Stay Kool Car Air Conditioning Services

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Stay Kool Car Air Conditioning Services Car Air Conditioning Derby We offer car air conditioning services and specialize in diagnosing air conditioning leaks. We also offer a 3 month Guarantee offer.
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We also offer free anti-bacterial treatment and UV dye treatment as part of the service. Services cost £69 for cars with R134a and £99 for cars with R1234yf gas. Services only take around 30 minuets so you can wait while we carry out the service. Have a coffee in our café and look at the cars, bikes and jet engines and shops on display all for free while we do your AC service, as we have our unit within Great Northern Classics.

❄️🚗 HOW DOES YOUR CAR AIR CON ACTUALLY WORK?Ever wondered what happens when you press the A/C button? Here’s the simple ...
03/10/2026

❄️🚗 HOW DOES YOUR CAR AIR CON ACTUALLY WORK?

Ever wondered what happens when you press the A/C button? Here’s the simple version 👇

🔵 1. COMPRESSOR
The compressor takes low-pressure refrigerant gas and compresses it into a high-pressure, high-temperature gas.

🔴 2. CONDENSER
The hot refrigerant travels to the condenser at the front of the car. Air passing through the condenser removes the heat, turning the refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid.

💧 3. RECEIVER DRIER
The liquid refrigerant passes through the receiver drier, which helps remove moisture, filter contaminants and store refrigerant before it reaches the expansion valve.

⬇️ 4. EXPANSION VALVE
The expansion valve reduces the refrigerant’s pressure. This causes it to become very cold as it expands.

❄️ 5. EVAPORATOR
The cold refrigerant enters the evaporator inside the dashboard. Heat from the cabin air is absorbed by the refrigerant, while the blower pushes the resulting cool air into the cabin.

🔄 6. BACK TO THE COMPRESSOR
The refrigerant has now absorbed heat and becomes a low-pressure gas. It returns to the compressor and the whole cycle starts again.

🌡️ The basic principle:

Compress → Condense → Expand → Evaporate → Repeat

Your air conditioning system isn’t actually creating cold air — it’s moving heat from inside your car to the outside.

At StayKool, we specialise in car air conditioning and can check the system properly, including leak testing, before simply adding refrigerant.

❄️ StayKool — keeping Derby cool.

📍 Great Northern Classics, Derby
🌐 www.staykool.co.uk

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES 🔧**💷 **THE £600 MAIN DEALER QUOTE THAT DIDN’T ADD UP…**A customer came to us after being to...
05/09/2026

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES 🔧**

💷 **THE £600 MAIN DEALER QUOTE THAT DIDN’T ADD UP…**

A customer came to us after being told by a main dealer that a **stone had gone through the front of the car**, damaging the **air conditioning condenser and cooling fan**.

The recommended repair?
💷 **Around £600 for a new condenser and fan assembly.**

But the customer wasn't convinced. There had been **no obvious impact** and the car had otherwise been driving normally, so she decided to get a second opinion.

🔍 **WE CHECKED IT PROPERLY…**

There were **no signs of stone damage, no puncture and no damaged condenser fins** where the impact was supposedly located.

The cooling fan was also **working perfectly** when tested.

And there was something else that didn't quite add up…

Behind the condenser and fan sits the **radiator**. If a stone had travelled through with enough force to damage both the condenser and fan, you'd expect to see damage to the radiator too.

👉 **There was none.**

We then checked the refrigerant level.

The system had lost only around **50g of gas** — a small amount consistent with gradual seepage over time, rather than a major puncture.

❄️ **THE RESULT?**

There was **no need for a £600 condenser and fan replacement.**

The car simply needed a **proper air conditioning service and regas**.

The customer left with **ice-cold air**, a much smaller bill and, most importantly, peace of mind that she hadn't paid for parts she didn't need.

💰 **CUSTOMER SAVED AN ESTIMATED £600!**

This is why a **second opinion can be so worthwhile**.

An expensive diagnosis should always be backed up by clear evidence.

🔧 **Don't just replace parts because you're told they need replacing — ask questions, check the evidence and get a second opinion if something doesn't add up.**

🚗 When the diagnosis says one thing… but the warranty company says another!Another interesting AC diagnostic case at Sta...
03/09/2026

🚗 When the diagnosis says one thing… but the warranty company says another!

Another interesting AC diagnostic case at StayKool.

The customer’s air conditioning stopped working suddenly, so we carried out a full diagnostic assessment.

🔧 What we actually found:

✅ 12V feed present at the compressor clutch
✅ Compressor pulley/bearing freely rotating
❌ No resistance through the clutch coil/coil pack
❌ Coil confirmed open circuit
➡️ The clutch therefore could not engage the compressor.

Based on our physical testing, the fault identified was an internal electrical failure of the compressor clutch coil.

However… despite our diagnostic findings, the warranty company has declined the claim, stating that the failure was “likely due to a compressor clutch bearing failure which would occur over a period of time.”

🤔 The problem?

We found no seized bearing. The bearing was freely rotating when tested, while the electrical coil was clearly open circuit.

We can only report what our testing shows — and in this case, the evidence points to an electrical failure of the clutch coil, not a seized compressor bearing.

This is why proper diagnostic testing is so important. 🔍

At StayKool, we don’t simply guess at faults or replace expensive parts unnecessarily. We test, diagnose and report what we actually find.

Sadly, it does make you wonder sometimes whether some warranties are worth the paper they’re written on.

❄️ StayKool – Automotive Air Conditioning Specialists
📍 Derby
🔧 AC Diagnostics • Repairs • Electrical Fault Finding • Re-gassing

🔧 STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #3 🔧📖 TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP🔧🚗 THE £1,200 EVAPORATOR THAT WASN’T THE PROBLEM… 🤔Here’...
30/08/2026

🔧 STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #3 🔧

📖 TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP

🔧

🚗 THE £1,200 EVAPORATOR THAT WASN’T THE PROBLEM… 🤔

Here’s another one from the true stories we’ve seen through the workshop.

A customer recently came to us after already visiting two other air conditioning specialists because their car’s air con wasn’t staying cold.

The first specialist had checked the system and told the customer that there were no leaks.

But there was a problem…

Just 2 weeks later, the air con gas had leaked out again. 🤔

So the customer went elsewhere for another opinion.

This time they were told that the problem was the evaporator and that replacing it would involve around £1,200 JUST IN LABOUR. 😳

Understandably, the customer wanted to investigate things a little further before committing to a repair like that.

So they booked the car in with StayKool.

🔎 We carried out our own checks and started looking for the actual source of the leak.

And what did we find?

👉 THE CONDENSER WAS LEAKING.

Not the evaporator.

Not a £1,200 labour job.

A leaking condenser. 🔧.

💷 TOTAL COST including regas: UNDER £300.

The customer came to us after being told there were no leaks, then being quoted £1,200 in labour for an evaporator replacement…

…and the actual fault turned out to be a leaking condenser.

Now, we’re not saying that the previous diagnoses were made deliberately or that anyone was trying to mislead the customer.

But this is exactly why proper leak detection and diagnosis is so important when dealing with car air conditioning.

❄️ FIND THE FAULT. FIX THE FAULT. DON’T JUST GUESS.

And if you’ve been told your air con needs an expensive repair, it might be worth getting a second opinion before spending your money.

🔧 StayKool – Car Air Conditioning Specialists
📍 Derby

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #2** 🔧 # # # **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP** 📖🔧🚗 **THE DISCONNECTED COMPRESSOR CONNECTO...
26/08/2026

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #2** 🔧

# # # **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP** 📖🔧

🚗 **THE DISCONNECTED COMPRESSOR CONNECTOR… 🤔**

Here's another one from the **true stories we've seen through the workshop**.

Over the years, we've had quite a few customers come to us because their **air conditioning has suddenly stopped working after their car has been into a main dealer for a service or other routine work.**

When we investigate the problem, we've found something rather interesting...

👉 **THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED.**

Now, we're not saying why this happens.

And we're certainly not going to accuse anyone of deliberately doing it.

But when you have a customer who tells us:

**“My air conditioning was working perfectly before the service, and it stopped working afterwards…”**

…and we then find the compressor connector has been disconnected, it does make you stop and think. 🤔

Especially when we've seen this situation **more than once.**

In some cases, the customer has understandably been told that their air conditioning needs diagnosing or that there may be a problem with the system.

They then come to us for a second opinion.

We reconnect the compressor...

Carry out the correct checks...

And suddenly the air conditioning is working again. ❄️😂

# # # **COINCIDENCE? 🤔**

We'll let you make your own mind up!

To be fair, connectors can be unplugged during servicing or repairs for perfectly legitimate reasons. They can also simply be missed when everything is put back together.

**But if your air conditioning was working before a service and isn't working immediately afterwards, it's always worth checking the basics first.**

Before anyone starts talking about compressors, condensers or expensive repairs, make sure the system is actually connected and operating as it should.

💷 **A simple disconnected connector could save you from an unnecessary repair bill.**

This is why getting a **second opinion** can be worthwhile, particularly when you've suddenly been told you need an expensive air conditioning repair.

At StayKool, we diagnose the fault rather than simply replacing parts and hoping for the best.

❄️ **StayKool Car Air Conditioning & ADAS Calibration – Derby**

🔧 Diagnosis
❄️ Air conditioning repairs
🔧 Regas
🚗 Component replacement
🔍 Fault finding

And remember...

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES** 🔧
📖 **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP**

**You honestly couldn't make some of these stories up! 😂**

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #1** 🔧 # # # **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP** 📖🔧**“YOU NEED A NEW COMPRESSOR!” 😱**This i...
26/08/2026

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES #1** 🔧

# # # **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP** 📖🔧

**“YOU NEED A NEW COMPRESSOR!” 😱**

This is exactly why getting a **second opinion** can sometimes save you a LOT of money! 💷

A customer recently came to us after being told by another garage that their car's air conditioning problem was caused by a **failed compressor** and that the compressor would need replacing.

Now, a compressor isn't exactly a cheap component, so before spending a considerable amount of money, the customer decided to bring the car to **StayKool** for a second opinion.

And we're glad they did! 👀

We carried out our own checks and started diagnosing the system.

The compressor wasn't the problem.

In fact, the compressor was perfectly fine! ✅

So what was actually wrong?

👉 **THE DRIVE BELT WAS MISSING!** 🤦‍♂️

Without the drive belt, the compressor simply couldn't be driven — meaning the air conditioning couldn't operate.

No faulty compressor.
No expensive compressor replacement.
No need to replace a perfectly good part.

The actual fault was something **far simpler and much cheaper to put right.**

🔧 A new belt was all that was needed to get everything working again.

This is a perfect example of why we always say:

# # # **DIAGNOSE FIRST — REPLACE PARTS SECOND.**

Air conditioning systems can have many different reasons for not working, and a compressor not operating doesn't automatically mean the compressor itself has failed.

Thankfully, this customer didn't go ahead with the expensive repair before getting another opinion.

💷 **A second opinion potentially saved them hundreds of pounds!**

We're not saying every diagnosis from another garage is wrong — mistakes can happen and some faults can be difficult to diagnose.

But if you've been told you need an expensive repair, **there's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion before handing over your money.**

At StayKool, we don't want to sell you parts you don't need. Our aim is to **find the actual fault and recommend the correct repair.** 👍

❄️ **StayKool Car Air Conditioning & ADAS Calibration – Derby**

🔧 Diagnosis
❄️ Air conditioning regas
🔧 Air conditioning repairs
🚗 Component replacement
🔍 Fault finding

# # # **Don't replace an expensive part on a guess — get it checked first!**

And this is only **TRUE STORY #1**...

Keep an eye out for more:

🔧 **STAYKOOL GARAGE MISTAKES** 🔧
📖 **TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORKSHOP**

Because you wouldn't believe some of the things we see! 😂

Yet another heatwave next week ☀️☀️💧
07/08/2026

Yet another heatwave next week ☀️☀️💧

18/07/2026

How a AC Compressor works

Address

278 Osmaston Road
Derby
DE248AE

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

Telephone

+447541724069

Website

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