Our services
Air Con Regas in Leeds
Air con blowing warm, or not as cold as it used to be? We regas and service car air conditioning at our workshop on Dolly Lane.
Every car air conditioning system slowly loses a little refrigerant through its seals and joints, so over time the air from the vents gets warmer and the system has to work harder. A regas (also called a recharge) puts the system back to the refrigerant charge the manufacturer specified, which is what restores the cooling.
A proper regas is more than a top-up. We connect the vehicle to an air conditioning machine, recover whatever refrigerant is left, pull the system into a vacuum to remove moisture and air, hold that vacuum to check it is sealed, then recharge it with the correct weight of refrigerant and the right amount of lubricant for the compressor. The old refrigerant is recovered, never vented: under UK rules anyone recovering refrigerant from a car or small van air conditioning system must hold the relevant qualification.
Cars use one of two refrigerants. Older cars run on R134a; newer cars use R1234yf, which has a far lower global warming potential (refrigerants above the limit set for new cars can no longer be used in them). The two are not interchangeable and need different equipment, so give us your registration when you book and we will confirm which refrigerant your vehicle takes and that we can service it.
If the system will not hold a vacuum, or it loses its charge again soon after a regas, there is a leak that needs finding and fixing before another recharge is worth paying for. We will tell you if that is the case rather than simply refilling it.
Leak or compressor? Reading the symptoms
Warm air is the most common complaint, but it has more than one cause, and a regas only fixes one of them:
- Gradually weaker cooling over months, with everything else working normally: usually low refrigerant from normal slow loss, which a regas puts right.
- Cold for a few days or weeks after a regas, then warm again: a leak. The system needs a leak test and repair before it is recharged again.
- Oily residue around pipe joints, on the condenser at the front of the car or around the compressor: a likely leak point.
- The compressor not engaging (no click or change in engine note when you press the A/C button), a grinding or squealing noise when it is on, or the A/C light flashing: points to the compressor, its clutch or an electrical fault rather than the refrigerant level.
- A musty smell from the vents: bacteria on the evaporator, dealt with by a cleaning treatment rather than a regas.
We diagnose before we recharge, so you are not paying to fill a system that will leak straight out again.
Use your air con in winter too
It is tempting to leave the A/C button alone from October to April, but running the system for a few minutes every week or two keeps the refrigerant and lubricant moving through the compressor and stops the seals drying out, which is one of the ways refrigerant escapes. It also clears a misted windscreen far faster than the heater alone, because the air con dries the air before it reaches the glass.
Request a booking online or call us on 0113 244 3544 and we’ll find a time that suits you.
Advice from our workshop
Common questions
Air Con Regas questions
How often does car air con need regassing?
When the cooling noticeably drops off. Refrigerant leaves the system slowly through seals and joints, so a recharge is needed from time to time; if yours needs one again within months it almost certainly has a leak that should be found and fixed first.
Does my car use R134a or R1234yf?
Older cars use R134a; newer cars use R1234yf, which has a much lower global warming potential. There is usually a label under the bonnet stating the refrigerant and the charge weight, and we can check from your registration when you book.
Why is my air con blowing warm?
Most often the refrigerant is low, which a regas fixes. If a regas only lasts a short time the system is leaking, and if the compressor does not engage at all the fault is electrical or mechanical. We check which before we recharge.
Something else? Call 0113 244 3544 or request a booking.
More from NHG
- MOT TestingClass 4 & Class 7 for cars, vans and light commercial vehicles
- ServicingInterim and full servicing for all makes and models
- DiagnosticsFault finding and diagnostic checks
- WeldingWelding and repair work
- Brakes & SuspensionRepairs and replacements
- TyresTyres supplied and fitted, wheel balancing and alignment
- Exhaust RepairsExhaust repairs, replacement sections and emissions
- DPF CleaningDiesel particulate filter cleaning and regeneration
- Car RepairsFrom minor fixes to major overhauls
- MechanicTrusted local mechanics in Leeds
Find us
- Unit 2, 2 Dolly Lane
Harehills, Leeds LS9 7TUA few minutes' walk from St James's Hospital, just off the A64 York Road. - 0113 244 3544
Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pmSaturday & Sunday: Closed
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