My 2017 VRS 245 has just gone in for its second variable service and I've just had the health check video by email. The only thing mentioned was that the "air con service is due" and  Just wondering what an air con service entails? I certainly never had any such notice in seven years of owning my Mk2 VRS.

 

Appreciate air con needs re-gassing and the like - but at just over two years old, really?  

 

   

41 minutes ago, juan27 said:

air con needs re-gassing and the like - but at just over two years old, really

Well, in a practical sense, can it get as cold as you want it to? Does it demist effectively?

 

If that's yes and yes save your money, oh and a mobile service will do the job cheaper and as well as a Skoda main stealer.

20 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Well, in a practical sense, can it get as cold as you want it to?

 

 

Well its a bit difficult to tell if its effective with the climate set to 19° and the ambient temp around 8° max at the moment, but I've no reason to believe its less effective than it was last summer. The dealer certainly didn't test or inspect it before offering the service.  

 

Thanks for the advice though.  I'm minded to leave it a year or two yet.

 

 

Edited 28 January, 20206 yr by juan27

 never had my 65 plate Scout done and it worked fine for duration of ownership.  Reality is it should be apparently serviced every 2 years as they do lose gas .... unsure how on a sealed system but they do.  My old Renault Megane AC stopped working one day for no reason, re gassed it and it worked fine until handing back the car 3 years later suggesting there was no actual leak.

Local air conditioning specialist told me to "leave well alone If the climate control it is working ok", he said it isn't worth touching it unless it isn't actually malfunctioning.  My car is 3.5 years old and the air con is fine.....I will,only get the gas changed when absolutely necessary. 🙂

20 hours ago, ScoutCJB said:

  Reality is it should be apparently serviced every 2 years as they do lose gas .... unsure how on a sealed system but they do. 

 

It certainly isn’t a sealed system, and can loose up to 10% of gas annually.

The seals go dry if the system is not used regularly. 

I'd mine done for the first time as part of the 3 year main dealer service. The cost was fair and roughly the same as local ac specialists. One day without my car is enough for me.

5 hours ago, Kenny R said:

 

It certainly isn’t a sealed system, and can loose up to 10% of gas annually.

When having an AC/climate control system service done, it doesen't just top up the gas in the system, it puts fresh gas in, the machine also carry's out a vacum test this can be anything from 5 minutes to and hour, the longer the better and more effective the AC/climate control will be, also new fresh oil is injected for the compressor, so in essence an AC/climate control service is well worth doing every 2 years and also those aircon cleaner you can buy are good to use every 6 months or so as the kill off bad bacteria (the bacteria build up can cause the system to smell bad) that can get into the system.

 

Plus if you use use the the AC/climate control the seals do dry out and the system WILL loose the gas over time.

Many on here will think this is a classic case of upselling and I tend to agree.  If its working fine then I would leave it alone.

13 minutes ago, Ju1ian1001 said:

also those aircon cleaner you can buy are good to use every 6 months

Why? Surely if it's not stinking all you're doing is losing pounds?

1 minute ago, KenONeill said:

Why? Surely if it's not stinking all you're doing is losing pounds?

Maybe but they are fairly cheap anyway, and it's only a suggestion.

 

On 29/01/2020 at 09:22, Ecomatt said:

The seals go dry if the system is not used regularly. 

It has often been claimed here that this is not the case with modern cars. The pump apparently runs slowly to keep the system lubricated even when the aircon is turned off.

After 4 years of ownership my Roomster had a complimentary aircon service because the dealer had messed up the major service. After it was done I felt no difference so if yours is blowing cold don't touch it.

On 29/01/2020 at 16:23, Ju1ian1001 said:

When having an AC/climate control system service done, it doesen't just top up the gas in the system, it puts fresh gas in,

Actually it sucks out your gas mixes it with what is in its storage tank and refills with a weighed quantity, functionally there is no difference between the old gas and the new which will likely be an amalgamation of refrigerants from all the preceeding vehicles.

On 29/01/2020 at 16:23, Ju1ian1001 said:

 

the machine also carry's out a vacum test this can be anything from 5 minutes to and hour, the longer the better and more effective the AC/climate control will be, also new fresh oil is injected for the compressor,

Not sure that is the case unless a compressor has been replaced, they are informed and actually do it, when evacuated during the vacuum draw down very little if any oil is removed and any that was will be go back in when the system is charged, its definitely not a case of an "oil change" in the traditional sense.

On 29/01/2020 at 16:23, Ju1ian1001 said:

 

so in essence an AC/climate control service is well worth doing every 2 years and also those aircon cleaner you can buy are good to use every 6 months or so as the kill off bad bacteria (the bacteria build up can cause the system to smell bad) that can get into the system.

 

Plus if you use use the the AC/climate control the seals do dry out and the system WILL loose the gas over time.

Yes the system will lose refrigerant over time, in the main it permeates through the hoses and also to a much smaller degree through the O rings and shaft seals, by the time any loss through the seals is a measurable quantity you will be recharging every 3 months and know that the pump (or evaporator or dryer if they have a leak) needs replacing.

 

I think you meant to say "if you do not use the system..........." As has been said with all recent clutchless aircon pumps the system is always operational even when switched off or to ECON, it will simply be recirculating the refrigerant rather than pumping to any degree.

 

Losses can be as much as 15-20% per year and the system has to lose a lot of charge before you notice any lack of cooling (usually on the hottest days) but it will be working harder and using more fuel when partially charged so a top up done by a trusted garage after 4-6 years even if the system seems fine is probably not a false economy.

 

I believe the latest gas has a higher leak rate and costs a lot more for the recharge, even the R134a 13kg cylinder that I have costs circa £200.

9 hours ago, J.R. said:

I believe the latest gas has a higher leak rate and costs a lot more for the recharge, even the R134a 13kg cylinder that I have costs circa £200.

The new gas is at least twice the price of R134a, my work place charges £39.99 for a aircon service using R134a, and £59.99 for the new gas, it gets a bit annoying when the customer sees the 2 prices and ask's for old when when their system uses new gas and you have to explain every time that you can't mix the two gases. 

On 29/01/2020 at 09:22, Ecomatt said:

The seals go dry if the system is not used regularly. 

 

On 29/01/2020 at 15:23, Ju1ian1001 said:

Plus if you use use the the AC/climate control the seals do dry out

 

Well at least one of you has got to be right.

 

I've never had an aircon recharge done and never had a problem with my aircon.

Edited 3 February, 20206 yr by Guest

Shame they can't design car refrigeration systems to match domestic fridges and freezers which last the life of the product

^ The working environment of an automotive system is considerably more challenging in terms of temperatures experienced and vibration...

Put a domestic system next to an internal combustion engine and drive it around for a few years and I think you might see issues.

35 minutes ago, Wino said:

^ The working environment of an automotive system is considerably more challenging in terms of temperatures experienced and vibration...

Put a domestic system next to an internal combustion engine and drive it around for a few years and I think you might see issues.

Well then, the answer is simple isn't it, remove the internal combustion engine

1 hour ago, Scot5 said:

 

 

Well at least one of you has got to be right.

 

I've never had an aircon recharge done and never had a problem with my aircon.

 

With modern AC systems, both were wrong.

 

A couple of differences between automobile AC systems and domestic fridge/freezers are:- automobile AC systems use flexible "plastic" piping to connect components as compared with rigid copper(ish) piping on domestic fridge/freezers, and automobile AC compressors tend to have exposed/external drive shafts to pick up power from an engine driven belt whereas domestic fridge/freezers have sealed inside a tank along with their drive motor - ie hermetically sealed. Also there will be the issue with the front mounted condenser always in the firing line for stones etc to strike it.  In a properly working car AC system, the estimated quoted losses are the losses across/through O-ring material and across/through similar material shaft seals and flexible piping which again is a plastic so porous to these gases.

1 hour ago, wyx087 said:

Well then, the answer is simple isn't it, remove the internal combustion engine

 

Haven't thought that through , have you? Neither car nor aircon would work if you did that.

Seems like AC working well will be essential for EVs as that is used to control the battery pack temperature, well for some at least.

Just upping this with a Q. My aircon isnt holding recharge. Dropped it in, the local mechanic said it wasnt anything to do with the lines, compressor, evap etc - the problem was with the AC 'operator' which he says is localed beneath the main dashboard.

He said taking off the main car dashboard is a huge job and not to be recommended in order to fix this... he said live with it (ie no aircon).

Im just sense checking this on here: what is the A/C 'operator', is it indeed under the dash, and does anyone have experience in trying to fix a broken one?

Edit - Octavia 1.5TSI petrol 2019.

Edited 19 September, 202519 Sep by ctm

Hello, welcome to the forum.

You say your 'aircon isn't holding recharge' Who told you that?

Do you mean it is losing gas charge - how was this determined?

'AC Operator' sounds like BS to me - unless they are referring to air duct flaps - AFAIK, the operation of these can be tested via. the vehicles OBD port.

Do the air vents appear to work correctly when the heater is used?