Air Con Re-gas in Bickington

Bickington sits on the road between Newton Abbot and Ashburton, close to the A38 on the edge of Dartmoor. It is the kind of place where you drive out to most things, so a car with a working air con is more than a luxury in summer.

Automaster at Longcombe Cross, near Totnes, offers full air con re-gas facilities for all makes and models, petrol and diesel. Here is how the service works and what to expect.

What are the warning signs of low air con gas?

You do not need a gauge to spot it. If the vents blow air that is not cold, if the cabin is slow to cool, if there is a musty smell, or if the compressor is noisy, the system is asking for attention.

Gas disappears gradually, so the drop in performance often creeps up on you, especially if you rarely use the air con in cooler weather.

A car that has sat unused through a long spell of cool, damp days can feel fine until the first warm afternoon, and that is often when drivers discover how little cold air is left. Catching it early gives you more choice about when to have it done.

• Warm air from the vents
• Cabin slow to cool
• Musty smell
• Compressor noise

Which gas does my car need, and what will it cost?

Two gases are in use. R134a is the older one, and R1234yf is the newer gas on more recent cars, typically from around 2017 onward. Check your own car: a label under the bonnet or the handbook states which. They are not interchangeable.

For R134a an air con re-gas starts from £50 and a new-gas R1234yf re-gas starts from £99 upwards.

Does the re-gas include a leak check?

Yes, and it matters. The service removes the old gas, vacuums the system and checks for leaks, adds oil and dye, then puts in new gas and checks the temperature.

If a system is leaking badly, a re-gas will not last, so checking before refilling is sensible. We cannot promise a leak can be fixed, but the check tells you where you stand.

It also explains why we do not simply add gas and send you on your way. Putting new gas into a system that cannot hold it is a false saving, and the vacuum stage is there so the work is done on a system that has been properly looked at.

Can I wait while the R134a re-gas is done?

For R134a, yes. It is a while-you-wait service with no booking needed, so you can turn up when it suits you. That applies to R134a only.

For R1234yf, ask for a quote using the form or the quote line before you set off.

Do you look after drivers from Bickington?

Yes. Drivers from Bickington, Newton Abbot, Liverton, Heathfield and Buckfastleigh bring their cars to us at Longcombe Cross near Totnes.

Tell us the make and model when you ask for a quote and we can talk through which gas the car is likely to take.