PUMA air-con issues

[mickygee]

my air-con will only blow cold for about 30mins then it starts to loose coldness. iv'e taken it to the dealer 3 times and they seem to be at a loss as to what is wrong. now i know i am not the only one with this issue, so if any one has actually had the problem resolved i would be grateful for some guidance and suggestions to the dealer.
BTW it all started when the condenser(or coil?) not sure, froze up and they changed valves.

regards, Michael

[nugge t]

my air-con will only blow cold for about 30mins then it starts to loose coldness. iv'e taken it to the dealer 3 times and they seem to be at a loss as to what is wrong. now i know i am not the only one with this issue, so if any one has actually had the problem resolved i would be grateful for some guidance and suggestions to the dealer.
BTW it all started when the condenser(or coil?) not sure, froze up and they changed valves.

regards, Michael

I had exactly the saem problem and when I took it to the the dealer they siad they had had "a few" of these recently and fixed it without any fuss.

That seems to be fixed but they damaged the dash taking it out and buggered one of the A/C control switches in the process. Still trying to get a fix answer from them.

[Ratel10mm]

It could be a number of things: Short of refrigerant, excess refrigerant, control issue, clogged heat exchanger, incorrect refrigerant, moisture, air or non-condensibles to name a few.
Why did they change the valve? Was it the expansion valve? Has it got the original refrigerant & oil types in it? Other than this issue & the frozen coil, have you had any other problems?
Car A/C is not my speciality, but frankly I don't trust garages to even know the condenser from the evaporator. I'd take it to a refrigeration/Air con. technician or a vehicle A/C specialist.

[mickygee]

It could be a number of things: Short of refrigerant, excess refrigerant, control issue, clogged heat exchanger, incorrect refrigerant, moisture, air or non-condensibles to name a few.
Why did they change the valve? Was it the expansion valve? Has it got the original refrigerant & oil types in it? Other than this issue & the frozen coil, have you had any other problems?
Car A/C is not my speciality, but frankly I don't trust garages to even know the condenser from the evaporator. I'd take it to a refrigeration/Air con. technician or a vehicle A/C specialist.
thanks for the suggestions, i didnt realise so many thing could effect it. they changed the valves because they were allowing the system to freeze and that would in turn stop the cold air and it would blow ambient temp. i am hesitant to take it to anyone else. it is a warranty issue and i dont want them to look for excuses to claim someone has tampered with it, so for now it will go back to the dealer. unfortunately for me they may not know as much as a specialist so this is why i am needing the help.

regards, Michael

[sav07]

Mick,
I currently have the same issue. The dealer has a temp sensor on order from LR UK and is looking to fit it in the next couple of weeks. If your dealer is having issues tell them to speak to Hunter Land Rover they appear to know what the problem and solution is.

Regards
Sav

[mickygee]

Mick,
I currently have the same issue. The dealer has a temp sensor on order from LR UK and is looking to fit it in the next couple of weeks. If your dealer is having issues tell them to speak to Hunter Land Rover they appear to know what the problem and solution is.

Regards
Sav
thanks for the tip, it has also been suggested it could be the TX valve (involves removal of dash). would the temp sensor be the same thing? dealer wants to email Land Rover HQ for an answer but i'm sure there are enough cases of the same happening that it should be common knowledge for them by now

[sav07]

Yeah it could be, they also said they would need it for 2 days to remove the dash etc...

[solmanic]

thanks for the tip, it has also been suggested it could be the TX valve (involves removal of dash). would the temp sensor be the same thing? dealer wants to email Land Rover HQ for an answer but i'm sure there are enough cases of the same happening that it should be common knowledge for them by now

Had this same problem with mine when new. The heat exchanger was icing up and blocking the airflow so it just stopped blowing cool air after ten minutes or so. TX valve replaced but it took the dealer two goes.

[Ratel10mm]

The TX valve & the sensor are not the same thing, although depending on the type of TX valve it may have a sensor fitted.
Good to hear there may be a solution around the corner. :)

[Gidget]

Any one got any more information here ?
After 3000km we took our new puma to the doctor as the a/c was playing up.

We told them what was happening Which was .....
After 15 minutes or so, the a/c would go from cold & start getting warmer until the air coming out was warm.
If I turn the a/c button off for 10- 20 minutes & turn it back on, then it would work for another short period until it all started again.

So we took it in, they replaced the thermistor & things worked well...... for a couple of days & then it started all over again. Same symptoms.
So I tried a few things over the next couple of days before it went in again.
If I had the fan on flat out & on fresh air, it would last longer before it started not working, but not as cold. But then the next problem was the air wasn't as cold & not cold enough after a an hour or so on a very hot day. Then on a trip of over an hour, the actual amount of air coming out of the vents actually reduces until flat out with the fan is barely any air at all.

So on the way home I tried the opposite, I tried recirculating air.
Well air is initially icy cold, 15-20 minutes in to the drive & the air is getting warmer until it become useless again. Turning it off worked, but when turning it back on was only good for a short period.

So once it was back to the dealer again, I get it back, needs another thermistor ;) I asked what is causing it, the new thermistor they just installed would not have been in there for 1000km ;)

So it now goes in for thermistor number 3 on Friday, but I suspect this isn't the problem.

Can anyone shed light on this at all please ??

Thanks in advance :)

[marko66]

Hi All

Surprise my Puma is doing the same thing :o and as I had to take it in for its 10 000 km service - yes I know its exactly 2 months old - I thought I would get it checked out - talked to the mechanic and he said that the sensor is out a fair way from the core so they make it as close as possible whilst fitting the new sensor to avoid having a repeat performance hope this helps:):D

On a slightly different note any bets on when the airbag gets here with the sensor in it so they can fix mine :)

More of topic found some of the plugs in the bulkhead not fitted properly so it shouldnt leak water now and the rust on the alloy floor plates was swarf from manufacturing apparently:)

Regards Mark

[mickygee]

well... after reading your problem i would say it is almost exactly the same as the problem i was experiencing and i too had attempted repair twice.... but i think they fixed it 3rd time. (touching all the wood in the house). its been about 4 weeks and everything seems to be as cold as it used to be when the the car was new. from memory they changed the whole core so the dash had to come apart. if they are not accessing behind the dash they are probably not changing the right part., ask them to call purnell motors in sydney and ask for Jamie if they need clarification - they will know who you are asking about!!

[newhue]

I have a slightly different problem to you guys, hopefully some one can shed some light.

Mine stays cold, just sweats. Around the fixed dash vents it condensates, and also causes the windows to condensate.
It doesn't seem excessively cold, and usually happens on humid mornings I've noticed. Any ideas?

[Beckford]

My 2010 Defender 110 is in getting its first 6 month service today. (Only done 6,500kms as I catch the train to work.)

I reported that the air-conditioning stops working after 30 minutes in hot weather when I dropped it off this morning.

Turns out that it was missing half the refrigerant it should have in it. It has been re-gassed I have been told to monitor the problem.

Beckford.

[Blknight.aus]

the condensor is freezingup..

simple to check..

run the aircon ensure that it is dripping water onto the floor.

drive round till it stops blowing cold air.

park it in the sun with all the windows wound up.

if it keeps dripping water for more than a couple of minutes. its the condensor freezing up

not having pulled one apart the temperature sensor for the TX valve is either too far from the core or its cracked the pitot tube and this means the TX valve needs to be replaced.


Big red had this issue from new opening the vents solved it temporarily untill I got it sorted under warranty. In my case the clip that held the temp sensor had come loose and the sensor was about 2 inches away from the core, the aircon rocked untill it iced up.

[Gidget]

Thanks for the reply's people, i am having an on going issue :mad:
They have put the 3rd thermistor in & guess what.... yer same problem ;) I have told them that others have had done to fix it & even given them the name of the dealers you guys have put on here & told them to ring them. But they don't seam to like that idea.
We had a 1700km round trip on the weekend & asked them what it was they exactly wanted me to do with my $55k new vehicle that lacks air con, I was promtly told to turn the air con off every 30 minutes for 10 minutes & let it defrost :o
I had to keep it together, I remember why I hate this dealer & didn't buy our new pride & joy from them :mad:
Is there any point emailing Land Rover Direct, or am I just better off persevering with these clowns until they finally get it right ;)

[InspectorGadget]

Hi All, I have had the same issue with my Puma aircon, on my 3rd Thermistor switch and second aircon compressor now. What you guys have described is pretty common with the aircon working outstanding for 15-30mins then dying/freezing up. I had a LR mechanic tell me the Thermistor switch is the main issue in them, he tells me they are poorly made and what happens is LR in their infinit wisdom and desire to have a Defender with real aircon reduced the operating thermostate temp to low (half a degree higher would eliminate the problem in the first place) which pulls more current thru the thermistor switch. The crappy thermistor switch constructed with very low quality solder melts and shorts out circits and control chip in the thermistor switch. Apparently LR are currently prepared to simply replace the cheap switch (bout $20 I believe) rather than fix the switch and repair the problem permermently. After having an electronic wizz mate of mine look at the issue he thinks he can either repair the switch with better solder or make a replacement part to fix my problem permermently.

[muddys1]

i thought i was unlucky that mine was starting to play up at 7300kms
and its nearly due for its 2nd service, i'll keep all this info handy as i'll need it in the next month or so, when it gets called in

thanks for all the grear info
cheers
wilson

[Rustydog]

Again the aircon needed work. After 20min the cold air turned into warm air and there was very visable icing on the aircon pipes in the engine bay.

The first time it happened Sydney Landrover changed a sensor near the compressor but it only lasted 6 months.

This time landrover are aware of the problem and have a fix for it involving pulling the entire front dash off, removing the evaporator and replacing the de-icing sensor.

This was performed by the local Darwin dealer who, as expected, stuffed up the re-fitting of the dash and my stereo and turned it into a 3 day job including a monor recall.

Aircon works as it should now, fingers crossed.

RD

[alittlebitconcerned]

Mine would blow quite cold then warm after 20 - 30min. After 3 attempts the dealer got it to work kind of continuously but at a higher temperature,by which I mean it blows cool all the time (not cold) but varies and sometimes is a
stretch to call it cool at all. I settled on this as it seemed to be beyond their knowledge or willingness to do any better.

[muddys1]

just had a thought ;)
i have only had this problem once, and it was a stinking hot day, and we were off camping, a/c seemed to freeze up.
but as i have a crew cab, maybe the a/c doesnt have to work so hard, ie,
cubic cabic capacity of the interior, is much smaller than the wagon, we have these issues at work with troopie wagons always being hot and lots of a/c issues.
interested to hear if other crewcab owners have this problem ?

cheers
muddys1

normally freezes up my left shoulder :)

[Gidget]

Mine would blow quite cold then warm after 20 - 30min. After 3 attempts the dealer got it to work kind of continuously but at a higher temperature,by which I mean it blows cool all the time (not cold) but varies and sometimes is a
stretch to call it cool at all. I settled on this as it seemed to be beyond their knowledge or willingness to do any better.

This seams to be where I am at after 3 goes as well ;) Might have to send an email & see what I get back ;)

[Beckford]

the condensor is freezingup..

simple to check..

run the aircon ensure that it is dripping water onto the floor.

drive round till it stops blowing cold air.

park it in the sun with all the windows wound up.

if it keeps dripping water for more than a couple of minutes. its the condensor freezing up

not having pulled one apart the temperature sensor for the TX valve is either too far from the core or its cracked the pitot tube and this means the TX valve needs to be replaced.


Big red had this issue from new opening the vents solved it temporarily untill I got it sorted under warranty. In my case the clip that held the temp sensor had come loose and the sensor was about 2 inches away from the core, the aircon rocked untill it iced up.

You are 100% correct.

My Puma is getting it's 20,000km service today and on the list is the AC not working again. They have explained that the "condensor is freezing up" and have kept it overnight to work on it.

[pannawonica]

My 7 month old Puma has had similar problems, working for @ 30 mins then blowing warm on a hot day. Firstly the dealer said it was low on gas and topped it up, second time they did the same thing. I told then fix the leak as I"m 1500k:s away. Contacted LRA and they replaced the TX valve in Karratha. It then worked better than new for 2 weeks but is now doing the same thing.:(

[eksjay]

Sounds like a job for tracer dye.

I had the same problem in my XJ Cherokee when bought as new, and took it across the Nullabor on 50 degree c weather in summer.

Got to Perth on 46 degree C day in February....

Replaced TX valves, but ultimatey was tracer dye that found the cause of the leak... after seeing local dealer and fixing it, we drove it back and froze all the way!!!!

[Beckford]

Well I am still waiting for the parts to arrive from Melbourne.

Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow (day 3) before the weekend. Going on a trip to the Watagons on Sunday and AC would be nice.

[knodes85]

Mine's gone too - conveniently it went a few months out of warranty and after my dealings with LRA I don't think there's goodwill.

MR (wisely) don't mess around with A/C. When I last had it out there they took it to the local auto-elecs who thought it was a sticking heater tap. They zip-tied the tap open and that bought me an extra 10 minutes of cold happiness before the inevitable heatwave struck.

Austral have quoted me "$850 minimum", which if it's simply the switch sounds like $830 labour for a temporary fix!

Anyone in Brissie got any recommendations on where to go to get it sorted?

[GlennWA]

Good thread and I have the same issue too. 40+ day across the nullabor and it was no longer cold. Add the heat from the floor and I have to admit the wife was not impressed! Yet to take it to the dealers for warranty but I presume this may be an Australia specific problem and therefore may not be resolved quickly:mad:

[Samblers]

It seems to me its not just to do with the ambient/external air temp, I reckon the air gets pre-warmed somehow in the engine bay plus there’s all that sun beating down on the panels making things hot to touch… it just cant cope. Common theme on here I think. PLUS the in-built Land Rover pie-warmer/ leg-cooker effect after about an hour of driving.

The a/c unit was probably specified with UK summers in mind, summer being on a Tuesday with rain that is *slightly* warmer than usual

[esc]

We have the same issue here in the Philippines and this seems to solve the problem.

Eric

[Cracka]

Yes guys I had a suspicion about mine as well, but I had put it all down to heat coming through the floor/seat box area, although I think this just compounds the issue.

This morning it was about 32c here so I drove around for about 40 minutes until I felt the aircon 'warm' up a bit. Went home parked in the garage and noted there was no water dripping from underneath the gearbox area as there normally is. About 15 minutes later it started to drip, obviously as it thawed and left the usual pool of water on the garage floor.

The drain must be directly on top of the gearbox as I can't for the life of me see it from under the car of through the engine bay, the water just drips onto the top and then down the drivers side of the gearbox.

No doubt I'll be off to Mr LR for fixing and thanks to Eric, draw their attention to that tech bulletin.

Mick

[Samblers]

Hmm, your post reminded me that I also get a large puddle appear on the garage floor after a drive…

[Cracka]

I'm pretty sure the puddle is normal when using the aircon, all of my cars have done that, something to do with the condensor/evaporator or something. Although the Puma looks like a labrador has taken a leak, compared to the wife's honda which only looks like a chihuahua whizz.:p

What I was getting at, on just a short drive the drain is dripping each time, noticeable as soon as you stop when the air has been on. But today, maybe because it was frozen over it didn't start to run for about 15 mins, I'm assuming, after it started to thaw out (I'm only guessing here).

I had bought 1 of those cheap little cylinder temperature gauges (just for this purpose) that you clip onto your vents off ebay, so happens it arrived after lunch today. This afternoon I clipped it to the fixed vent near the clock and went for a 15 or so minute drive, roughly. The temp got down to 6.6 and on returning home it had already risen to 9.0. I was only putting around in a 50 kph area checking on the bushfire just north of here.

I will go for a decent drive during the week and see just what the extreme differences in output temperature are.

Mick

[Cracka]

Well, I ran my little 'experiment' today. Taking into account the 'instrument' ;) I used is just a $5 clip on digital vent thermometer from ebay, so it won't be the most accurate I know, but to give an idea of extreme difference in air-conditioning temperature output I think its enough for the purpose.

My vehicle is a MY12 90 Puma with the standard rubber floor and seatbox mats, no other insulation (yet). I clipped the 'instrument' onto the fixed vent on the drivers side of the clock. The air-conditioning was switched on with no fan assistance added, set on recirculate and the vent dial was set to just the upper vents only for this 'experiment'.

During the test the ambient air temp was between 23 and 24.5 deg c. When I started at 10.55am, the temp in the car was 21.9c. I then drove along the highway (100 kph area) where the aircon temp dropped to the lowest of 0.4c at 11.13am, from here it began to slowly rise to 8.3c at 11.25am when I reached by destination 33 kms from where I started.

At 12.56pm I resumed my test the aircon temp showing 8.1c after driving a short time. Once again I was travelling at 100 kph. At 1.14pm the aircon reached its lowest temp of 0.7c.

I travelled about 60 kms this leg and at 1.34pm the aircon temp had risen to 9.2c. I then drove around a 50 kph area until 1.39pm and the temp had risen to 11.1c. I returned to driving at 100 kph and travelled home (about 26 kms) and upon arriving at 2.06pm the aircon temp had risen to 14.1c.

Once parked in the garage the overflow/dripping from the aircon unit didn't start for about 10 to 15 minutes.

While driving you can definitely feel the heat coming from the seatbox/tunnel area after a while, I think I can actually feel the heat permeating up through the seat cushion :confused:..... No doubt this does add to the cabin temperature but I would have thought an efficient air-conditioning system would overcome this. Bearing in mind the outside temp was only 23 to 24.5c as well:eek: in my recent vehicles in this type of temperature I would actually be warming the aircon temp up a little.

I also noted that the aircon compressor in the engine bay, the pipe that comes from the back of it there is a blue cap on a fill/empty valve. Between here and the silver insulation when the aircon is on for a short time this pipe is cold to touch, at the end of my 'experiment' today this portion of pipe was hot to touch, the other side of the insulation just prior to entering the bulkhead the pipe was cold but not ICE cold.

Well no doubt all of this means jack...t but I said I would post my results.

I WILL in the near future insulate the vehicle and hope for better results from this meagre aircon.

Sorry for the long winded post :D

Mick

[Samblers]

Presume you will also return it to LR for diagnosis and fix?

Lettuce know what they say/do...

[Cracka]

Yes I think I will be but it won't be in the near future though, plus its a 3 hour drive each way, just to make it all the more of a pain in the a:censored:

I will be insulating the whole thing as well, it can't hurt! I may get it done before I get back to Mr L.R.

It would be good to hear from some of the first posters of this thread from back early 2011 such as Mickygee, Nugge T, Gidget etc to see if there aircon issues were fixed, and if so, what was the cause and the miracle 'fix'.

Mick.

[Sue]

I've had mine into Land Rover today for air con that wasn't working quite right.. cold for about 20 minutes then only slightly cool air after that.. They were great though and have booked it in for a new de-icing sensor which is supposed to fix the problem.. :)

I hope I don't have the same problems with them removing the dash as the others here have mentioned!

[Samblers]

cold for about 20 minutes then only slightly cool air after that.. They were great though and have booked it in for a new de-icing sensor which is supposed to fix the problem.. :)

Sue, let me know if this fixes the problem - your symptoms same as mine ;)

[nugge t]

My understanding is that LR eventually came up with a new sensor. I had not had a repeat of that problem since it was installed.

Last week the A/C stopped. Turned out to be a leaking "O" ring which is not surprising given some of the country and corrugations I have been on in recent times. "O" ring replaced and system topped up and all good again.

[knodes85]

Sue, let me know if this fixes the problem - your symptoms same as mine ;)

Mine too Sue - standing by.

nugge t are you getting the work done at the Valley Austral or at Southside? It seems no one other than a LR dealer has sorted this out before, so I'm anxious to take mine to the right one given I'm paying for the privilege!

[Sue]

Sue, let me know if this fixes the problem - your symptoms same as mine ;)


Mine too Sue - standing by.

nugge t are you getting the work done at the Valley Austral or at Southside? It seems no one other than a LR dealer has sorted this out before, so I'm anxious to take mine to the right one given I'm paying for the privilege!

Happy to let you know when it is done.. it's not booked in until the 7th March though (my fault not theirs)... but hope it is as Nugget say's and a different sensor altogether.. they didn't seem surprised when I took it in and said I had concerns about the air con though so suspect they have seen it once or twice before.. :)

[nugge t]

Mine too Sue - standing by.

nugge t are you getting the work done at the Valley Austral or at Southside? It seems no one other than a LR dealer has sorted this out before, so I'm anxious to take mine to the right one given I'm paying for the privilege!


All the work has been done by Austral. Some early hiccups but service has been excellent since then...they really have gone above and beyond.

[LoveB]

So is there a fix for this now? about to get a puma so would love to know.


Does it get cold or stay cold when driving at highway speeds?

[PAT303]

My started freezing so it'll work for 20mins and then freeze up,there is supposed to be a better thermistor switch for them. Pat

[nugge t]

Pretty sure it is a new component. I haven't had that problem again since the new one was fitted.

[tequesta]

So is there a fix for this now? about to get a puma so would love to know.

Does it get cold or stay cold when driving at highway speeds?

My MY12 D90's VIN is outside of the range as specified in the bulletin, and I do not seem to have this issue. Will keep monitoring it, but it seems like the updated sensor may be fitted to the later models.:)

[gitney]

Hi all,
This isn't exactly on topic but after driving in lots of dusty trips my a/c has that dusty moldy smell when I turn it on. I figure my coil needs a good clean. Has anyone done this? Is it a pull the dash off job? Also is there an air filter for the intake air for the fan?
Thanks in advance.

[ezyrama]

If the evaporator is icicng up behind the dash, it sounds like either the thermostat controlling the temperature/compressor clutch doesnt have enough differential between cutting out and cutting back in. It will rely on that "off" cycle to melt any frost that accumulates on the evap coil during it cooling cycle. It could also have a de-ice sensor in the circuit as a back up to the off cycle as well. As Ratel10mm (pommy;) git) said earlier, the TX valve, if it is not operating correctly will cause too much pressure drop through it's orifice and will also cause the coil to frost prematurely. It can also ice up if it is short of gas as well. Dont let anyone tell you that it just needed a top up as it shouldnt be running short of gas unless there is a leak. Some of the earlier a/c unit hoses got a bit porous after a while but by and large that does not happen these days and with the current federal govt. legislation, it is illegal to run a system with a known refrigerant leak.And yes,The price of refrigerant has gone thru the roof if you have to pay for it, blame juliar and that garden gnome swanny as they added approximately $29.00 per kilo just in carbon tax, after there is already 3 x taxes and levy already on the stuff.

[Cracka]

G'day Sue,

When you get your aircon fixed on Thursday, if it's not too much trouble would you be able to get the name and part number of what they replace. Just so that us with not such satisfactory dealers can give 'them' a heads up on what is needed.

Thanks

Mick

[Sue]

G'day Sue,

When you get your aircon fixed on Thursday, if it's not too much trouble would you be able to get the name and part number of what they replace. Just so that us with not such satisfactory dealers can give 'them' a heads up on what is needed.

Thanks

Mick

Hi Mick.. the part they are replacing is the Sensor - Temp Evaporator. Part # LR 036309

He said it's not the first one they have replaced and probably won't be the last in the Defender.. your dealer may be trying to get out of it as it's a crappy job that requires removing the dash.. it's also not cheap (if paying).. :)



So is there a fix for this now? about to get a puma so would love to know.


Does it get cold or stay cold when driving at highway speeds?

It gets cold then after about 15 minutes it gets warmer and warmer.. I also noticed that I was starting to get white air out of the air con vents which I presume was from the sensor icing up.. If I turned it off for about 10 minutes it would be cold again.. for another 10-15 minutes.. :)

[Cracka]

Hi Sue,

Thanks very much for that. I haven't even spoken to the dealer yet I was waiting to see how you got on with yours:D. I just thought having the part No. might help when I explain the issue to them.

I had that white fog in my 4runner years ago and the air con wasn't working as cold as it should, the white fog indicated the gas was low, so I was told. Had it re-gassed and it was fine.

My Puma doesn't do the white thing when it freezes, but i wonder if it's the humidity where you are possibly making that happen.

Let us know in a bit if it has fixed it if you don't mind.

Mick

[Davehoos]

white fog is from humidity and a medium [cold]temp.the moisture is concentrated but not cold enough to form droplets.
lots of different methods to reduce this including matting after the evap coil.
one of the first things thown to increase air flow.

in a HVAC[heated] system hot moist air cant always be cooled enough.
most of the warrany complaints ive had is the owner that bails out just after they switched off the engine.

thermisters most of the time sit off the coil a measure the air temp.
presetts are mostly 0-2 deg C and give a very narrow cycle gap.
often these destroy clutches and freeze up.

coil gas/metal temps are well bellow 0c-some thermister push into the coil
and some that dont get pushed into the coil.

TX-lots of types.most have temperature control of the gas flow.
alot of the units had been adjusted to shut down at around -2 to 0 metal temps-what happens is the TX does the job of the thermostat.and it never cycles.new systems the compressor reduces flow to hold a preset temp-and they freeze up--luxury cars have a defrost temp sencor attached to the coil to cut out the compressor.

[Cracka]

Davehoos, mate you are a wealth of knowledge, I'm assuming this is your line of work.

Thanks for the information.

[Sue]

Thanks for the info Davehoos! :)

Still no news to give you on the air con in mine Cracka.. I went to pick it up this morning and they have asked to keep it an extra day as the job has taken a little longer than they expected.. not too many complaints coming from me though as had given me a loan car - a brand spanking new Discovery 4 with less than 2000 kms on the clock - to use while mine is being repaired.

My biggest fear is that I'll get too used to the luxury of the Disco and buy one.. hmm.. maybe that is all part of their sales plan.. :p

I am supposed to collect mine tomorrow so will let you know how it went once I get it back.. :)

[Cracka]

Haha, as I was reading that I thought, mmmmm be trading up soon:D nice loan car......

Not a worry thanks for getting back to us.

Mick.

[knodes85]

.. not too many complaints coming from me though as had given me a loan car - a brand spanking new Discovery 4 with less than 2000 kms on the clock - to use while mine is being repaired.

Well as least I know where I'm going to invest my hard earned getting mine fixed!

Thanks for the update, keep us posted Sue.

[Sue]

Well the good news is that the air con is fixed and works a treat.. I literally froze all the way home from the dealership as I wanted to test it.. no complaints there.

Bad news is that while they were fixing the air con they discovered a problem in the clutch... so my baby is booked to go back in after Easter for a new Clutch, Transmission and something about the drive train.. (don't ask me I'm a girl).. beware though as the dealer told me that mine is not the first one that's been done it appears to be a fault with the 2011/12 models (he was unsure about the 2013 models) but it's being fixed under warranty and they'll give me another loan car for the week while mine is in..

I am grateful though that:
a) they told me about it as I was totally unaware my car had a problem.. it's one of those things that happens gradually so it wasn't noticed... and...
b) that it was found out now and not in August when I am doing a 13,500kms trip in the outback..

Kudo's to Land Rover for picking up on it, telling me about it, and for arranging to have it replaced with minimal inconvenience for me. My 18 month old defender has already done 61,500kms so in another 6 months there would not have even been a warranty on it and it would not have been their problem any more.. :)


Well as least I know where I'm going to invest my hard earned getting mine fixed!

Thanks for the update, keep us posted Sue.

That would be Bruce Lynton on the Gold Coast not the Brisbane Dealership Knodes.. :)

[Cracka]

Woohoo good news Sue. At least they picked up the clutch issue, be interested to know the exact problem when you get it done if it seems to be plaguing those model years.

Was that a problem with the clutch, transmission and drivetrain or were you just saying its a problem there somewhere in those areas?

Mick

[Sue]

Woohoo good news Sue. At least they picked up the clutch issue, be interested to know the exact problem when you get it done if it seems to be plaguing those model years.

Was that a problem with the clutch, transmission and drivetrain or were you just saying its a problem there somewhere in those areas?

Mick

They are replacing the whole clutch and transmission.. so sounds like that's where the fault is.. :)

And I've already starting copping the "what did you expect it's a Land Rover" and "well they are a piece of crap" lines *sigh*.. That makes me mad as I had much worse trouble with a new car from Nissan and my father is plagued with issues with his new 200 series Toyota Cruiser.. the difference is where as Nissan and Toyota gave the run around and left us footing the bill (nearly 10 grand with the Nissan) at least Land Rover has stepped up to the plate to make it right.. The point is that every make will have some problems sometime but it's the warranty or lack of it that make the difference between it being a major problem or a minor inconvenience.

[Cracka]

Well it sounds like you have a pearler of a dealer there Sue.

Don't worry I get that bull:censored:t about Landrovers all the time and it p:censored:s me off big time. You are right every make has its issues, some more than others I guess, but on forums you only here about the problems most of the time unfortunately.

[Samblers]

Sue, what did they replace to rectify the aircon?

[Sue]

Well it sounds like you have a pearler of a dealer there Sue.

Don't worry I get that bull:censored:t about Landrovers all the time and it p:censored:s me off big time. You are right every make has its issues, some more than others I guess, but on forums you only here about the problems most of the time unfortunately.

Yep I think I am lucky to have the right dealer too.. it seems to make all the difference. :)


Sue, what did they replace to rectify the aircon?

Sensor - Temp Evaporator. Part # LR 036309 :)

[LoveB]

1700kms on the clock and 6hrs in to my 8 hr deove the a/c wasnt as cool as it should be.. Tur ed off for 10 mins then onagain and it worked fine for 15 mins.. Turned it off for about 30ins and it staued cool after that.. From yass to act it was fine. What gives? Frozen core? Running the temp a little warmer now... Tjis is on a sept 12 110

[PAT303]

Well the good news is that the air con is fixed and works a treat.. I literally froze all the way home from the dealership as I wanted to test it.. no complaints there.

Bad news is that while they were fixing the air con they discovered a problem in the clutch... so my baby is booked to go back in after Easter for a new Clutch, Transmission and something about the drive train.. (don't ask me I'm a girl).. beware though as the dealer told me that mine is not the first one that's been done it appears to be a fault with the 2011/12 models (he was unsure about the 2013 models) but it's being fixed under warranty and they'll give me another loan car for the week while mine is in..

I am grateful though that:
a) they told me about it as I was totally unaware my car had a problem.. it's one of those things that happens gradually so it wasn't noticed... and...
b) that it was found out now and not in August when I am doing a 13,500kms trip in the outback..

Kudo's to Land Rover for picking up on it, telling me about it, and for arranging to have it replaced with minimal inconvenience for me. My 18 month old defender has already done 61,500kms so in another 6 months there would not have even been a warranty on it and it would not have been their problem any more.. :)



That would be Bruce Lynton on the Gold Coast not the Brisbane Dealership Knodes.. :)

So you've noticed no problems yet they are changing the Tranny????. Pat

[Sue]

1700kms on the clock and 6hrs in to my 8 hr deove the a/c wasnt as cool as it should be.. Tur ed off for 10 mins then onagain and it worked fine for 15 mins.. Turned it off for about 30ins and it staued cool after that.. From yass to act it was fine. What gives? Frozen core? Running the temp a little warmer now... Tjis is on a sept 12 110

Sounds just like what mine was doing... now that they have changed the sensor (see part number above) it's perfect!



So you've noticed no problems yet they are changing the Tranny????. Pat

Yep.. and I still can't notice the difference. But they are the experts and if they say it's not right then it's probably not.. :)

[LoveB]

booked in for friday! a/c along with wheels, turbo hose and the block off plate that came off! lol

[Cracka]

I've been adding some sound/heat insulation, and it DOES make a difference in both aspects. I used Roadkill Stinger Extreme. It took 1 box of 9 sheets and 1 other sheet to do this so far. Just have the back door to go and then I'll start the front.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/03/417.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/03/418.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/03/419.jpg

[noogie]

I had exactly the saem problem and when I took it to the the dealer they siad they had had "a few" of these recently and fixed it without any fuss.

That seems to be fixed but they damaged the dash taking it out and buggered one of the A/C control switches in the process. Still trying to get a fix answer from them.

Hey Nugget!
Is that your truck in the latest 4wd action magazine?
Very Noice!

[Cracka]

My 90 has spent the last day and a half at the dealer getting the aircon issue sorted:D We'll see what its like when the first bit of hot weather hits. They replaced the sensor and another item whilst the dash was out.

The dealer was great, had a few other items sorted without any qualms whatsoever.

They even re routed my speaker wiring from when I put in the new stereo and speakers :cool:

[frenzy]

same same problem. 15 min of icy cold air than less cold and less air flow until almost nothing. turn the AC off for 15 min than on again and it works fine for another 10 min which to me seems to indicate the possibility of something freezing and blocking air flow.
after reading of the many attempts and parts replaced ( the same part replaced more than once...) I am hesitant to take it in to the dealer especially since it is not under warranty, so I am more keen to go to an air con specialist.
Has anyone actually solved the problem? and how much did it cost in the end?

Thanks

[voltron]

same same problem. 15 min of icy cold air than less cold and less air flow until almost nothing. turn the AC off for 15 min than on again and it works fine for another 10 min which to me seems to indicate the possibility of something freezing and blocking air flow.
after reading of the many attempts and parts replaced ( the same part replaced more than once...) I am hesitant to take it in to the dealer especially since it is not under warranty, so I am more keen to go to an air con specialist.
Has anyone actually solved the problem? and how much did it cost in the end?

Thanks

I haven't had this problem, but Im not sure if its because mine is a 2012 model and they sorted it from factory or if it's because I partitioned off the rear load space and the aircon doesnt have to work so hard. What model is yours?? My aircon is running like a dream and its a 110 Wagon. Would it help if you turned the thermostat down so its not freezing up.

[Samblers]

Yep I think I am lucky to have the right dealer too.. it seems to make all the difference. :)

Sensor - Temp Evaporator. Part # LR 036309 :)

This was the part that LR fixed on mine and problem is now solved

[Cracka]

Frenzy, as I said in August last year I had the parts replaced. Since then it is working as it should, nice and cold for hours on end. That's exactly what it's doing it is icing over, there was a fair bit of discussion on here about the cause of it. Mate, get it done while its under warranty (hopefully) I don't think I'd like the bill if not as its a complete dash out job to do it.

Edit. I just re-read your post and saw your not under warranty, sorry, I guess all you can do is get a quote and go from there..

[knodes85]

I had my fault rectified last year (out of warranty sadly). After Sue had hers successfully remedied at Bruce Lynton I boycotted Austral up here in Brisbane and took it to the Gold Coast where I swapped it for an Evoque for the day.

As everyone's said according to the invoice the replacement part was LR036309 Sensor Temp Evaporat at $82.06 and (hope you're sitting down) the labour was $677.94. That figure was on par with a few quotes from other dealerships.

It's not a job for the independents or the air-con guys unfortunately. I had mine at Brisbane's best independent, who in turn took it to their chosen auto-electrician and neither could fix it. You're stuck with the dealerships on this one, and they know the problem. They suggested that I was one of the few people that made it to the end of the warranty period before encountering the failure.

It's certainly fixed the issue and it's survived a 3 month trip in the tropics without fail. I am however a little concerned that my compressor seems to be switching on/off more quickly now. It almost seems to be 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Has anyone else noticed shortened intervals on theirs’ post-fix?

If it goes again, I'm going to take the dash off and fix it myself.

[DiscoMick]

We had this problem and replaced the heater valve on the passenger side of engine bay up near bulkhead. Hot water circulates through the heater. The valve is supposed to close off the hot water so the air stays cool. An arm on the valve is attached to a cable from the dash dial. The arm can get stiff and not move all the way. Oiling the arm can help. May have to detach the cable and pull it further through. A replacement heater valve cost $US28 from China. Needs careful adjustment.

[DiscoMick]

The valve is an OE Peugeot Citroen Fiat part made in China and sold by Britpart and others. Search Defender Puma heater valve on eBay.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181108/72407724b670121a7a617884dfa9d98c.jpg

[DiscoMick]

The workshop showed me the old heater valve had a build-up of crud inside which could have been preventing the valve from fully closing and letting heat in after 15 minutes as the circulating coolant got hot while driving.

[Juff]

Has anyone found a repairer in Cairns to resolve this? I tried to call one of the independent Landy guys this arvo but couldn’t get onto him...will try again on Monday...

(The dealer did have a crack at fixing it, did something the first attempt and couldn’t fault it the second. [bigsad])

I’ve currently got most of the dash out for some wiring stuff so thinking now could be the time to get it sorted.

Thanks in advance!!

J

[DiscoMick]

The problem isn't behind the dash, it's in the engine bay, so no need to have the dash out.

[DiscoMick]

The problem isn't behind the dash, it's in the engine bay, so no need to have the dash out.Of course that depends on the cause of your problem.

[Juff]

For those that had the sensor behind the dash changed, did it fix it long term? I’m thinking of doing mine myself. Anyone done it? It it particularly hard or just time consuming to get to it?
Thanks in advance 🙂

[Samblers]

My previous post on this was 2014.

No problems since (touch wood)

[Juff]

Been reading up in the manual to have a go at changing the sensor and it seems the Heater core needs to come out. After disconnecting “the battery ground cable “ the next step is to “recover the a/c refrigerant.”

Do I really need to do that or can I somehow get past it without having to de/re gas the system??

Maybe it’s bound for the mechanic after all... [emoji15]