Poor aircon performance

[dmjw01]

Or am I just expecting too much?

My 18-month old FR TDI is the first car I've had with aircon, and this is the first really hot weather I've experienced with it.

On my way home tonight, the outside temperature was touching 31C, and the air coming out of the vents was slightly cool but not particularly chilly. The fan was also blowing quite hard for the whole of my 20 mile journey, and it took several minutes before the air was noticeably cooler at the start of the journey. The CC was set to 20C, and if I'd wanted it any cooler it just wouldn't have happened.

Does my aircon need purging and re-gassing, or am I just expecting too much from it? How often should it need attention?

Has anyone had the system regassed? How much did it cost and was it worth it?

Can anyone recommend an aircon specialist that can do it and keep the warranty intact?

 

[Deleted member 11127]

Dont know if i have the same problem but i always thought it takes a few minutes to get the cold air flowing before you actualyl get cold air?

 

[dmjw01]

It does seem reasonable for a couple of minutes, I agree.

But this evening it just didn't seem to cope with the temperature as well as I would expect. Even after 20 miles it was still blowing hard. Heck - this thing is designed in Spain, where 31C is nothing!

 

[Deleted member 11127]

If your ever in doubt just nip into the dealers to have a look!

 

[spyke85]

Mine is blowing really cold this past week. One thing I have noticed is that when in reverse, the fans speed up. Is this normal?

 

[dmjw01]

when in reverse, the fans speed up. Is this normal?

Yes. It actually switches itself into recirc mode to prevent exhaust fumes from behind the car being drawn into the cabin.

 

[mattyfab]

LOL, very clever.

It will take a couple of mins in this weather to get cold as all the pipework from the aircon unit to the car will be hot, and this needs to cool down a bit before you get the full benifit of the AC

 

[EdButler]

Mine doesnt seem great at the moment, however our cars tell us if they need re-gassing by flashing the CC display. It might just need a good run if you havent used the compressor all winter. Maybe give it a clean also with a spray.

Remember that to get the car cooler, use re-circ with the aircon, as cooling the already cool air in your car is much easier

 

[vroomtshh]

Also setting the CC to 20degrees isnt particularly cold. Have u tried switching it to low. Mine is cold enough to turn screen wash to ice on the windscreen

 

[skoov]

Mine doesnt seem great at the moment, however our cars tell us if they need re-gassing by flashing the CC display.

My display has flashed on/off a few times before, looked as if it was testing all the LCDs. Is this what it does when it needs re-gassing?

Cheers,

 

[Mattyh87]

You shouldnt use recirculation permanently though, it will place more pressure upon the air conditioning unit. (Thats what we were told by Honda.)

 

[BeezerDiesel]

Putting it on re-circ will make it blow colder, but as above - don't use it all the time. It will make the air inside the car stale after a while and you may end up a bit drowsy, plus as Matty says above, it can put a strain on the mechanicals after prolonged use.
And yes, during the hottest parts of the day keep it on LO.

 

[dmjw01]

Also setting the CC to 20degrees isnt particularly cold.

If it's not particularly cold, why did the CC feel the need to be blowing the fan so hard?

 

[maxcars1]

Or am I just expecting too much?

My 18-month old FR TDI is the first car I've had with aircon, and this is the first really hot weather I've experienced with it.

On my way home tonight, the outside temperature was touching 31C, and the air coming out of the vents was slightly cool but not particularly chilly. The fan was also blowing quite hard for the whole of my 20 mile journey, and it took several minutes before the air was noticeably cooler at the start of the journey. The CC was set to 20C, and if I'd wanted it any cooler it just wouldn't have happened.

Does my aircon need purging and re-gassing, or am I just expecting too much from it? How often should it need attention?

Has anyone had the system regassed? How much did it cost and was it worth it?

Can anyone recommend an aircon specialist that can do it and keep the warranty intact?

I had the same problem on Monday when coming back from work. I have had some problems with leaking pipes with the AirCon but this is all now fixed, and has been regassed etc. Like you the temp was approx 29/30 degrees and the air coming out on Lo was only cool I was doing some speed at this time However, when I came off the dual carriageway and in to the 40-60 routes it seem fine. I did a bit of reading last night on the net and many forums said to put it on 'recirc' mode - its been fine today on this mode. Now I'm confused with the responses tonight on SCN.

 

[dmjw01]

Thanks for all the replies! It has been working much better today - the temperature being in the mid twenties. I reckon I'm just expecting too much, but maybe I'll get a regas done some time.

 

[owlidonly]

I was having the same problems last year and here temps are considerably warmer. Then i booked it in for a service and they cleaned my aircon filter... it worked wonders! seriously the aircon was blowing ice after a couple of minutes ...well not really but you get my point

now I think it's deteriorating a bit again and I'd like to take a look at this aircon filter. anyone knows where it is exactly? I tried the engine bay, tried passenger side... but can't find it anywhere. Anyways it'll be worth the try

 

[maxcars1]

I was having the same problems last year and here temps are considerably warmer. Then i booked it in for a service and they cleaned my aircon filter... it worked wonders! seriously the aircon was blowing ice after a couple of minutes ...well not really but you get my point

now I think it's deteriorating a bit again and I'd like to take a look at this aircon filter. anyone knows where it is exactly? I tried the engine bay, tried passenger side... but can't find it anywhere. Anyways it'll be worth the try

Is this the Pollen Filter? IIRC its mounted under the glovebox

 

[keebo_sioux]

I got my air con fixed today. For the last few months it had been only half-working. It blew either really hot or really cold air with nothing in between. It stayed at the last setting you used as well. It was quite hard to explain, because it semi-worked!

It turned out that one of the parts was faulty and this showed up on the dealers' diagnostics tests.

Should I be annoyed that the aircon stopped working in a car less than three years old? It is now just out of warranty, so I'm hoping nothing else goes wrong now!

I love this car so much more than the old mk2 1.4 ibiza but that started giving me problem after problem after the warranty expired. I hope the build quality in the mk4s is much better but I am a little sceptical!

 

[maxcars1]

I got my air con fixed today. For the last few months it had been only half-working. It blew either really hot or really cold air with nothing in between. It stayed at the last setting you used as well. It was quite hard to explain, because it semi-worked!

It turned out that one of the parts was faulty and this showed up on the dealers' diagnostics tests.

Should I be annoyed that the aircon stopped working in a car less than three years old? It is now just out of warranty, so I'm hoping nothing else goes wrong now!

I love this car so much more than the old mk2 1.4 ibiza but that started giving me problem after problem after the warranty expired. I hope the build quality in the mk4s is much better but I am a little sceptical!

Which part was that then?

 

[keebo_sioux]

I don't know, dealer said what it was but I can't recall. I thought he said there were 3 fans and one wasn't working, but that would not explain the 'symptoms'.