In the past I've scared myself with DPF scare stories and never had any issue.

I'm now wondering about Air Con. If the compressor goes (out of warranty), can you just disconnect it physically and electrically and continue without it old skool style?

I guess there might be some VCDS work to "ignore" it, but if mine ever packs in I'm tempted to go down this route as I have a sun roof anyway.

Just curious and hope it never happens, but thought I'd ask...

Your profile says you have a Felicia Fun.

I'm guessing that has no air-con and yet it's OK?

 

If it stops working just don't switch it on.

Yes, I have a Fun, but that's not got aircon, but my FL Octavia does. I once had a compressor go in my RS2 when it was just out of warranty so got about 50% goodwill on that, but on a more regular car I would be inclined to do without it if it broke.

Notice you have a Nissan. In 1998 I had a UKR33 and I remember the air con on that had a suggested setting of 25 degC. More like the "Fried and the Furious" in Japan I think. 19 for me

Probably not. I almost fainted in France in an old Golf SDI ,with no aircon ,in 37°C. I just managed to pull over and stop and SWMBO poured a bottle of water over my head to bring me round.

On Sunday SWMBO Getz was getting low on petrol on an M4, M25, M1 trip.No Service areas until Toddington I switched the aircon off and on to save on fuel. A ridiculously long stretch without fuel.Was trying to get past Silverstone before the traffic poured on to the M1.And the car was uncomfortably hot after 5 minutes, Made it though.

Edited 2 July, 201312 yr by gregoir

In my previous car (a Hyundai Coupe) the only way I could prevent it from misting up in the rain was to switch the aircon on, which would demist it almost instantly.  Not noticed it to be such an issue with the Octavia.

I find it very useful and is now something I wouldn't live without.

 

I wouldn't worry unduly - if it does decide to break then there's always the option of getting a replacement compressor from a salvage yard.

 

I had it replaced under warranty on my last Octy (at 2yrs 11months!) and the total cost was around £600 from the dealer...

was all confused, I replied in your other thread. Mod can we combine the two threads please? 

I guess I COULD live without them, but Air Con (Climatronic) and Cruise Control is the two things I value most in a car - besides obvious things like good seats and security stuff and so on.

Edited 2 July, 201312 yr by Kent (DK)

If the poor summers we have had in the UK for the past 4/5 years continue, it's probably true that you could life without aircon without too much discomfort. 

 

But with this run of poor summers it's also easy to forget what it is like to drive (especially long distances) in very hot weather without aircon......it's absolutely terrible. I remember the heatwave of 2004 (I think) where daytime temperatures were around 37C every day for about 2 weeks. At the time my car didn't have aircon and my 30 mile drive home from work was total hell. All 4 windows down at 70 mph did nothing to abate the heat.......I finished my commute home with my back completely soaked with sweat! 

 

But I live in the very south of the country. In the far north you could probably live without aircon a bit more easily. 

Don't forget it also works as a dehumidifier and you can't say you don't need that in the UK! Mines on auto all year round, doing both jobs.

 

I wouldn't go near a car without aircon, personally.

Travelling in overly warm vehicles has always made me feel ill; pounding headaches and nausea mostly. As a kid I used to routinely get carsick in the summer, but never in the winter. Before I had aircon I would avoid driving anywhere in the summer if I could possibly help it. The first time I owned a car with aircon it really was a revelation being able to drive somewhere on a hot day and not feel completely crap when I arrived!

 

To answer the op though, from a technical point of view if the compressor packs up the aircon system will just stop working and that's it. You don't need to physically disconnect or remove anything to keep using the car. You will still have an otherwise fully functioning car, just one with no aircon. If you can live with that there's no need to replace the compressor at all.

Thanks for the replies. It was more of a technical rather than a subjective question so I'm happy to know that if my son takes it to the end of its natural life, there might come a point where the aircon might be uneconomic to repair if it fails.

I am trying to think of what might be a suitable 1st or second car for him in a few years' time and it's either a case of hanging on to this or something like a Sandero (with suitably extended warranty) which only has aircon in top trim.

I looked for a way to delete the trigger-happy duplicate thread but couldn't see one and though it would sink away into oblivion. I don't know if there have been any site changes recently, but I'm now being asked which browser I want to use every time I look at a new thread, and replies sometimes work and sometimes don't.

Aftermarket aircon:

Too MUCH aircon:

Too BIG aircon:

NO aircon

This one.... well it's just too WEIRD...:

Edited 2 July, 201312 yr by Kent (DK)

Wall to Wall sunshine for at least a month from this weekend fellas, enjoy!

I leave my climate control on Auto all the time, only ever adjusting the temperature dial, never had an issue in any car with A/C.  The Fabia has a manual A/C and this just gets switched on and off as needed.

I had no air con for 6 months due to being a grippy scot. Now it's fixed it's never off. Lovely cool air in summer extra hot air in winter and demists the Windows's in less than 10 mins it used to take without aircon.

Love my air con if only the house had it.....

It is interesting to read, that some of you leave the Climatronic on Auto, but when I do that the fan often spins too fast to my liking and therefore makes too much noise. It's mostly on level 4 or more.

What do you think of that? What level is yours mostly on?

Edited 2 July, 201312 yr by Kent (DK)

It is interesting to read, that some of you leave the Climatronic on Auto, but when I do that the fan often spins too fast to my liking and therefore makes too much noise. It's mostly on level 4 or more.

What do you think of that? What level is yours mostly on?

I find that too, although it is unusual for mine to read more than 2 or 3 after about 15 minutes. Quite often I put it on auto and then turn it down by one click. It still increases and decreases speed automatically to adjust the temperature, but at least it is always one click quieter than it would have been.

I find that too, although it is unusual for mine to read more than 2 or 3 after about 15 minutes. Quite often I put it on auto and then turn it down by one click. It still increases and decreases speed automatically to adjust the temperature, but at least it is always one click quieter than it would have been.

But when I turn the fan down the Auto-mode turns off?

On the Yeti, I have two auto settings on the button, it has a light on the left for slower fan speed and a light on the right of the same button for a higher fan speed, when it is very warm the fan goes full on for no more than a few minutes to get the temp down, then it settles with two or three green lights for fan speed.

 

 I flick between 20' & 21' never higher or lower, there is no need.

Thanks for the replies. It was more of a technical rather than a subjective question so I'm happy to know that if my son takes it to the end of its natural life, there might come a point where the aircon might be uneconomic to repair if it fails.

From a technical point of view there is no problem. Even if the compressor completely falls apart pulley and all, you can simply buy an auxiliary belt for a non A/C equipped octavia and fit it........thus bypassing the A/C compressor completely.

Yes, you can live without it. Do you want to? No. I have no aircon in my MkI Octavia and it's quite a pain in hot weather or in rain (mist).

As it's been said - you can live without it - we all used to as it's a relatively recent addition to mainstream cars. I've even been known to do 12 hours shifts in the heat of summer while wearing a stab-vest and all of my forces finest protective equipment (both in basic Octavia's and other lesser vehicles) that either never had A/C fitted in the first place or due to cut-backs didn't have it repaired when it failed. The old Land Rover Discovery that I sold earlier in the year was my daily driver for years and the A/C in that was an open window. Full A/C was all four windows open!

 

Would I buy a car without A/C - probably not, but then I would probably not buy one with normal A/C either - I prefer Climate these days  Could I live without A/C, sure could - I also quite like driving in the summer with the window down as well - very "old school" motoring.

Nope -  I run mine all the time.

Keeps car cool in the sunshine (and costs less than having windows open

Keeps car dry and de humidified in damp cold weather

Clears windscreens faster, keeps them clearer

Keeps car dry generally

Keeps car cool in the sunshine (and costs less than having windows open

 

It only costs less above around 40mph...  But I would agree that aircon is the only way to genuinely stay cooler in a car if the temperature's high enough.