Help, I'm melting!
Help, I'm melting!
Author
Discussion

diver

Original Poster:

66 posts

256 months

Thursday 8th July 2004
quotequote all
I’m a new owner, and a very lucky guy. Not only did I get my dream car about two weeks ago, (a ’02 Crystal Topaz Tuscan with CCC exhausts), but I’m also living in the south of Spain and getting to drive it every day in the sunshine. I took it on the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao last week and drove down in one 8 hour dash through Madrid to Marbella, no mishaps apart from a lot of police curiousity and one of the exhausts falling off, (I might try to write a bit about that for the TVRCC magazine soon).

It was around 40 degrees centigrade for most of the journey down, 43 around Granada, I couldn’t take the roof off, (no hat, no sunblock, and 8 hours of blazing sun would have put me in hospital), so I tried to use the air-conditioning. To say it was rubbish is an understatement! It just blew warm air at me to such an extent that I ended the journey drenched in sweat, I estimate that it probably only lowered the cabin temperature by 5 degrees at most. I asked the dealer I bought the car from to check the air-con before I took possession of the car as it felt a bit weak, but they said it was functioning correctly.

Here’s the question: Is the air-con always this bad (if so why is such an expensive option) or is there something I can do to make it more efficient and produce some effect on the cabin temperature?

Sorry if this is a bad time to ask, (considering the current UK weather), but it’s baking down here and it’s only going to get hotter in August!

impycelin

28 posts

255 months

Thursday 8th July 2004
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Mine on a 25 degree day is cold enough to have to turn it down, so they can work if functioning properly. 43 degree might be a different matter though.

>> Edited by impycelin on Thursday 8th July 23:08

whitey

2,508 posts

300 months

Friday 9th July 2004
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your best option is to buy a hat and some sun-block

You could look at getting the system checked over. I did a 3 hour drive in circa 35 degrees heat last summer with the roof on and the air-con was struggling but still kept me cooler than outside so I guess at 43 degrees it would not be very effective.

It is fine when the weather is circa 25 degrees

At least you will have a hot summer of roof off action!

cheers
Whitey

chim_girl

6,268 posts

275 months

Friday 9th July 2004
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Although the dealer may have confirmed the aircon is functional, ie all the mechanicals work. It may benefit from regassing, I had it done and it made a huge difference to mine. It used to blow warm air but its cold now.

Other than that, shut-up and be grateful it is sunny where you are, it's pouring down here.

dvpeace

611 posts

256 months

Friday 9th July 2004
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Mine worked fine, blew cold air and it was hot one day when I was driving it.

David