I was really starting to enjoy the lovely weather we're having and thought I even use the air conditioning!

However it wasn't working the air was cooled down by a factor of nil. So I took it to my dealer today and they charged me for a "gas refill" of £42.00.

However on collecting the car I was told that their had been damage by a stone chip to the air conditioning unit and that it would cost £690 to replace the unit.

Any advice members can give me on either begging Skoda or other places where I may be able to get repaired?

Oh, bad luck. As it's accidental damage I'm not sure how much help SUK would be.

If your dealer can confirm the cause in writing, you may have a claim under your car insurance, assuming it's comprehensive.

May be an excess, and you'd need to weigh against loss of NCB and impact on future premiums, but worth looking into.

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks Michael, yes I don't think I want to lose my NCD.

First of all get a second opinion.

That will be free and may save you a lot of money.

If it's damaged (and thus not working - I'm guessing the exchanger rad has a hole caused by the stone) they shouldn't be charging you for an unsuccessful re-gas!

Waiting for call back from dealer tomorrow as.mine has also ceased producing cold air.Hopefully cant be any worse for me.!!

Which part is actually damaged; cooler, pipework or the compressor itself :wonder:

Would be sceptical of road stone damage to anything other than the cooler as it sits at the front of the radiator (1.2TSI charge cooling at the rear of the engine linked to the main radiator, on the Yeti anyway) and £690 sounds a heck of a lot to change a cooler.

Would be getting a second opinion before agreeing to any more work at this dealers.

Edit; just had a look at our Fabia 1.2TSI and I cannot see anyway the compressor could be damaged by a stone, would have to be some stone and a pure fluke :wonder:

TP

If it's damaged (and thus not working - I'm guessing the exchanger rad has a hole caused by the stone) they shouldn't be charging you for an unsuccessful re-gas!

So pray tell, without trying to gas it with a dye in the gas how do they find where the gas is escaping from?

Dealers aren't charities

Regards all

Juan

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

? Pressure test?

But where's the leak? A pressure test will show dependent on the size of the leak a reduction in pressure over time, but where from?

It could take anything from minutes to months for the gas to leak out

Regards all

John

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

Edited 9 June, 201312 yr by Its me

The only direct damage would be to the condenser, however, despite having a 'protected' oil supply, the compressor can be damaged if there is a substantial leak.

Assuming the compressor is OK, the system would have to be recovered so the condenser, dryer insert and o-rings could be replaced. The system would then be vacuumed out and regassed. IIRC, the book time is 270 minutes.

? Pressure test?

Yes I agree, certainly not fault finding via a regas! (Which must not, by law, be vented into the atmosphere now), maybe in Spain it's ok?

But maybe the op didn't mean regas (which in my experience costs more than 42 quid) maybe they were charging for a leak test (not using cfc's or hcfc/hfc's)...

The F-Gas regs (Europe wide) specify that if the leak rate is above certain value, the system shouldn't be fully regassed.

The only direct damage would be to the condenser, however, despite having a 'protected' oil supply, the compressor can be damaged if there is a substantial leak.

Assuming the compressor is OK, the system would have to be recovered so the condenser, dryer insert and o-rings could be replaced. The system would then be vacuumed out and regassed. IIRC, the book time is 270 minutes.

Of course yes; reading the OP's original post got me thinking the dealer was suggesting direct damage rather than consequential.

TP

Of course yes; reading the OP's original post got me thinking the dealer was suggesting direct damage rather than consequential.

TP

I did hear a Renault dealer claim the leak on the engine side of a new radiator must have been caused by a ricochet