Got a 2007 vrs with the climatronic and it's only blowing lukewarm air. Thought it just required re gassing but local garage just done this and still can't get it to work, any common faults with this system??

Did the garage do a leak test before recharging the system?

Yes, they said its fine and gas is full. They seem to think pump isn't kicking in??

??? Done the system calibration but still nothing

Also after abit of research I've checked the pulley on the compressor, when the pulley spins the centre bolt is still stationary, surely this should spin with the pulley??

Any ideas?

If your pulley is turning and the bolt is not it means your compressor pump is knackered/seized. There is a rubber connector between the pulley and pump which gives instead of throwing off the alternator belt if the pump seizes.

 There is a way of reading the revs of the pump through the climatic controls , cant remember exactly but there are instructions on the forum about it which you can find by searching.

 

Depending on what controls you have , its the econ button and top right button pressed together, Turn the left hand until it reads  19 . 19 small 0 is speed in kph, 19 small 1 is speed in mph, 19 small 2 is water temp in oC, 19 small 3 is engine revs, 19 small 4 is aircon pump revs.

Edited 12 July, 201411 yr by erindad

Thanks for the reply, I will give that a try in the morning.

The bolt is definitely not moving at all.

There is a problem with DELPHI air-conditioning compressors caused by the loosened centre bolt of the drive clutch hub. That loosened bolt causes the spline both on the clutch hub and on the compressor shaft to become rounded/stripped. This results in the loss of driving force transmission to the compressor and the air-conditioning does not work. Since 1/10/2011 the sub-supplier of t,he compressor shaft has been changed. Additionally, the spline dimensions have been modified.

The fix is to replace the compressor with a new one. Compressors made by SANDEN are no subject to that fault.

The Sanden pumps are £218 at eurocarparts, is it easy enough to swap? Then get it re gassed??

If the pump is seized then you should really change the condenser/drier as they collect  the debris/swarf from the broken pump. Get the system flushed before regassing.

I'm pretty sure its not a good idea to release the refrigerant. If you really want to diy, get your aircon place to evacuate the system first.

Yeh don't want to be releasing the gas into the atmosphere, I'll speak to the aircon specialist 2moro. Thanks. Only had car 8 weeks and this happened, German efficiency eh!

The high pressure sensor is a common fault, just replaced this on my wife's mkv golf which is essentially the same car with a smaller boot. Vcds scan would confirm. New sensor 30 odd quid from ecp and I fitted it in 5 mins there and then on the car park, nice cold air on the drive home!

@steve95

Could you detail the location of the high pressure sensor?

I don't have access to VCDS but a generic code reader showed no codes, the air con packed in last week.

Getting a leak check and recharge tomorrow but if all checks out good it would be handy to know where the sensor was to check for loose connection/replacement.

Generic obd won't pick it up as a fault. If you look down to the left of the main radiator there are two metal pipes relating to the air con - high pressure side and low pressure side. The sensor (and there's only one, in the high pressure side) is right there on one of the pipes, you'll see the electrical connector and wiring coming out of it, D shaped 3 pin plug. I'm talking literally as you look at the bonnet from the front, if you stick your hand down the bottom left corner of the engine bay you can reach it (it's tight, probably get a grazed arm in the process). If changing it, just reach down and unplug the electrical connector, then depending on access and hand/arm size, you might get in with a spanner or you might need a crow foot on an extension bar, 17mm anyway. It just screws out. It's on a schraeder (tyre type) valve so no need to de-gas and re-gas, just be sure to unscrew and screw pretty quick.

@steve95

Thanks for the info.

I've had it regassed but there was a problem and the auto electrician plugged in and the diagnosis was a faulty sensor.

Skoda want £60-odd for part# 1K0 959 126

I've ordered a pattern part from mister auto for £30.

I'll let you know how it goes at the end of the week when I get a chance to fit it, not looking forward to it as I tried to remove the wire connection already with the intention of doctoring the sensor and only managed to end up with a hand and arm that looked like I had petted a wildcat, I hate plastic connectors with little/no access when I've no idea which bit to press/squeeze.

Yeah that's the same part. I must admit access is very tight on the octy, was easier on the golf (I was initially going to swap the sensor from my octy to her golf to rule out anything else, but gave up on the idea!)

I also went for a pattern part from ecp and it was branded either sanden or denso, either way pretty good. You wouldn't have been able to doctor the sensor, it's not a switch type, it's fairly sophisticated and sends a square wave pulse width modulated signal with, varying with the pressure (this signal will also influence radiator fan speed)

Re the electrical connector, the connectors are pretty much the same throughout the car, so study one that you can see easily (thermostat perhaps?) To get the idea and you'll be able to feel your way around. They come apart much easier if you push them down/closed then pinch the release clip, then pull up/apart.

@steve95

I found the part on eBay for £24 with free postage, I was going to amend my order from mister auto but with a 15% discount on a multiple item order I haven't bothered for the sake of a couple of quid.

Here's the eBay link if anyone's interested:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIR-CONDITIONING-A-C-PRESSURE-SWITCH-SENSOR-SKODA-FABIA-OCTAVIA-/151278006812?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASkoda%7CModel%3AOctavia%7CCars+Year%3A2006&hash=item2338df321c

A pressure sensor isn't going to stop the centre of the compressor from turning though. Sounds like its seized.

Just to conclude...

£22 sensor from eBay did the trick, revision E.

Old sensor had corroded and split where the alloy is crimped to the plastic wiring connector.

Corrosion had penetrated and internals were all furred and had shorted some of the surface mount components on the PCB creating a black charred mess of exploded components.

Due to the corrosion it is likely the gas escaped over time.

Although regassed a few days ago it needed 10 minutes of running before the air felt cold so I suspect it will need topping up again now that the leak is stopped, I hope there aren't any more.

Thinking long term I smeared silicone sealant around the sensor so moisture cannot sit in the crimped area and cause a repeat problem.

Hi all

 

I am reading this thread with interest as my air con has just packed up.........(Vehicle is a 2005 1.9tdi pd estate engine code BKC)

 

I have been making enquiries myself about this and have come to the conclusion that it is best to go to an aircon specialist. The cirumstances of mine are that everything was good when there was 3 second screaching sound coming from the engine (the fan belt being shredded, I think) and the the battery light came on. I stopped to find out what was going on to discover that the drive belt is no longer there and the air con compressor pulley was siezed and will not budge. Happily I managed to get home before the battery went flat and hey ho I am facing a hefty repair bill.

 

So, from what I can gather all the people posting are correct - the advice I have been getting is to change the compressor (obviously), dont risk a used item from auction sites, drain the system before the job gets done and importantly change the filter item as this will invalidate any warranty should your new compressor fail in a few weeks due to swarf damage. Also, renew the o ring seals on the in/out pipes and don't use mineral based lubricant when fitting the new o rings. Just about the only bright side for me is that as the fail safe item didn't work it may be just a siezed bearing which will not absolutely require a new filter item as the damage is 'outside' the air con system as such.

 

I was thinking about doing the job myself but after having got the guy out to drain the system and then struggled (on the drive) to swap the pump, then having to make an uninformed judgement about whether or not to change the filter, and then get the system re charged and flushed etc etc it is best to give the job to a specialist. Apparently taking the pump off and replacing isn't so difficult. As my car has now covered 173,500 miles I dont suppose I could claim it on warranty, eh?.....lol

 

I hope this helps any interested party

 

Good luck with your repair

 

Tom

Got mine sorted at the weekend, compressor was seized solid. New compressor and the system flushed, then re gassed cost me £490. Nice and cool now.

 

One thing ive noticed is the fans seem to be running more now, is this normal??

Regarding the fans, see this thread too http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/321977-air-con-issues-again/

Yeh don't want to be releasing the gas into the atmosphere, I'll speak to the aircon specialist 2moro. Thanks. Only had car 8 weeks and this happened, German efficiency eh!

Was it a private sale or from a trader? If its the latter, take it back to them to sort out.

^{Going to sound a bit thick now, but is the condenser different to the compressor?}