t inspected at every service, the cooler is in front of the radiator and very susceptible to stone damage, the drive belts I would expect to be checked with the same regularity as the other belts on the car.
Even more important to check your service manual. I finally got mine out. There is nothing for its next service (70000km other than cooler inspection) but in the 80000km service the A/C comes in for a mention as part of its normal service.
I have circled the bits relating to the A/C.
Doubtless your service manual will have something similar.
The difference is Bruce, you are using fixed price servicing, so it makes no odds what they do in your case.
Mup’s garage are trying to charge her EXTRA to look at the a/c.
I don’t want her or anyone else to be ripped off. Unscrupulous garages prey particularly on women and the elderly.
To address some points.
Drive belt - the compressor is driven via the main engine serpentine belt - there is no separate belt.
Air filter - the supply air goes through the main cabin filter, there is rarely if ever a separate filter for the a/c. If they are talking about the a/c filter (drier) there is no need to change this, unless the system has had a serious problem and is contaminated.
Condenser - simple 10 second visual check at the same time you look at the radiator.
Refrigerant charge - 10 second visual check if the system has a liquid line sight glass. If not, as long as there is cold gas going back to the compressor via the suction line, then the charge is ok. Again, 10 second check.
I know you did not mention this, but…
Re refrigerants - You are not allowed to put 1234yf into a system designed for 134a and vice versa.
Any garage that tells you they need to retrofit the system to the new refrigerant are blatantly lying and breaking the law.
You are correct about the garage charging an extra £79 for the air con Fender.
I made a point of asking them if it was included in a full service, and he said No, it was an extra charge. He also said the A/C should be done every 2 years.
