Help!

[Nicki johnson]

Hi we took our car to have air con regassed, they rang to say pipe had a split in it so had a new one put on. We left our car there overnight although work was done as we couldn't get to pick it up that day when we collected it husband said it was a bit difficult to start it... he put it down to it being stood overnight! He drove car back to his work and five hours later when he finished work car would t start totally flat! Garage sent mechanic out and we got it started and took it back to garage. They checked battery etc all fine... last night 6 hours after we got it home not starting again!!! Seems odd we have never once in 5 years had a problem starting our car now after being at the garage we are??? Also sat in the engine was a large plastic cap.. we showed the mechanic who said whoops that's my fault it was part of the packaging of the new air con pipe!!!!! Any ideas thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Re gassing the air con system has nothing to with any other part of the vehicle, I'm afraid......there's no need to disconnect the battery or indeed do anything else.
Just maybe the car door was left open over night which flattened the battery - hence the difficult start up the next day.
What you need is a test done on the car charging system - just to see that the alternator is producing the usual 14.4 volts with the engine running, of course.....dead easy to do.
We assume the mechanic isn't keeping anything back, of course!
John

 

[Doggit]

They may have loosened the fan belt that'll be turning the compressor, and the alternator. Did you hear a squeeling sound when you reved the engine.

 

[DaveHerns]

Did you got to Kwikfit or Halfords?

 

[Doggit]

Kwik fit will recharge the gas (or sub it out to a local guy), but they don't change any hoses. Not sure about Kwikfit though.

 

[Burnerman]

KwikFit will, by arrangement.
I remember replacing an air con pipe on an 07 Focus. The pipe runs very close to the alternator, and my spanner made contact
No damage done though, I was lucky to get away with that one!
John

 

[Doggit]

My local Kwikfits won't do that, but I hadn't considered the alternator being duff (all of a sudden), so if you've got a volt meter, check to see if the batteries getting charged when you get it going, but it's unlikley to be if it's going flat.

Just don't take it to your local Kwickfit or Halfords if they did the work, otherwise you might not get a straight answer. But if they didn't do it, then they might pick up the fault quickly for you.

Do you AA or RAC membership though.