Air Con service con?
- Thread starter ima
- Start date
Ah... unfortunately from Kwik Fits site... but still true...
How do I know which air con gas I require?
R134A gas is common in vehicles manufactured before 2014. All vehicles with air conditioning manufactured since 1st January 2017 include the new R1234YF air con gas which is more environmentally friendly. Since this date, manufacturers are no longer allowed to use the older R134A air con gas in a bid to reduce global warming as the old gas is believed to be more damaging to the environment. R1234YF gas was phased in by vehicle manufacturers over time so vehicles rolling off the production line between 2014 and 2016 could require either gas.
How do I know which air con gas I require?
R134A gas is common in vehicles manufactured before 2014. All vehicles with air conditioning manufactured since 1st January 2017 include the new R1234YF air con gas which is more environmentally friendly. Since this date, manufacturers are no longer allowed to use the older R134A air con gas in a bid to reduce global warming as the old gas is believed to be more damaging to the environment. R1234YF gas was phased in by vehicle manufacturers over time so vehicles rolling off the production line between 2014 and 2016 could require either gas.
Sounds like they’re just trying to get money off of you, check your service schedule in you service book, if it in there and required then it’ll probably affect your warranty if you don’t do it.....
In my opinion if it works it shouldn’t need doing, I havnt had mine done and mines 4 years old.
Sounds like they’re trying to charge you for a Air Con Refresh (where they clean the system) and a re gas which I believe is 2 different things.
Check with another Seat garage which is part of a different group and see what they think.
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In my opinion if it works it shouldn’t need doing, I havnt had mine done and mines 4 years old.
Sounds like they’re trying to charge you for a Air Con Refresh (where they clean the system) and a re gas which I believe is 2 different things.
Check with another Seat garage which is part of a different group and see what they think.
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Bit more info...
How much is an air con recharge?
The price you pay for an air conditioning recharge depends on the type of refrigerant gas your car uses. The vast majority of cars on the road in the UK use one of two types of refrigerant - R134A and R1234YF. If your air conditioning system requires R134A gas the cost to recharge is £39.95. For vehicles that require R1234YF gas the cost is £129.95 to recharge. It is not possible to switch between gases, in fact, the port to recharge R1234YF models is different to the R134A making it impossible to refill with the incorrect gas.
How much is an air con recharge?
The price you pay for an air conditioning recharge depends on the type of refrigerant gas your car uses. The vast majority of cars on the road in the UK use one of two types of refrigerant - R134A and R1234YF. If your air conditioning system requires R134A gas the cost to recharge is £39.95. For vehicles that require R1234YF gas the cost is £129.95 to recharge. It is not possible to switch between gases, in fact, the port to recharge R1234YF models is different to the R134A making it impossible to refill with the incorrect gas.
Assuming Seat’s approach to air con servicing is the same as VW’s, it’s not a warranty requirement to have the air con serviced at two years - it’s a recommendation, otherwise known as a moneymaker for the dealer.
I dare say the service advisers get a bonus if they manage to persuade more than a certain number of customers to buy the air con service, so it’s something they’re likely to try and push quite hard. If your air con’s working fine, leave well alone. IMO, the best way to minimise problems with your air con is to switch it on and leave it on.
My car will be four years old at the next service and I’m expecting the dealer to recommend the air con service is carried out. I’ll be politely declining their recommendation.
I dare say the service advisers get a bonus if they manage to persuade more than a certain number of customers to buy the air con service, so it’s something they’re likely to try and push quite hard. If your air con’s working fine, leave well alone. IMO, the best way to minimise problems with your air con is to switch it on and leave it on.
My car will be four years old at the next service and I’m expecting the dealer to recommend the air con service is carried out. I’ll be politely declining their recommendation.
All sealed automobile fitted HVAC systems are know to leak slightly, this is currently inevitable because of materials used on flexible piping and manifold seals, so servicing will be required at some point in time. Most people will only do that when they detect a drop in performance of the chiller as these systems are designed to be "critically" charged - which means there is only a slight/small tolerance in gas charge weight and still have the system working, ie too high a charge and the system will not run, too low a charge and the system will drop off in performance and eventually stop running.
I'd think that the best plan is always take your car to an independent automobile HVAC place and not to a car dealership, or even call out an independent that is mobile as their overheads might be lower.
One thing to bear in mind is, when you move to EV, they must have a fully working HVAC system as the traction battery packs needs that to keep cool!
I'd think that the best plan is always take your car to an independent automobile HVAC place and not to a car dealership, or even call out an independent that is mobile as their overheads might be lower.
One thing to bear in mind is, when you move to EV, they must have a fully working HVAC system as the traction battery packs needs that to keep cool!
Air con not only cools air in the summer but, more importantly in winter dries the air and so keeps the windows clear, it will also aid defrosting and help with condensation. As someone said above a/c systems leak and require topping up, the a/c machine once connected to the car evacuates the system of remaining gas, it then refills the system with gas (amount specific to the car) and also it adds lubricant, this is vital to the compressor maintenance. As said there are two types of gas, the earlier type whilst is cheaper (but increasing in price), and the later type while is better for the environment is more expensive. 2 years is a bit early for work, we recommended 3 year first service then every other year after that, shop around prices vary and it is not necessary to go to Seat, try for an Indy in your area.
I'd think that if you allow them to service it, they will charge for doing that. So how would your SEAT dealership know that your AC needs servicing, well let's think about:- option "a" they ran a quick check of the way it performs and it was slightly lacking in cooling performance. option "b" mentioning this to customers makes money for the dealership regardless of anything else, ie no one checked how it is performing right now.
I'd think that to make life easy, the service department running computerised system would have spat this out as that car's records were being updated.
I'd think that to make life easy, the service department running computerised system would have spat this out as that car's records were being updated.
The dealer price is way OTT, as is Kwik fit etc.
When done properly the existing R1234yf gas in the system is recovered and you only pay for the additional gas required to return to spec. Oil and dye is added at the same time.
A quick look up shows the current Golf system needs 460g total, couldn't find the Leon but it'll be the same system.
Prices vary but my local specialist charges £29 + £10/100g gas.
So the maximum cost would be £79 for an empty system, more likely to be around £50.
I'll get mine done in the Spring, it'll be 4 1/2 years old and whilst it works just fine the lubricant should prolong compressor life, and they are around £500 to replace.
CACS Derby
When done properly the existing R1234yf gas in the system is recovered and you only pay for the additional gas required to return to spec. Oil and dye is added at the same time.
A quick look up shows the current Golf system needs 460g total, couldn't find the Leon but it'll be the same system.
Prices vary but my local specialist charges £29 + £10/100g gas.
So the maximum cost would be £79 for an empty system, more likely to be around £50.
I'll get mine done in the Spring, it'll be 4 1/2 years old and whilst it works just fine the lubricant should prolong compressor life, and they are around £500 to replace.
CACS Derby
No way is it needed on a 2 year old car.
Find your local independent specialist who will use the correct gas and do the job properly.
I made the mistake of agreeing to my local Seat Dealer performing the service at just gone 3 years old and it started working intermittently afterwards. I discovered that they had overfilled the gas and oil but despite me giving them 5 services in 2 years, their service manager treated me like something he'd stepped in. I No longer use that local Seat dealer and travel slightly further to another for a better service.
Find your local independent specialist who will use the correct gas and do the job properly.
I made the mistake of agreeing to my local Seat Dealer performing the service at just gone 3 years old and it started working intermittently afterwards. I discovered that they had overfilled the gas and oil but despite me giving them 5 services in 2 years, their service manager treated me like something he'd stepped in. I No longer use that local Seat dealer and travel slightly further to another for a better service.
