Hello everyone, i am quite new to this forum which i found it to be useful.

 

I have octavia II manufacture data is 2011 , 1.6 MPI , auto gearbox.

i am driving it now for 3 years and i never get satisfied with its aircon, first of all you should know that i am living in Sudan/Khartoum which have very hot weather with low humadity and lots of dust :sun: , i noticed that my skoda which is fitted with climatronic AC is not delivering same cooling as Octavia tour which is fitted with magnotronic compressor AC. Also my compressor needs replacement every 1.2 years and i don't know why, i have contacted Skoda on this but they noted it for future improvements ,

so, i really want to improve my AC performance (cooling temprature) for my veichle., your help is much appreciated.

 

thanks

I too have never been impressed with mine.

 

I recently had a re-gas which has made a huge difference.

 

Has a proper pressure test been carried out on your car?

 

Compressors are a known weak point on the Octavia but nearly every year is too much.

 

When you replace the compressor you must also change other components including the drier and have the system flushed to remove any debris.

 

Phil

Hi Phil,

 

Thank you for your reply. Yes i've re-gased it and all pressure tests have been caried out .... usually our Skoda dealer replaces all AC components in order to apply 2 years waranty ... meaning change of compressor, drier, expansion valve, condenser ... and hoses which is quite costy .... i started to think that such performance is due to climate .... maybe the AC is not manufactured to perform in such hot climate (sometimes tempratue reaches up to 48 Celius ).

 

now, to get the max out of the AC i tune it to 24 degrees .... if i lowered the temprature it will cool for 10 minutes and then start blowing hot air

Edited 5 May, 201511 yr by Ayman

updated question:

 

do you recommend any type of compressor and other AC components? in case i want to buy these spare parts myself and have them fitted in a separate workshop (other than Skoda dealer).

also what are the essential AC parts that i should replace?

Compressor with clutch can also be installed (I assume you do not have the clutch in your compressor ) , I have seen many Octavia's compressor installed with clutch just need some modification with relay. 

It might be helpful to change the Compressor Valve which is very cheap to replace rather than changing the valve 

You can find these valves at ebay e.g

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-AUDI-SEAT-SKODA-A-C-COMPRESSOR-CONTROL-VALVE-SANDEN-1K0820803-PXE14-PXE16-/191413381173?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c91206835

 

Make sure of the size and dimension before ordering one .

Edited 21 May, 201511 yr by BUGBEAR

you mean change the valve rather than the compressor?

 

you are right, my compressor is the standard one (climatronic) which is not coming with clutch, a friend of mine also recommended doing modification to install one with clutch but is it a reliable solution? does it affect engine performance or car ECU?

hi BugBear,

 

can you elaborate more?

Have you had the cabin pollen filter changed , if blocked it can restrict the airflow. In a dusty environment it should be changed often.

 

 I cant really see the advantages of fitting a compressor with a clutch, unless its a bigger /more powerful unit,  it will mean switching it on and off manually when at the moment it does it automatically.  

 

Then there may be  problems modifying the mountings to fit,  then sourcing a another drive belt that fits. 

 

Ideally what you want is a compressor with the same mountings and fittings but with a higher circulating capacity.  If such things are available I don't Know.  I wonder if a larger condenser would make any difference, ( more cooling area )

 

I fitted one of those valves BUGBEAR mentioned and its an easy job, it made a difference to mine but only because the original was jammed.

Thank you Erindad, your view does make sense.

 

i consulted a technician and he said my compressor have already been weak so changing the valve will not add much enhancement as this has to happen while the compressor is good.

Just for your reference to give an idea of performance in the UK.

My air conditioning has just been checked/ serviced, for the first time, at a local specialist for £49.95. I watched the whole process. 335g out of 525g of refrigerant remained after 6 years and 80000 miles.

The temperature at a dashboard vent was tested. Before 6.5C and after servicing 4.9C running flat out in the manual mode. I normally run in AUTO so I don't demand chilled air just the usual 21C or so cab temperature. 

I was told that aircon temperatures can vary between 0.5C (a recent Ford after a service) and 7C (an Astra ditto) in their experience.

Edited 26 May, 201511 yr by gregoir

I've noticed a huge difference in performance since the regas.

 

Previously it would take up to a minute to get cold air out of the vents. The other day the ambient temp. was around 20c with the sun shining the car was very warm inside. Within seconds of starting the engine we were getting cold air from the vents.

 

We once had a Yaris 1.0 in Australia. 40c ambient temps. and it was like a freezer inside that car with the A/C on!!

 

Phil

hi Guys,

 

After another visit to AC workshop they have indicated that there is blockage in condenser (partial blockage due to dirt and small particles), so they have cleaned it out and regas. now it feels much much better despite the fact that still is not performing the same way when the car was new

I always found the AC to be a bit crap on the Octy, even from new. I never got a regas.

I could do with mine regassed now with havin little uns. Dont fancy puke time in the back on a warm day lol