Air Conditioning Not Working on 18 month old car

[knealeedis]

Now the weater has started to warm up a bit, I have noticed that the Air Conditioning on my 07 Octavia vRS doesnt seem to be very effective providing little or no cooling even when on the lowest setting.

I have booked it in at the dealers for it to be tested, but have been informed that if it required a re-gas this will be chargable as it is not covered by warrenty.

Does anyone have any eaperience of problems with AC on nearly new cars?

My feelings are that at 18 month old there should be no need for a re-gas, and if it is required, then it will be as a result of a leak in the system which should be covered by warrenty.

Having had many cars in the past with AC on, I have only ever needed a re-gass once which was on a 5 year old Honda accord due to a leaking pipe.

I do not expect to need it on a regular basis as a service item.

[expostmanpat]

Bull Poo, This happened to our octy2 vRS and at its second service the dealer was only too happy to re-gass and add a dye to it to see if the system was leaking at all. I suggest you try a different dealer

Edit: Car was an 06

[knealeedis]

Bull Poo, This happened to our octy2 vRS and at its second service the dealer was only too happy to re-gass and add a dye to it to see if the system was leaking at all. I suggest you try a different dealer

Edit: Car was an 06

Thanks for your comments.

I have arranged for it to be booked in next week to be checked, but said if they feel it will need a re-gas then I will discuss this with them at the time as I will not be paying for it.

I will give the dealer the benifit of the doubt as they have been friendly in the past and are convenient, but if no look, I will be taking it back to the dealers I bought it from who are not too far away, but not as convenient. Afterall I have only had the car 3 months.

[RoBex]

My Octavia II L&K after 18 months A/C stopped (last summer) took it in under warranty they said a stone had gone through the rad at the front and was not covered and wanted over £550 to repair - so I spent the summer with the window open as I couldn't afford to get it done.!

Eventually went through my insurance company and they covered it (still £225 excess!) just had first weekend of heat - A/C didn't work!!! Took back to garage that did the work they reckon its the pump now and it has to go back to the original Skoda garage to be checked out - nightmare....ongoing!!

IMO there doesn't appear to be enough protection of the A/C compression rad at the front from foreign object like stones etc getting in and damaging it - anyone else had any issues?

Rob

[Stoofa]

My 18 month old Octy vRS also had AC issues (I bought it as an 18 month old).

On mine it was a faulty compressor, thankfully covered by warranty as I had quotes of around £800 if it wasn't.

[mellyboy]

Our engineer at work who checks our a/c says you should run a/c at weekly intervals to maintain the coolant something to do with the liquid monocles in the gas ,I do as he says and mine seems to stay ok, is there a/c engineer on board who could verify this.

[dsr]

liquid monocles

Obviously a noble gas

[mellyboy]

Obviously a noble gas

liquid monocles

Thanks for pointing out my mistake ,I should have seen it with my molecule

[EGC]

Unless you are in ECO mode the air-con runs all the time anyway. Its a variable displacement compressor. IMHO VAG air-con systems are rubbish, certainly compared to systems found on Japanese cars. On the Octy II the condenser is VERY exposed.

[soapywalrus]

Have just come back from Scotland in mine and weather was warm enough yesterday to need it on. Wife commented that it didn't seem very cold, and indeed it isn't! Wife has an Audi A4 with virtualy identical AC system (same dials etc) and hers is actually cold. mine was just blowing in ambient temperature air from outside yesterday.

Car needs a service soon so will be getting them to check it over and remedy if necessary, hopefully under warranty - as somebody else says, there is no way a nearly new car should need a re-gas already unless there is some kind of fault somewere (or a leak). My car is an 07 plate and has covered just 15,000 miles...

[Maddog23]

Our engineer at work who checks our a/c says you should run a/c at weekly intervals to maintain the coolant something to do with the liquid monocles in the gas ,I do as he says and mine seems to stay ok, is there a/c engineer on board who could verify this.

You need to run it once a week to keep the seals lubricated, otherwise they dry out and can leak.....

[Fitz323]

Unless you are in ECO mode the air-con runs all the time anyway. .

Didn't know that. So it's alot better to turn the eco on. (emmisions and power wise)

One thing I have noticed, switching between AC on and AC off, there is no notice of the compressor turning on or and a change in rpm like I have experienced in other cars. Is this correct?

Edited 10 April, 2009 by Fitz323
more comments

[SteveL&K]

Same problem with mine, 19 months & 24k miles. First warm weather and no cool air! Air-con is permanently on, so no problems with seals.

Will definitely be booking into dealer to fix :rotz:

[knealeedis]

Same problem with mine, 19 months & 24k miles. First warm weather and no cool air! Air-con is permanently on, so no problems with seals.

Will definitely be booking into dealer to fix :rotz:

Well mine is booked in at the dealers tomorrow to be investigated.

I will not be ammused if they try and tell me it is not covered by warrenty if they find somehting wrong.

Mine is also permanently on Auto so cant see it being a problem with the seals.

I'm not that impressed with the dual zone Climat control and how it works. I prefered the standard Aircon like I had in the Fabia vRS, but again this maybe due to the fact it hasnt been working properly.

I do prefere the idea if a button labled AC so I can know for certain if its on or Off!.

[Stoofa]

Your inside warranty so there should be no charge unless the ONLY fault found was that the system needed a re-gass (as that isn't covered by warranty).

Any of the main (expensive) components in the system failing should be fully covered.

[knealeedis]

Well my early finish today to get the AC looked at turned out to be a waste of time.

Hortons Skoda where it was booked in with refused to even look at it unless I signes to agree to be liable for a £70 diagnostics charge. Vary annored ad disapointed by the service provided by Hortons and it appears they didnt want to know as the car wasnt burchased from them.

I refused to sign so was passed the keys back. I was not prepared to sign as I know how these things go.

I wou;ld more than likely be told there is nothing wrong and charged the £70 diaognostics charge just to be told it was low on gas so it will require a re gas and that will be another £70 odd pounds!!

Then a year down the road when it looses all its gas again I will be told that the re-gas is an anual service item.

There is obviously a fault with the system and I want it sorted and feel it should be covered by the maunfacturers warenty.

The car is now booked in at Rainworth Skoda where I bought it from to be investigated, but that involves two early finishes from work to get to mansfield to drop it off and pick it up.

Fingers crossed it gets sorted.

Your inside warranty so there should be no charge unless the ONLY fault found was that the system needed a re-gass (as that isn't covered by warranty).

Any of the main (expensive) components in the system failing should be fully covered.

[sms]

on my last car an astra the air con was freezing cold and by the time i sold it on 9 years old was still working as the day i got it with no re gases.

This octy has been a different story, its been in a couple of times and told that its fine even through it doesnt cool the car down much. after the air con burst this weekend i got skoda assist out and they confirmed it and said it will be warrenty and filled out a call out sheet for me. He tried the air con and said it def wasnt working, i checked the temp and told him thats as cold as it ever gets and he said in that case its never worked properly. so when it goes in monday i will be interested in hearing what they have to say.

[knealeedis]

If as I understand when they carry out a leak check on the AC system, the remove the gas, and then add gas with a dye so that if you develop a leak in the system it is easily detected, why do they not add the dye from new when the cars are built, that way a leak can be easily detected when it occurs, and there would be no need to book the car in to have the leak diaognosed?

[Plantman]

Didn't know that. So it's alot better to turn the eco on. (emmisions and power wise)

One thing I have noticed, switching between AC on and AC off, there is no notice of the compressor turning on or and a change in rpm like I have experienced in other cars. Is this correct?

Mine is also a bit pants, but I find that is normally the case with climate control systems MO. My Ford focus with climate control was pants too really.....never that cold but it did click in to engage.

For my Octy I've had 2 gas refils (first was over filled by Kwik Fit due to their computer stating more should go in then recommended) but it still only really works when the car is moving forward.

I do see the fan kicks in (very slow and with a cant be bothered attitude but as mentioned above you hear no click of the clutch engaging at all.

[56vrs]

Hi

My AirCon also stopped working last week on my 2 1/2 year old VRS.

Not very impressed as they should last at least 4 years without top up.

Thought I would have a look to see if the belt had come off.....

Its a jungle in there.

Anybody know where the compressor is under the bonnet?

Thanks

[mannyo]

With the octy2, you must run the A/C weekly or risk the seals drying out and in turn the gas escaping into the atmosphere.

For climatic, that means pressing the A/C button and running the system for a short while.

For Dual Zone, just hit the Auto button (no econ light) and the system will run the A/C.

FWIW, my car is 3 1/2 years old now with 72K miles on the clock and the Dual Zone which I have only ever used in Auto mode (econ has never been used) has freezing cold air even when hot outside.

[_ZS_]

The Octys at work all have aircon on all the time, and they're nowhere near as cold as the air from any of the Vauxhalls or Fords.

[Stoofa]

I ha the AC on in my car today (Climatic, Jan 07 model) and I can tell you know the air coming out was freezing - it felt lovely

[Inoff the black]

AirCon on my 32 month old VRS stopped working yesterday, the Air Con Compressor seized, burning rubber smell + battery light, 80 miles from home - drive belt totally shredded, had to call Skoda Assist for recovery, is this common, anybody else had a similar problem ?

[Balham]

Looks like I'm not alone! My air con (climate control on VRS) also packed up yesterday. Phoned Progress Skoda in Letchworth and was told that I need an air con service for £69, but seeing as it's only 2.5 years old on a 56 I'm going to push for some warranty work as there is no cold air coming out at all....

Cheers