Hi there,
I am looking for help with the aircon on my 2015 SD V8 L405 which has stopped working . I had heard so having good reports about our local Halfords I took it there for a check up as my local garage were too busy to fit it in before our trip. It needed re-gassing (and it would be the later more expensive stuff) but they checked the system and could not find any leaks. They put in a florescent die which would show up any leaks under ultra violet light. Anyway all working fine but after a 200 mile round trip to Exeter this weekend it has stopped cooling again. Dropped it down to Halfords this morning who confirmed the gas has leaked away. They took the whole front off the car to check for any indicators of leakage. None could be found but declined to take it any further . Fortunately their recheck was free .
Its going back to my local garage (non franchise Range Rover expert) to see what he can make if it . It could be a number of things so wondered if there is a common denominator fault with the age and mileage (77,000 ) for this model. Any thoughts or pointers would be very welcome.
Thanks

I doubt Halfords are AC experts. That's a safe assumption seeing they said you had no leak but you clearly have a leak. The problem with cars like the RR is they have front and rear AC so some very long pipe runs under the drivers seats and back which no amount of dye would ever detect. All dye is any good for is what is happening in the engine bay with the service port valves, hoses, compressor seals and condenser, which would probably cover 95% of leaks.

They must have known there was a leak if they recharged more than 200g of refrigerant into the 1kg factory fill system. Anything over that is more than a top up; indicative of a leak problem.

Did they have a refrigerant sniffer and check in the back of the car and under the dash? I'd suspect, being Halfords, they probably didn't. They aren't expensive so you could buy one, fix your problem and sell it afterwards on an auction site. You would need to waste more gas for a sniffer test.

If its a rear passenger unit leak then a 'fix' is to cut the lines under the drivers seat and cap the pipes. Then its no AC for the rear passengers but that isn't the drivers problem.

I have keenly priced R134a service cans available but I won't be getting the R1234yf cans till year end. They are the real gas rather than the cheap alternative 'drop in' hydrocarbon blends.

Thank you for responding - much appreciated. Yes I am learning how complicated this AC is particularly with the cooled seats feature and it is booked in with my local RR expert . He seems to know what to look for but cant fit in in for 10 days. I will check if he has a sniffer and if not I have seen one on e-bay and will get that.
Noted on the R1234yf cans . I will update this thread when I know more.

Who are you using nr Lymington? New Forest in Cadnam? 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue with Ivory and clear glass = "Rory"
New Defender D300 90 on order so "Rory" will be going to a new home....!
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
My preferred specialist: www.glenrands.co.uk
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Having hunted around for a good RR mechanical engineer and not a fitter I found/was recommended a chap called Ben Broomfield ,Carbetta ,Unit 6 Sway Ind Park , Sway , 01590 683037 info@carbetta.co.uk .
He could have chosen a better name but he seems to know his nuts from his bolts and it's just by Sway station if travelling a distance and need to get home.

Norman.D.Seagull wrote:

Yes I am learning how complicated this AC is particularly with the cooled seats feature

Just for your information the cooled seats run on a peltier system and are not connected to the cars air con...

Good luck with your fix... Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks for that information - just looked that up - 'Semi conductor doped Bismuth Tellulide' . For a moment I was on the bridge of the Star Ship Enterprise with Dilitium Crystals breaking down !
At least its electrical as I has visions of rubber pipework looping around the seat squab which had cracked!
My Citroen 2Cv air con is much simpler - open roof , close roof !

It's all done by "smoke and mirrors"....  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Just an update on my non cooling Air-con,

I got booked in with my friendly non authorised garage who traced the leak to an aluminium tube (Compression Tube LR072186) situated in front of bulkhead on passenger side which had a rubber pipe rubbing against it (clip had dislodged) which had worn a small hole into the aluminium pipe. Anyway part ordered (£137.95 ) service gas AC4 £145.00 plus air pressure test at £30.00. Add the labour for finding and fixing (2 hours with two visits ) £110.00 so in total with the VAT £508.14 . I dread to think what the main dealer would have charged !
Anyway all working fine now............

If the refill gas used is actual R1234yf and not the cheap hydrocarbon 'alternative' then the price charged is very reasonable for a 1kg recharge. You can safely assume JLR would be closer to £250 for the gas charge alone.

It is always worthwhile confirming what you are being given gas wise.