Air Con Re-gas in Churston

Churston sits between Paignton and Brixham, close to the steam railway line, and plenty of local journeys head out towards Brixham and Dartmouth. When the weather warms up, a car that blows warm air makes every one of those trips less pleasant.

Automaster, trading as Clutchmaster at Automaster, is an independent garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. We have full facilities for air con re-gas on all makes and models of petrol and diesel car, so it is worth getting the system checked before summer arrives. Prices start from £50 for R134a, or from £99 for R1234yf.

What actually happens during an air con re-gas?

The service runs in four stages. First the old gas is removed from the system. Next the system is vacuumed and checked for leaks. Then oil and dye are added, and finally new gas goes in and the temperature is checked.

Skipping straight to topping up would ignore the vacuum and leak check, which is the part that tells you whether the system can hold gas at all.

Many drivers assume a weak air con just needs a quick top-up. In reality the cooling depends on the right amount of the right gas, with the right oil in the system, which is why each stage of the re-gas has its own job.

• Removal of old gas
• Vacuum and leak check
• Oil and dye added
• New gas added and temperature checked

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

Older cars use R134a. Newer cars, typically from around 2017 onward, use R1234yf, though you should check your own car. A label under the bonnet or the handbook will show which one it takes. The two are not interchangeable.

A re-gas for R134a starts from £50 for R134a, while a re-gas with the newer R1234yf gas starts from £99 for R1234yf.

If you run an older petrol or diesel car for the school run or trips to the coast, the older gas is most likely in it. Cars of more recent years are more likely to take the newer gas.

Can I just turn up in Churston with an R134a car?

For R134a cars there is no booking needed. Drive in, and it is a while-you-wait service. That suits anyone who spots warm air on the way back from Brixham and wants it sorted without planning ahead.

If your car takes R1234yf, call the quote line or use the quote form first so we can talk it through.

How do I know my air con needs attention?

Common signs are air that is not cold, a system that is slow to cool, a musty smell from the vents, or noise from the compressor. Systems lose gas slowly over time, so the drop is often gradual and easy to miss until a hot day.

Running the air con regularly all year helps keep the system in better shape, even in winter.

None of these signs prove a particular fault by themselves, which is exactly why the vacuum and leak check is part of the visit. It gives a clearer picture than guessing.

Do you cover Churston and the villages around it?

Yes, drivers from Churston, Brixham, Paignton and Dartmouth bring their cars to us at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, along with others from the surrounding countryside. A car with a badly leaking system will not hold a new charge for long, which is why the leak check matters.

Whatever the age of your car, we can tell you which gas it needs and what the re-gas would cost.

Churston is a village, so we keep the details simple: we are at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, and drivers from the countryside and the named nearby towns come to us.