I have a 58 plate Octavia, BXE diesel engine, with climate control. I've just had the air con vented and refilled (but apparently the pressures were within range before they started) but the air con doesn't seem to be working at all.

If there's a climate control fault, does a light come on? Or the panel flash? It's not doing either.

Any suggestions?

Ant

I hope you mean recovered, vacuumed out and refilled. If you do mean vented, then that's illegal and you will have air in the system.

Might be the evap sensor or a pressure sensor that's had it. Had the same on our Fabia and it was the Evap sensor buried behind the dash. Cost about £16 and some scaped knucles to fix...

Recovered - yup. It was a pukka air-con servicing kit.

If there's a sensor fault I'd expect some kind of fault diagnostic. I had a Seat a few years ago and that used to flash the climatronic display at key on if a fault was found.

Skomaz - How did you know the evap sensor had failed?

Edited 28 May, 201214 yr by AntA

Hold ECON and RECIRC to get any codes.

Pressing the temp button will bring up the next code. When you get to 00, you know you've seen them all.

Hold ECON and RECIRC to get any codes.

Pressing the temp button will bring up the next code. When you get to 00, you know you've seen them all.

Ah ah - excellent. I did this and I get "21A" on the LH side and "02.h" on the RH side. Turning the LH temp knob I get two entires with this same information and either side of those I get "iO" "iO" which I guess means "end of list".

I also did some more digging ont'internet and discovered that econ+recirc at ignition on puts it into self test mode. Various flaps moved and the fan came on / off etc, then it took me to the fault code display which is as I've put above.

Then I pressed "econ" thinking it would exit the fault code mode, but actually I think it cleared the codes because afterwards it just says "iO" and there's nothing to scroll through. I repeated the flap test and it stil came up with "iO" afterwards. My air-con still doesn't work though.

So ... next question ... What does 21A 02.h mean?

Ant

Edited 28 May, 201214 yr by AntA

Here's the Ross-Tech entry for that code http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/00538

Doing ECON and RECIRC can sometimes reset problems with the flap motors.

Just done some more internet digging.

In the info section 19 - 3 gives me engine rpm and this exactly matches the rpm gauge on the dash. I think 19-4 gives me compressor speed. Before going into the info section I pressed "auto" and set the temp to low, 19-4 gave me a number which looked similar to engine revs. I then exited, pressed econ, and then went back in again. this time 19-4 said 00 all the time. So on that basis I think my compressor is turning correctly.

So I have new gas at correct pressure / levels. My compressor is turning, and the fault codes that were there haven't come back. But still no cold air.

Any ideas?

Ant

Here's the Ross-Tech entry for that code http://wiki.ross-tec...index.php/00538

Doing ECON and RECIRC can sometimes reset problems with the flap motors.

So that's talking aabout supply voltages to sensors. 538 dec = 21A in hex. What does the 02h mean?

So that's talking aabout supply voltages to sensors.  538 dec = 21A in hex.  What does the 02h mean?

02h means value too low or signal too small

So a summary so far:

- Two fault codes both the same and not persistent, "reference voltage too low".

- Self test completed with no new fault codes.

- Compressor speed follows engine speed when in "auto" and shows zero in "Econ".

- Full gas recharge.

But no cold air!

Anyone got any suggestions of what to try next?

Ant

Well I got it fixed, but had to bite the bullet and take it to the garage. One new compressor and a £450 bill later and we now have ice cold air con.

My compressor is also goosed. But the timing belt is being done in a few weeks. So the air con will have to wait. Might take out warranty and play ignorant to the fault haha. Providing skoda don't inspect the car when it's getting it's belt changed

Is there any way of doing any form of diagnostics without the Climate Control?

I have VCDS if that can be used - but no fault codes on HVAC are stored (I haven't checked since).

I had the A/C recovered, vacuumed and refilled on Thursday. The guy who did it said that it wasn't running as cold as he expected it to.

I hadn't really noticed any problems prior to going in and the A/C was cold but not freezing or up to the standards of my previous (French) car. Hadn't changed in the two years I have owned it. It has always been better than not having A/C on, but not exactly freezing. Having the blower on faster speeds made it feel colder in the car.

When I drove away from the service, I naturally tried it and was impressed as it went very cold very quickly - had to drive home with the temp setting set much warmer than I'd ever had it.

If it had stayed like that, I would have been a very happy (and cold) bunny.

Next day, it was back to how it was before going in for the work!

Does this sound like the behavior of a dodgy compressor or a dodgy sensor or a leaking pipe/seal?

It's a BKD with manual A/C controls PD140 (if that helps anyone) MY07.

Hold ECON and RECIRC to get any codes.

Pressing the temp button will bring up the next code. When you get to 00, you know you've seen them all.

i have no cool air from my A/C so i tried this, and it just reads i0. no temp button, so i rotated the temp knobs, but no codes.

i had a refrigeration engineer pal check the gas, and he thought it was ok, but it was only the standing pressure as the compressor doesn't activate. her thought it was likely a fuse, relay, pressure switch or compressor clutch.

it's not the fuse :(

anyone got any suggestions before i give to a dealer?

it was the compressor. thankfully covered under extended warranty. cost to me: £0