A/C Dead?

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macdrack
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A/C Dead?

Post by macdrack »

So I took the Caddy for a spin early this morning - pressed the A/C - light on - hot air in the face.
No matter the setting - still hot air.
Is there a Fuse I can check or is it a trip to the Garage?

Cheers.
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Doc
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by Doc »

From the cabin it'll be difficult to diagnose.
Could be any of a whole load of things.
1) low gas pressure
2) radiator fan fault
3) compressor fault

Have you got access to any diagnostics tools?
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macdrack
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by macdrack »

Thanks for the reply.

"Have you got access to any diagnostics tools?"
Sadly not.
Sounds like a return trip to the dealer next week.
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Papa Bear
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by Papa Bear »

Could find a local independent garage to check a/c gas pressure. Probably do it quicker than main dealers.
Unless it is under warranty.
Edit: just seen it’s a 2019, scrub suggestion, back to the dealers to get them to fix it.
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macdrack
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by macdrack »

So, an mind numbing amount of time at the dealer today, and the verdict is no gas(refrigerant) in the system.
No sign of a leak, just gone...
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kyle4826
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by kyle4826 »

@Papa Bear
In the dealership AC is recommended every 2 years of its low pressure not covered by warranty as the gas naturally escapes

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Last edited by Giddy on Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: removed unnecessary quote
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C Chis
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by C Chis »

[mention]macdrack [/mention]

If the gas has gone then there is a leak somewhere! All A/C lose gas over time through the connections, O-rings, caps, valves etc..

However, to lose the gas in 2 years is very excessive and needs leak checked before refilling.

Typically an R134A system needs topped up every 4-5 years and R1234YF a bit sooner, perhaps 3-4 years

Something I would have thought that VW would have covered under warranty, if they don’t then that’s poor!

If you’re having to pay to have it fixed find a local car A/C engineer and have them check and fix it, much better and cheaper than a non specialist VW dealership.

The condenser is a common failure (normally on older cars/vans) due to its exposure to debris, just behind the bumper grill. It should have a small plastic guard clipped on the front to reduce potential damage.

You might find groupon vouchers for the likes of national tyres or ATS for a cheap check and refill.

Or… you could buy an equivalent R134A fridge gas from the likes of https://www.thompsonsltd.co.uk/motorin ... y-kit.html

Or R1234YF equivalent fridge gas https://www.thompsonsltd.co.uk/motorin ... s-kit.html

I’ve used both these in the past to top up air con systems just make sure you buy the right one, there will be a label on the slam panel under the bonnet.

And… when A/C isn’t working the first thing the garage should check is the system pressure, takes 2 minutes at the most!


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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by kyle4826 »

Gas naturally escapes. There is nothing you can do about it.

VW recommend every 2 years for that reason, regardless of which gas it is as well as the fact of vacuuming the system to boil of any moisture with in. Because that's not good for the system.

If the pressure is low the system will shut down it's doesn't mean all the gas is gone it could just be too low for it to operate.

With a 19 plate car that's what my money is on.

The condensers can take a good bit of stick which is why they sit infront of the radiator and helps to protect it.

I wouldn't bother with the top ups, there is a reason techs do a gas handling course.

The AC machine wont put gas in if it can't hold vacuum due to a leak either, so if it was me, I would just go and get a proper re-gas and you should be fine

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Last edited by Giddy on Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: removed unnecessary quote of previous post
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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by Philt32 »

I always use a local mobile dedicated ac specialist, comes to the house, checks to see if there are any leaks then just tops it up, cost varies a little bit dependant on how much gas he’s used, usually £60


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Re: A/C Dead?

Post by Scoobysrt »

I was in halfords beginning of the week getting some addblue and saw some bottle of ac refill, I've always thought as confirmed on here that it's a gas and needs specialist garage equipment to refill it, my local garages offer 2 different gasses even so what were the bottles of stuff I saw :?

Edit, OK seems it was gas, I not sure I would be doing it by myself, I paid £40 for a refill last time I had a vehicle done and there was all sorts of pipes going into and out of a big machine in the corner lol.
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