Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Aero 8 Air Conditioning Problem

I have an AC problem on my 2007 Aero 8. First, it cycles on and off too quickly. When set to its coldest setting, the compressor will engage for only about 30 seconds at a time, then disengage--it will not stay on and make it really cold. Second, after driving on a hot day, then stopping and shutting down the engine, the AC will not come on at all when the engine is restarted. In fact, the light behind the AC button on the dash will not come on. This will continue as long as the car is driven. When the car is put in the garage and restated several days later, the AC light will come on again and the AC will work (still cycling on and off) again. But, if you stop after a hot drive, it will again fail to come on when the engine is restarted. Any ideas or suggestions. Many thanks

First make certain you have the interior (heating) fan set to high, if it is off then the system will not run and the LED behind the A/C button flashes.

Second I believe that if you turn on the A/C and run the engine the engine fans will kick in in order to blow air across the condenser (radiator) for the system. If they are not working it might cause some kind of trip as well.

I believe that the A/C needs the engine running as the pump runs off the engine that cools the gas so this would be normal. Also when you switch the engine off my Aero defaults to no A/C on next start all the time so you would need to switch it on again. I could be wrong, I have not been out in it for a bit.

I had a similar issue with my S2.

It ran out of gas, the compressor (pump) then dried out and failed due to the lack of gas which also acts as a lubricant I am told. It would turn on and give a very weak cool draft but nothing useful.

Get it pressure tested then depending on the results get it re-filled with fresh gas. At this point you may still have a dead pump.

In the end I had compressor, condenser (radiator) and some pipes replaced. Not cheap. The compressor is especially difficult to find.

I find that with modern cars, now that all the rest of it is so reliable the air con is usually the biggest source of unscheduled trouble and expense. My 4/4 sport is the first car I've bought in ages where I shan't have to suffer this problem (no air con).

Fan is set on high. Engine fans are running. Engine is running and system is switched on. The system was low on gas several months ago and it was refilled and a small leak was repaired (it required the removal of front fender and @ $3000 in service charges). The gas is now full and the system blows cold, occasionally, but cycles on and off as described in my first post. Also the AC will not turn on (and the AC light will not come on) when engine is restarted after it has been turned off after a run on a hot day. Any other suggestions? Many thanks.

Alistair's advice is spot on.

What you are describing would seem to be the system loosing pressure; however, if it was recently repaired, you would hope the mechanic had pressure tested the system.

There are no common faults with the A/C system on Morgan Aero 8s; therefore, it will be difficult for anyone to guide you past what has been said above.

I would suggest that you speak with your closest Morgan repair agent and failing that, call the factory direct (speak with the repair shop) and explain that you are calling from the USA and would like advice on the possible solution to the issue.

Hello Rkell

I recently had an aircon problem on my S1. It was a different problem to yours in that the blower fan would not run although the aircon itself did work at speed and provided cold air simply though forced air through the system. I was given some trouble-shooting advise by the company that made the aircon control unit for the car that allowed me to identify the faulty part and though I suspect it may not help you I pass it on as it is perhaps something to could try when it's not working.

Firstly I took off the top of the heater box under the bonnet to gain access to the blower fan. I disconnected the wires to the fan and connected a 12v battery to the fan side to make sure the fan worked; it did. I then connected a 12V tester to the other wires to test if there was current coming to the fan; there was. This then identified the problem as being a current limiter inside the fan control unit that is mounted behind the dash. Unit replaced (approx 250USD) and problem solved).

As said before I understand your problem is quite different, but you never know.

Cheers

if the company that performed the "reload" of the Aircon system did their job right they would have understood the following. If you have a leak you need to track it down and not just refill it.

If there is a leak it is difficult to find given we are playing with gasses. They would therefore put a colour dye in the mix to allow it to be tracked the second time around. This time if the coolant gas is escaping you have a better chance of understanding where as the dye should accumulate around the leak. This can then be used to track the problem. It does rely on open access to the entire system and so removal of the bonnet and wings.

So ask them if they did add the dye and if not then why not ?

It does seem the Air Conditioning on the Aero is really very robust.
Mine stopped working, it is now almost 9 years old, so I passed the problem to Williams.
It turned out that the system was very low on gas, so a complete refill solved the problem, it is now almost arctic!
They suggested that the system needs checking every 3 years... even with no leaks the fas does diffuse through the rubber hoses.

So, if your A/C isn't blowing cold, get it checked.

I have also heard that the Fan Control Modules can cause unusual issues with heating and cooling. You may also find that having had the system re-gassed and pressurised that an O ring seal is leaking slightly under the increased pressure. Most A/C systems need running regularly to use the gasses to lubricate the pipes and O rings etc.

My seals went due to lack of use by the previous owner. I run the AC all the time..