Climate control

[d_j_owen2002]

I am not sure if it is just me but before I spend anymore money on it looking for other owners thought. I think the climate control in my Superb is really lame.

Last year went to have it regassed by Kwik Fit and they said they could not as no pressure in the system at all and had to take it to dealer.

Dealer uses a mobile specialist who regassed it and did dye test but could find no leak.

Not really any better after it was done so took it back and got charged again as outside contractor said nothing wrong with it. Dealer has been in car and said it operates as he would expect it to. I can not tell the difference between it operating in Auto or economy so do not believe it is working correctly. Definately not as it was on year 1 of ownership.

I spoke with Simon at the show as I get a hissing if it has been in auto when I turn off the engine. I have heard it said it iss the gas escaping but dealer says split system and it is just the gas equalising between the two sides.

Any thought much appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

[mannyo]

Get a thermometer, and measure the air temp through the vents with the system on econ. Now hit auto and set the temp to LO (keep pressing the blue button till this appears), the temp from all the vents should drop dramatically, if it doesnt the system is not working.

If it does it could be the interior temp sensor is not reading the correct temperature. This is part of the climatronic control panel and therefore expensive to fix. On LO all the sensors are ignored and the system should blow out the coldest air it can.

[Supurbia]

You should run it at least once a mth, hissing is a leak end of, try to locate the area next time it does, but generally a leak fully discharges the gas, look to your left under the airbox and gererally that area, the hiss could be the brake servo, mine made funny noises until I got to know my way around it.

Easy test, next time it rains put it on, if it don't clear the windows you have probs.

[philkef]

i posted about aircon/climotronic recently and the feedback received was good. it is simply that the superb has a very big interior but is only fitted with a passat aircon system. consequently the car will not feel as cool. my system was recently re-gassed and works adequately but the results are not spectacular. lo on the saab sportwagon - my previous car was like sweden in winter - the superb is adequate without being great.

[philkef]

additionally, mine hisses for about 10secs after switching off the car. not really worried. have had the car about 1 year now and 10,000 miles so a re-gas on a 55 plate was prob. due in any case

[d_j_owen2002]

Thanks for replies. System was regassed twice last year and loathe to spend more money on it if it just all keep leaking out.. Guess I was spoiled as only other air conditioning I have used was on wifes previous car a 206 which would turn you into an icicle in about 5 minutes but the penalty was you could see the fuel dropping like a stone. Her Fabia VRS Special Edition is better than my Superb but guess the Passat aircon in a car as big as the Superb is a valid point. Glad to hear others have experienced brief hissing when the engine is shut off so it is not just mine.

I do try to remember to run mine once per month as that has been recommended before to me. Just find it strange that the system should require regassing every year.

I think I may get an independant specialist to check it out and regass it. I think I have a UV light so may have a quick look to see if the gas with dye has leaked where suggested.

[rum4mo]

additionally, mine hisses for about 10secs after switching off the car. not really worried. have had the car about 1 year now and 10,000 miles so a re-gas on a 55 plate was prob. due in any case

That posting is bang on, any A/C system that has been run will "hiss" for some after it is switched off due to the liquid/gas high/low sides equalising, that is nothing to worry about, if it did not "hiss" after running then I'd reckon that it was nearly empty. Large chiller systems actually run on "pump down" after they are switched off to force the low side "low" in preparation of the next restart - in normal small fixed orifice car systems there is no need to do this so equalisation "happens".