AC AutoTech

09/10/2026

❄️ IT’S OCTOBER… AND THE AIRCON DIAGNOSIS JOBS ARE STILL ROLLING IN! 😎👌

Funny how all the big national chains and places offering nothing more than a quick regas seem to have gone a little quiet on the aircon front… 👀🤫

But does the need for air conditioning suddenly disappear when summer ends?

Absolutely NOT! ❌

Your vehicle’s air conditioning is just as important during the colder months as it is in summer!

🌧️ Autumn and winter bring moisture, humidity and misted-up windows.

❄️ Your air conditioning helps remove moisture from the cabin air, keeping your windows clear and improving visibility.

And guess what?

Aircon faults don’t take a winter holiday either! 🥴😂

Here at AC Autotech, we’re still diagnosing aircon faults, locating leaks, testing system performance and proving exactly WHY systems aren’t working correctly.

No throwing refrigerant in and hoping for the best.

No guessing which part might fix it.

🔧 Proper testing.
🔍 Systematic diagnosis.
🏆 Proven results.

Because whether it’s 30°C in July or 5°C in December, our approach doesn’t change!

TEST, NOT GUESS! 😎

📩 Experiencing aircon issues? Drop us a message and see how we can help get some answers.

AC Autotech – Wirral
❄️ Air Conditioning Diagnosis & Repair Specialists

08/10/2026

🤯 MULTIPLE GARAGES… MULTIPLE PARTS… AND ALL THAT TROUBLE FOR ONE BENT PIN?! 🥴🤦‍♂️

You really couldn’t make some of this stuff up! 🤣

Today’s patient… a Vauxhall Insignia with NO AIRCON! 🥶❌

Fault code:
🔴 B393B – Air Conditioning Compressor Control Circuit Open

This vehicle had already visited multiple garages, had various parts thrown at it and STILL had no working aircon! 💸🥴

The customer had finally had enough and made the journey to us for a proper diagnosis.

Surely someone must have checked the basics?! 👀🤐

Well… let’s see! 😎

We started our usual systematic assessment, but it wasn’t long before we hit our first stumbling block…

🤦‍♂️ THE WIRING DIAGRAM DIDN’T MATCH THE VEHICLE!

Oh, fantastic! 🤣

But that’s where knowing how a system operates becomes valuable Rather than firing another round from the parts cannon 💣💸, we continued testing.

🔍 Proved the compressor and aircon system were capable of operating.

🔍 Confirmed the issue was within the electrical control circuit.

🔍 Worked through the wiring and connections to identify the actual fault.

And what did we eventually uncover?!

🥁🥁🥁

SOMEONE HAD BENT A PIN INSIDE AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR! 🤦‍♂️😖🤣

Yep!

After all those visits, replacement parts and frustration…

ONE. TINY. BENT. PIN. 👀

A man-made fault that had potentially cost the customer a small fortune in unnecessary repairs!

Pin corrected ✅
Fault resolved ✅
Aircon working ✅
Customer finally has an answer ✅

🏆 THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REPLACING PARTS AND DIAGNOSING FAULTS!

Sometimes the repair itself takes minutes…

It’s knowing WHAT to repair, and being able to PROVE it, that matters! 🔧🧠

🔴 AC AUTOTECH – TEST, DON’T GUESS! 🔴

❄️ And remember, aircon isn’t just for keeping you cool in summer!

During the colder months, a correctly functioning air conditioning system helps remove moisture from the cabin air, improving demisting and keeping those windows clear. 🌧️🥶

Having aircon issues?

📩 Drop us a message and see how we can help!

🔧 AC AUTOTECH – WIRRAL
🥶 Air Conditioning Specialists

30/09/2026

Over 5 HOURS travelling… just for an air-con assessment! 😳🥴

This customer found us through our social media and decided to make the 5+ hour journey to AC Autotech for us to assess an air-con fault on their vehicle.

No pressure for us then… 🥴🤯😂

But whether you’ve travelled 5 minutes or 5 hours, the process stays exactly the same.

We test, monitor and prove. 🔍❄️

We followed our usual systematic assessment, working through the system step-by-step until we were able to identify and prove the fault.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis wasn’t particularly good news for the customer.

But sometimes good diagnosis means delivering bad news.

And bad news backed up with evidence is still far better than expensive guesswork.

No firing parts at it.
No “let’s try this and see.”
No guessing.

Just a logical, repeatable testing process that gives us confidence in what we’re telling the customer.

And for somebody who has travelled over 5 hours because they trusted what they’d seen from us online, that matters even more. 👌

AC Autotech
❄️ Air-conditioning diagnosis & repair
🔍 Test, not guess.

29/09/2026

So, the vehicle’s repaired… 🔧❄️

Post-repair pressure test carried out with nitrogen.

It holds pressure perfectly.

WINNING! 🏆😎

Next step — vacuum.

Nice big vacuum applied…

And it FAILS the vacuum test! 👀🥴🤢

So what now?!

It holds positive pressure but won’t hold under vacuum… how does that work? 🤔

Do we just force the machine into putting refrigerant in anyway and hope for the best? 🫪🤫🤐

NOPE.

We test.
We monitor.
And most importantly… we PROVE. 🔍

Further testing allowed us to prove that the compressor shaft seal was leaking under vacuum, despite the system holding positive pressure.

And that’s exactly why passing one test doesn’t automatically mean an A/C system is leak-free.

Sometimes the answer is in understanding how and when a component fails, rather than simply whether it passes a pressure test.

That’s the level of diagnosis we aim for at AC Autotech.

Even when the result is bad news, you can be confident that parts aren’t being thrown at the vehicle based on a guess.

TEST, NOT GUESS. 😎❄️

And remember — air conditioning is just as important in winter as it is in summer. It helps remove moisture from the cabin and keeps those windows clear.

Having A/C problems?

Drop us a message and see how we can help. ❄️🔧

29/09/2026

28/09/2026

The dash vents were cool — but definitely not cold.

This time, testing revealed extremely high system pressures and very high condenser inlet temperatures. 🌡️📈

The cause?

👉 Contamination left in the system following a previous compressor failure.

When an A/C compressor fails, simply fitting another compressor isn’t always enough.

Did you know that to maintain many compressor manufacturers’ warranties, the A/C system must be correctly flushed and the receiver drier replaced?

If this can’t be proven, you may find that your replacement compressor has no warranty cover.

More importantly, failing to remove contamination from the system can lead to poor performance, restrictions and potentially another compressor failure.

This is why we don’t just look for cold air from the vents and call it good. ❄️

We have the specialist tooling, testing procedures and knowledge to diagnose and repair vehicle air-conditioning systems properly.

Test, not guess. 🔧❄️

Experiencing A/C issues?

Drop us a message and see how AC Autotech can help. 👍

27/09/2026

❄️ INTERMITTENT AIRCON FAULT — CAN WE LOCATE IT? 🔥

Here’s a brief walk-through of a recent A/C assessment and a little insight into how we approach air-conditioning diagnosis at AC Autotech.

A big thanks to Nathan at N Burke Diagnostic, who spotted the customer’s issues on an owners forum and recommended they get in touch with us. 👌

The vehicle had already been looked at elsewhere, but the cause of the intermittent A/C fault hadn’t been identified.

As always, we started with our systematic assessment process — carrying out the same core checks and measurements we use on every vehicle.

Once we spotted something that didn’t quite add up, we changed direction and concentrated our testing around it.

In this case, it was the relationship between system pressures, temperatures and compressor cycling that started telling the story.

Individually, some of the readings could easily have been considered normal. It was watching how they changed together that allowed us to understand what was actually happening.

Even on a relatively mild day, we were able to gather enough evidence to prove the vehicle had a failing expansion valve.

This is exactly why we’re so passionate about carrying out the right tests, in the right order, and understanding the results rather than simply seeing cold air at the vents and assuming everything is okay.

And remember — your air conditioning isn’t just for hot summer days. 🌧️❄️
It plays an important role throughout winter too, particularly for dehumidifying the cabin and quickly clearing misted windows.

Experiencing poor, intermittent or unusual A/C performance?

Drop us a message and see how we can help.

AC Autotech
🔧 Test, not guess.

23/09/2026

🔧 FORD KUGA – TEST, NOT GUESS ❄️

Today we had this Ford Kuga in for our Air-Con Assessment.

This vehicle has already been to a number of garages — including an air-con specialist. 🥴👀

It’s had a condenser and pipe replaced, yet just ONE DAY later… the gas was gone again. 🤦‍♂️

So, time to find out where it was actually going.

We carried out our usual systematic assessment and found multiple leaks.

👉 The seals on the condenser pipe connections were leaking — quite possibly not replaced when the condenser was fitted.

But that wasn’t the main problem…

💨 The big leak was from the evaporator.

And that’s exactly why we don’t just throw parts at an air-con system or rely on a quick vacuum test and regas.

Our assessment might appear more expensive than some others…

But what are you actually paying for?

You’re paying for the time, equipment and knowledge to properly test the system and find the fault.

Because replacing parts that weren’t the problem gets expensive very quickly.

🔴 AC Autotech
❄️ Test, not guess.
🔧 Proper testing. Proper diagnosis. Proper answers.

17/09/2026

❄️ Two leaks. One system. Found through proper testing. 🔧

This vehicle had already been regassed elsewhere, but the refrigerant hadn’t stayed in the system.

There were no obvious signs of UV dye to point us towards the problem.

So how did we find not one… but TWO separate leaks? 💨💨

By doing exactly what we do on every vehicle.

We follow a systematic, logical test process.

The same core set of repeatable tests, carried out in the same logical order, allowing us to gather accurate results and follow the evidence.

We don’t change our testing because we think we know what’s wrong.

We test.

We measure.

We assess the results.

And those results determine where we go next.

That’s the importance of a proper A/C assessment.

systematically testing the system to understand exactly what is wrong before recommending the repair.

🔧 Repeatable testing. Accurate results. Proper first-time diagnosis.

Test, not guess. ❄️

14/09/2026

This weekend I attended what has become an annual event for me over in York.

It’s a weekend of networking, learning, sharing knowledge and being surrounded by some of the best technicians in the country.

I’ve been extremely privileged to be invited along for the last few years…

But this year was slightly different.

They asked me to present. 😳

A massive honour…

But I was also absolutely BRICKING IT. 💩💩💩🤯

When you’re presenting to guys who are genuinely at the top of their game, you can’t help thinking…

What the hell can I teach these lot?! 🫨🥴

And the running order really didn’t help my nerves. 😂

DAY 1

We had Diagnose Dan giving us a cracking talk on heat pumps.

HELLA talking about future technology.

Delphi giving us a big insight into EV growth and where the industry is heading.

RMI explaining SERMI and what it means for the trade.

Comma with a great insight into oils and the current challenges of vehicle manufacturers constantly moving the goalposts.

Ben – The Automotive Charity giving us a great insight into the support available within our industry.

And Andy’s Man Club delivering something completely different…

Leaving most of us looking around wondering who the hell was chopping onions. 🥺

DAY 2

Simon Parkinson from Motolec Auto Electrical kicked things off explaining wire testing and how to successfully use a tone tester.

I think it’s fair to say he left pretty much everyone in the room mind blown. 🤯

Then Mark Carter took us through air-conditioning operation, explaining how the system actually works and giving everyone the theory behind it.

And then…

Right at the very end of a packed two days…

Little old me. 😩😱

Saving the best till last, I could claim. 👀😂

I’d been asked to present my approach to air-conditioning diagnosis.

And I think that’s the bit I had to remind myself of.

I wasn’t there to teach a room full of some of the country’s best technicians how to diagnose cars.

I was there to share how I approach A/C diagnosis every day in my own workshop — and hopefully give them a few ideas they could take away and use themselves.

We started with a short slide presentation covering some of the equipment, methods and little tips I use every day.

Then we ditched the slides and moved onto what I actually enjoy…

A vehicle. A fault. And some proper testing. ❄️🔧

No scripted perfect fault.

No predetermined results.

Just a real-time A/C assessment/diagnosis, exactly as I’d approach it back at the workshop.

I talked everyone through what I was looking for, why I was carrying out each test and, most importantly, letting the results decide where we went next.

And probably the biggest compliment for me was the interaction.

After two long days of training, with everyone tired and many having big drives home ahead of them, there were still loads of questions, loads of enthusiasm and people genuinely wanting to know more.

That meant a lot.

I spend most of my life in a workshop diagnosing broken cars — standing in front of a room full of some of the country’s best technicians definitely isn’t my natural environment. 😂

But weekends like this are a reminder that none of us know everything.

We all have different experiences, different specialist areas and different ways of approaching a problem.

Sharing that knowledge is how we all get better.

This weekend I got the opportunity to share a little bit of mine.

Way outside my comfort zone…

But something I’m pretty bloody proud to have done. 😁❄️🔧

A massive thank you to everyone involved this weekend — everyone who organised it, everyone who presented and everyone who took the time to listen, ask questions and get involved.

An absolutely cracking weekend with a cracking group of people.

And if I’m invited to present again…

I might only be half as terrified next time. 💩😂❄️