My AC is not working in my Elise 2012

[design4p]

Hi,

Yes the AC button and Recirculating button both have a blue light when on.

[design4p]

Hi,

Checked for cables around the pulley and can only find a metal lug.  However, if the compressor is the fault -  EuroaSman has said there is a new Lotus compressor on ebay at £1800.  A little research I have found the exact same compressor is a Denso DCP50036 (for about £350).

But still not sure what the fault is.

[philcool]

Sounds like it's pumping as the needle wouldn't move at all it will be up in the red when off because the pressures equalise through the system.

If the needed goes down to the top of the low scale on tickover it would suggest the system is still undercharged.

How much refrigerant is in the cylinder from new ,check this against the refrigerant charge in the handbook if the pressure was very low when you first connected the gauge then there would have only been a few grams in the system and from that you can gauge roughly how much it requires.

If you've put say 600-700grams in which I don't know off the top of my head is around the full charge and it's still regulating at the top of the low then I would say there's a fault with the expansion valve not letting enough refrigerant through and the compressor is regulating itself on the suction pressure.

A magnetic cluch type compressor will cycle on and off as the pressure falls and back on again as it rises.

Where as a non magnetic cluch compressor will regulate its output to match the suction pressure.

Hope this helps 

[design4p]

Hi Philcool and all other people assisting,

A bit of a Summary:

Still not sure if the compressor is magnetic clutch or clutchless (variable volume flow)

After using the STP recharge kit the result is:

Engine off - Needle very high in the middle of Alert

Engine on @ 1500 Rev & AC off -  No movement of needle

Engine on tick over AC on full - needle moved through the green to the top of the white.

Engine on @ 1500 Revs and AC on full - very slight wriggle but nothing really.

Therefore would appear that the compressor is doing something and therefore the compressor could be clutchless as the end plate and the pulley rotate constantly with the engine.

Could the fault be in the other AC parts?

Thinking it could be the time to give up and take to a lotus dealership and rely on their assessment and pay the price.

Regards John

[philcool]

I would suggest that the system is still undercharged and that you do have a variable volume flow compressor that will only allow the suction to drop to a preset level iraspective of engine revs.

Have you an idea of how much refrigerant you have put in ie the full can or 1/2 a can.

If you've put the full can in then I would suspect the expansion valve is at fault and not letting enough refrigerant through to the evaporator or maybe the driers blocked which is the filter before the expansion valve.

On a magnetic clutch compressor as the suction drops a pressure switch dis engages the compressor and on pressure rise re engages corresponding with an engine rpm rise and the distinctive click sound.

The reason you don't run the suction pressure low is that you will freeze the evaporator coil and block it with ice.

So I suspect that your compressor is running and varying it's output as its designed to do irrespective of engine rpm 

Hope this helps John 

[EuropaSman]

Hello John

I've just DM'ed you some information to help with your trouble shooting. Hope the documentation helps. 😉

[EuropaSman]

Not sure if this is of help, but I've found some error codes for the aircon.

[design4p]

Hi,

Brilliant - All good information.

Regards John

[jazz-e]

- Did you manage to resolve this in the end and what was the solution?