A bit of advice please - Octy coming up to 2 years old and time for air con service. Been quoted lots of pennies for a full service & a lot less for a regas.

Which do you recommend & how much should I expect to have to pay?

IMO if it's working don't touch it.  The reason it would need regassing is it's got a leak then it should be sorted under warranty.

IMO if it's working don't touch it.  The reason it would need regassing is it's got a leak then it should be sorted under warranty.

+1 

 

Regassing is just a cheap "get it running" fix for a leaking system, a simple vacum test will show how bad the leak is and from there you can find the leak and decide whether to fix it or not.

 

But under 3 years and its warranty work so, leave it well alone or, does the manual say it needs a service after two years ?

I would say the same, if it is working then there's no reason to change it.

Its the same for things like changing the brake fluid or coolant.

 

I've no idea what else a "full service" of the AC system could include?? except for maybe deodorising/anti-bacterial cleaning.

 

The garages will always say "Skoda recommends" changing this & this & this.

From my view, if it was essential then it would be part of the standard service.

 

On my last car I changed the brake fluid after 4-years after being pestered every service time by the garage.

The braking was never as firm after that despite several attempts to purge the system.

Thanks guys for your replies. Indeed it was at the suggestion of Skoda that it needs attention at 2 years old. It is working fine so I will indeed ignore "their suggestion" and leave well alone.

Reportedly air con systems can lose up to 15% each year through leaky seals although it also depends on use.  (i.e.  if you don't use the air con for a couple of years then when you do use it it doesn't work that's because the seals have dried out and leaked.... they are lubricated by use).

 

No way would a 2 year old car require an air con service, maybe a 5 year old one.

Thanks guys for your replies. Indeed it was at the suggestion of Skoda that it needs attention at 2 years old. It is working fine so I will indeed ignore "their suggestion" and leave well alone.

 Only an after thought but, is the 3 year warranty void or somehow deminished if suggested work is not carried out ?

With all the cars I have had I run my air con  for 5 -10 min at least every 2 weeks be it summer or winter.. 

I find this really helps to keep the air con system in top order ( seals lubed etc) and helps eto stop that wonderful air con smell if its not used for ages.

I think once you loose the gas, a regen is only a quick fix which never seems to perform as good as when new.

Only an after thought but, is the 3 year warranty void or somehow deminished if suggested work is not carried out ?

I believe this is a dealer suggestion as they mentioned it when I enquired about my next free service. They said

I could have my air con serviced at the same time, so I am sure they were just trying to drum up more work,although I will ask if it is a warranty issue when I book it in.

I do run the air con at times all the year just to keep in order.

Edited 3 July, 201510 yr by kalpat

With all the cars I have had I run my air con for 5 -10 min at least every 2 weeks be it summer or winter..

I find this really helps to keep the air con system in top order ( seals lubed etc) and helps eto stop that wonderful air con smell if its not used for ages.

I think once you loose the gas, a regen is only a quick fix which never seems to perform as good as when new.

Why dont you run it all the time? Its not like it makes a huge impact on fuel consumption.

It runs all the time anyway - remember these are a variable pressure system now, not like the old clutch based on or off systems.

 

Just leave it switched on all the time, that is the whole idea of having climate control. If it doesn't need the aircon to be running, it will just keep the gas slowly moving at a very low pressure to keep everything lubed up.

I would say the same, if it is working then there's no reason to change it.

Its the same for things like changing the brake fluid or coolant.

No reason to touch the a/c system like you say but if you want long term life from your braking system then regular fluid changes reduce moisture build up which can cause corrosion and will shorten the life span of your master cylinder, calipers and especially the abs pump which is often a very expensive part. If the pedal went soft after a brake fluid change then they didn't do it properly!

Almost all of the brake components I've had to change over the years were due to corrosion that could have been avoided with correct fluid changes.

Air con maintenance should just require the pollen filter to be changed. This prevents build up of corrosive chemicals from the atmosphere (smog) on the cold damp evaporator.

 

An air con service would be a re gas and fumigating the pipes  with a little bomb like device. The pong is caused by accumulation of bacteria in the damp ducts after the engine is turned off. If you turn off your AC a mile before you get home then the warm air coming through will dry it all out and help prevent pongs.

That's what I do.  Then there's no shock to the body with the difference in temperatures.

Air con maintenance should just require the pollen filter to be changed. This prevents build up of corrosive chemicals from the atmosphere (smog) on the cold damp evaporator.

An air con service would be a re gas and fumigating the pipes with a little bomb like device. The pong is caused by accumulation of bacteria in the damp ducts after the engine is turned off. If you turn off your AC a mile before you get home then the warm air coming through will dry it all out and help prevent pongs.

I've never turned my ac off and never had a pong...

Wouldn't the cold dry ac air contain less moisture than the warm undried air that hasnt been through your evaporator and cause more damp ducting if this was the case? The only place moisture will sit is the evaporator box in the form of condensation which is where mank can grow although these usually have a drain.

Also depending on the car system it might not pass air through the evaporator or heater at all when you turn one or the other off? Some redirect air with flaps as opposed to using flow control valves?

Changing the pollen filter is obviously a service item though

Not trying to be a smart arse here it just trying to look at it logically

Not trying to be a smart arse here it just trying to look at it logically

 

The evaporator is constantly saturated with water as it constantly pulls it from the air. Personally I dont bother with the turning off malarkly but this is what I was taught by my colleagues at work who manufacture AC components (I work for Mahle who had just bought Behr). I've just fitted AC in my Transporter and like most AC systems there's no bypass around the evaporator. You only usually bypass the air around the heater matrix.

OK makes sense. I'm guessing it's just the evaporator, its box and the drain that will harbor the foul smell then? And hopefully as long as the cabin filter keeps the air dust free there shouldn't be too much dust and dirt for life to grow on.

Exactly

Why dont you run it all the time? Its not like it makes a huge impact on fuel consumption.

I do have climate control running in auto most of the time, but my wife and son hate air con running, they find it dries out the air .. In the summer i like the pan roof open often instead.

What i meant was when i said " i run it every couple of weeks " was  i run it full blast at its lowest setting.

 

Reading some more from this topic has enlightened me on how the more modern systems in cars work.