Had air con on today for first time for a long time. Fan on 2 & 3 speed settings.

Output to the fascia outlets barely chilled, improves slighthly when air directed to footwells. In the past it has noticeably chilled the air.

Any ideas ? Any indicative noises I should be looking for ?

Had timings belts and pollen filter replaced earlier in year.

Nick.

i think your air con needs to be recharged

costs about £30

Sounds like a recharge needed mate.

My aircon is never off!

Ive never found it to be superb aircon personally. But it should "cold" if not "icecold"

When was the last time the air con was recharged?

To my knowledge, never.

From new, the 1.4 16v saloons done 40000 miles in six years.

Nick

Have a read of the thread below:

http://briskoda.net/fabia-i/air-conditioning-worth-topping-up-leave-alone/149926/

Cheers D.

That's one heck of a coolant loss rate. Not even cheap domestic friges lose fluid at that rate - my last one lasted 20 years. Presume that the car piping relies on compression joints and that this accounts for the loss rate?

One wonders how HMG DOT type approval is maintained, Montreal Protocol applying, in the face of known rates of loss like that ?

If I understand it then, the coolant actual provides the lubrication for the pump. So if you've lost most of your coolant and the coolant contains the pump lubricant (No separate ball race for the compresssor vane spindle), then, unless the compressor is at the bottom of the system and both ends of the compressor vane spindle, are submersed in a sump, which the pump pick-up can't draw-off (Unlikely), then as a minimum, when the engine is on you'll get compressor vane spindle to spindle mounting contact and wear, if not compressor vane to casing contact - Presume the former is near silent, whilst the later must make a hell of a din.

I take it that the compressor vane is always rotating as its spindle is driven from the auxillary cambelt which cannot be disengaged. Presume that the aircon button on the dash board operates some sort of solenoid controlling the fluid flow. ?

This sounds like a lovely bit of value-engineering/planned failure, ensuring that once the system has lost coolant, at a minimum the spindle and its mountings will have been worn. So if you refill- the system, the compressor will have only a limited life thereafter, as the mountings, which are probably non-removable from the casing, will have worn and the spindle will be running off-centre and in unhardened metal, eventually seeing the vanes connecting with the casing. New compressor £800 ?

Modern central heating system pumps work in the same way, but the consequential cost of fluid loss there is usually protected against by boiler integrated safety systems i.e the pump bypass circuit and overheat sensors. And a pump swap-out only costs £40.

What price a peltzier based cooler ?

Funny, it was perfectly OK last year. before it went in to the dealer for the cam belt change.

Nick

Edited 8 July, 200916 yr by Clunkclick

According to this HJ post the Fabia Air con compressor is the Clutchless type i.e always engaged and when fluid is lost the compressor wears.

Skoda Fabia - 00 1.4 Diagnosing aircon-pitfalls : Motoring Technical matters forum

As I was advised that the ECU had been flashed with an update at the last service, it may be worth my while to get the VAG com out to see if the error code is present !.

You never know

Nick

Just found this site:-

Car Air Conditioning Repairs, Recharges, Diagnostics, Service

Contains reference to new type of clutchless compressor in Skodas.

Nick

Mine was empty this Spring, but has been fine since a recharge (touchwood!)

According to this HJ post the Fabia Air con compressor is the Clutchless type i.e always engaged and when fluid is lost the compressor wears.

Nick

Unless it's a severe leak, compressor wear is prevented by low pressure cut off. The remaining oil in the gas, is used to keep the compressor lubed. Compressor damage is usually caused if too much water gets into the gas. The glycol based oil turns to acid, which wrecks the compressor.

Moral of the story, have aircon emptied and held in deep vaccum for 45 minutes, then re-charged every 3 to 4 years. It's a no brainer really. £50 for an aircon service, or £800 to have it repaired.

Thanks for the responses.

I'm a bit more confident now, as my air con was producing some chilled output on Monday, so perhaps there's enough coolant there not to activate the cut-out and keep the compressor lubed.

My researches indicate that HMG passed legislation in 2008 further restricting the acceptable limits of losses from these systems, so hey-ho, perhaps this problem may become a thing of the past, or at least one which only needs to be addressed at a longer interval.

Does anybody know whether the illuminated dashboard air con button is supposed to flash in case of malfunction, 'cause I seem to recall that mine did, a little while ago, and, not realising the possible significance I put it down to a short in the switch.

http://www.r744.com/news/pdf/http___www.r744.com_news_news_ida151.php.pdf?PHPSESSID=cac1140e63119d31ad70274159c32427

EU sets car-makers new deadline for greener air conditioning | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Lets hope manufacturers do away with compressor & gas systems and switch to a Peltzier system with all the cost savings and respect for the environment that design represents.

Nick

The VAG COM scan. Is this an indication of an out-of-coolant event or a false error report ?

22:26 03/07/2009Thursday,02,July,2009,09:19:51:08693

VCDS Version: Release 805.4

Data version: 20090602

Nick

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chassis Type: 6Y - Skoda Fabia I

Scan: 01 02 03 08 09 15 17 19 25 37 44 46 55 56 76

VIN: Mileage: 66350km/41227miles

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 01: Engine Labels: 036-906-034-APE.lbl

Part No: 036 906 034 DF

Component: MARELLI 4MV 5020

Coding: 00031

Shop #: WSC 00000

SKZ7Z0B1485705

1 Fault Found:

18020 - Engine Control Module Incorrectly Coded

P1612 - 35-00 - -

Readiness: 0000 0000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 6Q0-907-37x-ASR.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 907 379 H

Component: ABS/ASR 5.7 FRONT V20

Coding: 00124

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 08: Auto HVAC Labels: 6Q0-820-045.lbl

Part No: 6Y0 820 045

Component: Klimaanlage X0830

3 Faults Found:

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

30-10 - Open or Short to Plus - Intermittent

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

29-10 - Short to Ground - Intermittent

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 09: Cent. Elect. Labels: 6Qx-937-049-C.lbl

Part No: 6Q1 937 049 C

Component: 00 BN-SG. 1S33

Coding: 17418

Shop #: WSC 25040

1 Fault Found:

01054 - Power Supply Relay; Terminal 30 (J317)

28-00 - Short to Plus

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 15: Airbags Labels: 6Q0-909-605-VW5.lbl

Part No: 1C0 909 601 C

Component: 02 AIRBAG VW51 0004

Coding: 12338

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 17: Instruments Labels: Redir Fail!

Part No: 6Y2 919 880 B

Component: KOMBIINSTRUMENT VDO V12

Coding: 16442

Shop #: WSC 25021

SKZ7Z0B1485705

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 19: CAN Gateway Labels: 6N0-909-901-19.lbl

Part No: 6N0 909 901

Component: 33 GATEWAY CAN 1S33

Coding: 00014

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 44: Steering Assist Labels: 6Q0-423-156.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 423 156 M

Component: LenkhilfeTRW V210

Coding: 00140

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 46: Central Conv. Labels: 6Q0-959-433.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 959 433 E

Component: 31 Komfortgerát 0001

Coding: 00067

Shop #: WSC 13765

Part No: 6Q2959802

Component: 31 Tõrsteuer.FS TFK 0002

Part No: 6Q2959801

Component: 31 Tõrsteuer.BF TFK 0002

No fault code found.

End ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks as if I've had a bit of the spontaneous self-recoding here - red highlight and some of the pre-existing fault codes have changed - orange highlight.

I believe 00071 is correct for my Fabia, 1.4 16V 100BHP ABS, Airbags, Aircon.

But earlier scan in November 2008, shows 00071 as opposed to the current reading of 00031.

Nov '08 scan below:-

VCDS Version: Release 805.1

Data version: 20081017

Nick

Friday,21,November,2008,20:36:31:08693

Chassis Type: 6Y - Skoda Fabia I

Scan: 01 02 03 08 09 15 17 19 25 37 44 46 55 56 76

VIN ******************** Mileage: 62130km/38605miles

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 01: Engine Labels: 036-906-034-APE.lbl

Part No: 036 906 034 DF

Component: MARELLI 4MV 4842

Coding: 00071 Shop #: WSC 25040

***********************

No fault code found.

Readiness: 1110 0101

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 6Q0-907-37x-ASR.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 907 379 H

Component: ABS/ASR 5.7 FRONT V20

Coding: 00124

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 08: Auto HVAC Labels: 6Q0-820-045.lbl

Part No: 6Y0 820 045

Component: Klimaanlage X0830

3 Faults Found:

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

30-10 - Open or Short to Plus - Intermittent

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

29-10 - Short to Ground - Intermittent

01596 - Motor for Outside/Recirculated Air Flap (V154)

28-10 - Short to Plus - Intermittent

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 09: Cent. Elect. Labels: 6Qx-937-049-C.lbl

Part No: 6Q1 937 049 C

Component: 00 BN-SG. 1S33

Coding: 17418

Shop #: WSC 25040

1 Fault Found:

01054 - Power Supply Relay; Terminal 30 (J317)

28-00 - Short to Plus

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 15: Airbags Labels: 6Q0-909-605-VW5.lbl

Part No: 1C0 909 601 C

Component: 02 AIRBAG VW51 0004

Coding: 12338

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 17: Instruments Labels: Redir Fail!

Part No: 6Y2 919 880 B

Component: KOMBIINSTRUMENT VDO V12

Coding: 16442

Shop #: WSC 25021

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 19: CAN Gateway Labels: 6N0-909-901-19.lbl

Part No: 6N0 909 901

Component: 33 GATEWAY CAN 1S33

Coding: 00014

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 44: Steering Assist Labels: 6Q0-423-156.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 423 156 M

Component: LenkhilfeTRW V210

Coding: 00140

Shop #: WSC 13765

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 46: Central Conv. Labels: 6Q0-959-433.lbl

Part No: 6Q0 959 433 E

Component: 31 Komfortgerát 0001

Coding: 00067

Shop #: WSC 13765

Part No: 6Q2959802

Component: 31 Tõrsteuer.FS TFK 0002

Part No: 6Q2959801

Component: 31 Tõrsteuer.BF TFK 0002

No fault code found.

End ---------------------------------------------------------------------

And guess what - the cars had a major service at a Skoda main dealer between Nov '08 and July '09 ! And it doesn't look like any of the existing faults were addressed, even though I was told the ECU software was updated on this occasion.

Looks as if this is quite a common problem:-

http://www.ilexa.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13169.0

From the above link :-

000?x: CAN-Datenbus Teilnehmer

+1 - ABS

+2 - Airbag

+4 - AC

---------------------

1+2+4 = 7 => 0007x

000x?: Getriebevariante

1 - 5-speed gearbox

---------------------

00071

To get 00031, you just omit +4 for AC - that's pretty powerful re-coding ! Chances of that happening randomly ?

Nick

Edited 8 July, 200916 yr by Clunkclick