D3 aircon goes BANG hiss wheeze dead...!

[winaje]

Cross posted from FB group, apologies to those who read it twice...

Any idea what would cause the airconditioner on my D3 to spontaneously pop and vent all the refrigerant and oil in a few seconds? Seems to have been from the engine bay. No visible signs of leakage, all pipes seem to be in the same spot with no abrasion that I can see upon a quick inspection. Has been working perfectly for 8 months since being pressure and leak tested then regassed by a professional after body refit. Car was sitting in the driveway, hadn't been run for about 3 hours. 41? ambient temperature.

Unamused especially considering the heat and the fact that no one is open for at least a week...

[discorevy]

Over gassed ?, check the tray for oil , if you say it has vented all the gas and oil in a few seconds but there are no visible signs of leakage , are you sure it was a/c?

[winaje]

Well, found the problem thanks to the bright green trace dye. In the left from wheel arch there are the joints for the supply to the rear air. One of the bolts had come undone completely, and the joint has blown apart and blown the bolt out in between the inner guard and the body. So I'll just have to loctite both bolts, check the o-rings and get it regassed.