Aircon service

[BriskodaJeff]

Email just received from Skoda UK. I'm presuming this is a blatant up-sell attempt and to be avoided? Car is MY17 and less than 2 years old. Aircon  is faultless. Surely it shouldn't need this? Anyone else had the email?

 

https://skodacrm.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/D5829924D3B5F81E2540EF23F30FEDED/2475058376D8A4A016B21F2806CB3AEB

 

[digifish]

45 minutes ago, BriskodaJeff said:

Email just received from Skoda UK. I'm presuming this is a blatant up-sell attempt and to be avoided? Car is MY17 and less than 2 years old. Aircon  is faultless. Surely it shouldn't need this? Anyone else had the email?

 

https://skodacrm.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/D5829924D3B5F81E2540EF23F30FEDED/2475058376D8A4A016B21F2806CB3AEB

 

 

Air-conditioning systems usually are only serviced when the owner notices a drop in cooling performance. 

 

That is, when they start leaking or break. Normal functions are maintained for 10 years (+/- 2) without any problems. 

 

'Servicing' will not prevent leaks or an early malfunction. Its a closed system, no dirt can get in and the oil is designed to work for the life of the unit. 

 

This is over-servicing at its finest. 

 

 

Edited 30 April, 2019 by digifish

[Redtailhawk]

I just had my air con regassed on my Peugeot 5008 (skoda superb estate next year) two weeks ago  the guy who did mine only does car air conditioning he told me that you should have your air con regassed every 2 years to keep system in top condition my car is six and half years old i had it regassed after 4 years and again just now both times the aircon  was blowning warm air after each regass system was checked for leaks all was ok

I have heard off my fishing mates that they were told same as me by different air con companies every 2 years

[Ootohere]

Hardly surprising that someone in the business of servicing Air Conditioning units advises servicing bi-annually.

 

Not like annual safety servicing of your home though.

 

VW Group need to keep the Dealership Busy between 'Recalls' & Service Campaigns.

They used to say that Brake Fluid was every 2 years, now it is first at 3 years then 2 years.

 

Haldex used to be at 4 years and now at 3 years.

 

Cambelts is pick a number any number.   Fuel system clean outs / additives is another Upsell, even when the Owners Manual says don't use additives.

 

Vorsprung Durch Technik.   Take VW Group with a pinch of sodium.

[penguin17]

I call upsell 

[digifish]

7 hours ago, Redtailhawk said:

he told me that...  you should have your air con regassed every 2 years to keep system in top condition

 

Let me correct your air-con mechanic if I may...

 

you should have your air con re-gassed every 2 years, if its leaking, and if it needs re-gassing this often, then you really should locate the leak and fix it, to keep system in top condition  operating at peak performance

 

There's 50 years of automotive air conditioning history here. Unless they are deliberately building leaks into systems these days, your air-con mechanic is sprouting misinformation.

 

And just to back up. The way to test an air-con is to measure the delta change in air temperature in/out when operating at max cooling. If it meets the temperature spec, its fine and should not be touched, This is something you can do yourself at home with a good thermometer.  There is no magic here, these are simple heat-pumps (split systems) like you see mounted on walls of buildings all over the world. Just because its in a car does not mean it needs 'servicing'.    

Edited 1 May, 2019 by digifish

[BriskodaJeff]

Thanks all. I'm going to give this one a swerve until / unless something goes wrong with it. Especially after reading down the forum about one dealer potentially having broken an aircon while supposedly servicing it...

[IJWS15]

When did you last have your fridge re-gassed?

 

Our chest freezer is 15 years old and still going.  It isn't losing gas.

 

It is the same basic technology, if it is still working don't touch it.

 

 

[Ootohere]

Big difference.

Your chest freezer is always on / running. 

 (Kind of like why Taxi's with a VW engine can do huge miles, the engines are always running, and other low mileage engines can fail.)

 

& then re the Chest Freezer compared to the A/C from the VW Group,

the chest freezer manufacturer never sourced the parts from the cheapest possible people then screwed the price even lower.

[digifish]

Fridges and freezers, seal the pump inside the refrigerant circuit (that football sized  black ball you will remember seeing)

 

 

... and so the only possible leakage source is the charging port (which is also usually soldered shut). They are similar tho in that the lubrication and refrigerant are the same, and prove you don't need to change them (again, unless it leaks). Car systems are more like split system heat pumps attached to buildings. However, there are a few more possible failure points in a car, and so, they can leak, but 'servicing' does not prevent leaks and does not reduce the probability of failure. If it meets cooling specifications then its OK. Nothing needs to be done.

 

In the case of an automotive system, yes they do leak down (a little) over their service life. But its probably a check (to top up the system) you need to do once in the service life of the vehicle, and usually when you notice the air-con isn't as good as it could be. Normally vehicle systems get to 8+ years before this is even something you need to start keeping an eye on.

Edited 2 May, 2019 by digifish