hi all,

in Oz for a yr, and picked up a tidy, but very clucky 96 magna auto wagon.

did the big drive from Adelaide to Brisbane, and within 10mins of turning the a/c on it stopped working. It was a long hot trip. But discovered the belt was shredded, so managed to replace that the other day and hoorah - icey cold air again.

however, the air has progressively got warmer on the last few trips and now just blowing ambient air temp. Belt is still on and tight. So i assume it out of gas?? is this likely the case??

I notice after the a/c is on a puddle of 'water' forms under the car. I'm hoping this was just condensation?

And also noticed yest, the floor matting up behind the centre console on the passenger side is also wet. Likely also to do with the a/c issues or condensation.

Can anyone clarify what the issue is? Does it just need a regas, or is it leaking?? Cost of regassing??

I only need it for another 6mths, but with another Adelaide/Brisbane drive looming, a bit of cool air for the trip would be nice.

(i won't even mention all the other clunking noises)

thanks in advance.

If the puddle is at the rear of the engine bay, near the passenger side, it is most likely condensation. There is a condensation drain hose that may have a hole in it, IIRC it runs behind the glovebox and dumps on the ground, if it has a hole in it, that would explain the wet carpet. You would expect to pay about $130 for a straight regas, more if it needs parts.

if you get regas get them to put a dye in it so if it is leaking they can find it
a lot of people sell cars and just get a regas before they sell it then depending on nleak could last a day or a week

update

got the regas - $110.

took the car out the next day with the expectation of icy cold air. Turned on a/c and no cool air. That also slowly warmed over next ten min to be same as ambient air temp. And now the belt or fan/motor is making a constant noise when turned on.

it is likely the system has a leak (or block), and all the gas leaked in the 12hrs between filling and going driving??

or
the belt is slipping enough and causing it 'somehow' not to blow cold air??

I don't know much enough about a/c sys but can tighten the belt a tad more to see if it helps.
Will ring the regas guy tomorrow for ideas too.

Impending 2000km+ drive T-10 days.

tightened belt = cold air

yusss.

Hopefully it stays cool.

If the compressor is (or continues) making strange noises, I would shut it off immediately and get it looked at. Stange noises from the compressor can be a sign that it's on its way out. If the compressor seizes completely, it can spew metal filings throughout the entire air con system (which is rather expensive to fix).