I have a manual air con and it is blowing very cold air through even when switched off. On a humid day there is condensation on the outside of the wind screen. Is it a faulty switch or another 

Possibility ? The other question is should the air con be left on all the time?

5 minutes ago, Deligater said:

should the air con be left on all the time?

That's up to you, but it uses next to no fuel (based on using instantaneous mpg mode at 30mph in 4th and switching it in and out on a flat road).

On 21/08/2021 at 19:32, Deligater said:

I have a manual air con and it is blowing very cold air through even when switched off. On a humid day there is condensation on the outside of the wind screen. Is it a faulty switch or another 

Possibility ? The other question is should the air con be left on all the time?

 

Is the fan actually blowing a reasonable amount of air or is it just passive? I get a tiny amount of passive air coming in when the fans are off but nothing like when the fan is on.

 

Does adjusting the speed do anything? It's possible the contacts have somehow shorted inside the controller module, this specific dial isn't computer controlled but the rest have some links to the computer inside the module.

Edited 23 August, 20214 yr by steevs

My Garage reckons that its best to leave the air con on all the time and alter the temp with the heat control dial. The only problems that they have ever come across is when the air con is

only blowing hot air . So I will go along this route and get the air con checked at the next service. Many thanks for all your replies.

I'm not a mechanic so just my opinion and experience, you don't need to have the air-con on all the time but it's best to use it fairly regularly or at least occasionally to keep it in trim and test its working, same as for other items some don't use a lot, like the horn, hazard switch and so on.   As with much on the car if not used regularly it can be detrimental to seals and connections.

 

@Deligater I wonder if you have the airflow set to the windscreen which will automatically switch the manual air-con on but you can switch it off manually every time (like the stop/start) and whether it's that unassisted (by the fan) residue cold air getting through by the ram air effect of the car moving.

 

Have a look at the operating instructions in the Operator's Manual (Driver's Handbook), your printed paper book or the online PDF. -  https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

 

Otherwise your garage has fobbed you off a bit as an item that has an on/off switch/button like the manual air-con should turn both on and off - but check you're operating the system correctly first to save embarrassment and expense.  

Many thanks for your reply. Will check the owners manual again. I do tend to have the setting on windscreen. Will get it looked at on the next service

My sister in her Ford Focus had her aircon on constantly but I use mine when I wanted it. She had hers topped up and serviced before me.

Apparently the air-con system looses a little in normal use but can go many years before it needs topping up, depends on use I expect, but if it's still putting out cold both sides of the car fairly quickly it probably doesn't need topping up - but it's another little revenue stream for the garage.

 

In the old days for air-con you'd just wind the windows down, 2-60 aircon, drop two windows and go at 60mph.  

 

Just bought a '67 plate Monte Carlo and the aircon is barely there as far as cooling goes. Would it need a recharge after 4 years? I'm guessing its the expensive one too

39 minutes ago, Grd3105 said:

Just bought a '67 plate Monte Carlo and the aircon is barely there as far as cooling goes. Would it need a recharge after 4 years? I'm guessing its the expensive one too

Hi, welcome.

 

I wouldn't have thought so, check the operating instructions to make sure you have the settings correct, then you could look in the engine bay to make sure the ac compressor is turning freely and without wobble, I've no idea what the ac fuse really covers but you could check that. 

 

Operator's Manual (Driver's Handbook), your printed paper book or the online PDF. -  https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

The Fabia III has the AC running all the time.

If you have the AC button off it still runs but at about 6%.

They run the cheaper AC gas R134a not the more expensive R1234yf.

 

My car will turn it on automatically if the dials are adjusted to certain positions.

Like direction to windscreen and or heat to cold.

 

Did one of my car's AC on Saturday.

Recovery was 195 g and refilled with 450 g.

This car had lost just over half of the refrigerant since last time I did it, 5 years ago. 

 

Thanks, AG Falco

Edited 24 August, 20214 yr by AGFalco
spelling sine not since

I can feel cool air with the ac on and turned fully down but it's nowhere near icy cold. I think I'll get it in somewhere who'll do a no win no fee sorta deal

34 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

as above

Fair enough but was your air-con still cold or had warmed up?  I'd expect more than 5 years from the air-con but perhaps I'm kidding myself.  My wife's Fabia is very cold very quickly at nearly 6 years old but perhaps it's on borrowed time.

 

Would 6% be noticeable, unless you've got your fingertips to over the vent, having put that last month my wife had 5 layers of clothing in 27c sun and heat as we drove up the motorways with the roof down!  I was wearing t-shirt, shorts and sandal thinking how pleasant it was and not the promised 27c, until we stopped at the services then I knew it was 27c, I think even my wife took her jacket off (I'm not joking, she actually took her jacket off!).

 

3 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Fair enough but was your air-con still cold

 Yes, but not as cold as it is now it has been refilled.

 

3 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Would 6% be noticeable

Yes, if you have the fan off but have been driving for a few miles when you first turn the fan, but not the AC, on you can feel cold from the vents.

 

Running the AC but at only 6% helps to stop the AC seals drying up and loosing it's refrigerant.

This can make the system work better longer.

1 hour ago, AGFalco said:

Did one of my car's AC on Saturday.

I have not needed to refill the AC on my Fabia III since new, also now 5 years old, unlike the other car which doesn't run all the time.

 

 

Thanks, AC Falco

24 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

39 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Would 6% be noticeable

Yes, if you have the fan off but have been driving for a few miles when you first turn the fan, but not the AC, on you can feel cold from the vents.

I didn't read the OP properly I was thinking at start up even though it didn't say so.

 

 

26 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

Running the AC but at only 6% helps to stop the AC seals drying up and loosing it's refrigerant.

This can make the system work better longer.

Yeap this is a good idea, now I know this I can go back to turning the a/c off while I'm in the car and it's not hot or other conditions where it's not needed.  

10 hours ago, Grd3105 said:

Just bought a '67 plate Monte Carlo and the aircon is barely there as far as cooling goes. Would it need a recharge after 4 years? I'm guessing its the expensive one too

As far as I know, Skoda say the air conditioning should be serviced every two years from new.

The service consists of draining the system, vaccum-testing it to check for leaks, then refilling the system.

 

Using the air conditioning regularly is well worth doing to keep it working efficiently. With manual air con, I'd use it every time you start the engine for 5-10 minutes while the car warms up.

(I leave my air con on auto all the time, but this is a thread about manual air con.)

9 hours ago, nta16 said:

it's not hot or other conditions where it's not needed

You mean the odd occasions when it's both cold and dry?

Lots of conditions where you don't need a/c, many may want it or choose to use it, which is fine, but it's absolute need on occasions might be debatable.  The large window area and interior can encourage it's use especially during the normal urgency to be somewhere else that many seem to have.

 

Plenty of days where it's not too hot, cold, damp or humid, today for instance, well here anyway, lots of lovely cold dry days in late autumn, winter and early spring, surely even Scotland must get some of those days, they have when I've visited.

 

Depends what you're used to, things that are essential to some now were unnecessary luxuries to miserable old farts so handy at times but could be lived without, my manual a/c on my car if required is manual use of a synthetic chamois and manually winding the windows down.  

Edited 25 August, 20214 yr by nta16

12 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Lots of conditions where you don't need a/c

Spot on.

I've used mine twice this year so far, and one of those was mainly for the dog's benefit on a long journey.

I wish the a/c could be set to come on before getting into a hot car that's been sitting in the sun for hours on end, I can't take getting into an oven, and of course it's the law that the car must always be fully closed, locked and alarmed even when parked on your "drive" or you're negligent.

 

I have to open the door(s), put the key in to drop the electric windows, "bing, bing" you've left the key in and door open", manually wind(!) the rear windows down a bit, get in push the clutch in to start the engine, then the a/c is used!  Moments later it's decision, or debate time if 'the navigator' is onboard, as to whether the electric windows are going up or a/c off.  A little later of course there's the debate about the acceptable amount of buffeting and gap from the rear windows still being down a bit - and they say old married couples don't talk to each other enough.

 

Edited 25 August, 20214 yr by nta16

44 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Plenty of days where it's not too hot, cold, damp or humid

You're using the Goldilocks approach to weather; I'm starting from the argument that I live in a temperate oceanic climate, which is characterised by mild temperatures but high (70% or more) relative humidity. This means that AC is of some use as an air drier, even when not needed as a chiller.

4 hours ago, EnterName said:

As far as I know, Skoda say the air conditioning should be serviced every two years from new.

The service consists of draining the system, vaccum-testing it to check for leaks, then refilling the system.

Well they wouldn't have any commercial benefit in saying that would they!

4 hours ago, EnterName said:

 

Using the air conditioning regularly is well worth doing to keep it working efficiently. With manual air con, I'd use it every time you start the engine for 5-10 minutes while the car warms up.

 

You are deluding yourself, "manual aircon" is a misnomer, it is the exact same system as Climatronic simply lacking the system making decisions for you, individual heat settings each side etc, the sensors and actuators are identical for the control of temperature.

 

As has been said when it is turned "off" it remains operative in the same way that Climatronic does when switched off although I reckon the circulation is a lot less than 6%, I will check the next time I have my guages on the system.

 

It will even switch on automatically when the airflow control is moved to the screen demist position.

5 minutes ago, J.R. said:

You are deluding yourself, "manual aircon" is a misnomer, it is the exact same system as Climatronic simply lacking the system making decisions for you, individual heat settings each side etc, the sensors and actuators are identical for the control of temperature.

 

As has been said when it is turned "off" it remains operative in the same way that Climatronic does when switched off although I reckon the circulation is a lot less than 6%, I will check the next time I have my guages on the system.

 

It will even switch on automatically when the airflow control is moved to the screen demist position.

Why are you talking about delusions in a thread about air-con?

If you have Climatronic, you can leave it on "Auto" and the air-con comes on and off on it's own, automatically.

If you have a manual system, you have to turn it on for it to work.

Where's the delusion?

26 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

You're using the Goldilocks approach to weather; I'm starting from the argument that I live in a temperate oceanic climate, which is characterised by mild temperatures but high (70% or more) relative humidity. This means that AC is of some use as an air drier, even when not needed as a chiller.

I totally agree, that's why I've got a synthetic chamois and wind down windows in my car and we use a Pingi dehumidifier bag in the Fabia as prevention better than cure sort of thing.

 

I've never been to Scotland in a car with a/c (other than 2-50 as mentioned before) and I've encounter the Scottish weather in various states but not extremes other than the 80f when I wanted to be cool instead.  Certainly encountered the four seasons in one drive going from hot sun deteriorating as we climbed to horizontal sleet like rain at the top and improving going back down to hot sun again.  A fantastic 120 mile oval route recommended to us by the ambulance driver husband of the B&B we were stopping at in mid-Scotland in Naim IIRC.

 

41 minutes ago, J.R. said:

As has been said when it is turned "off" it remains operative

I guess that's the same with the ego setting of all tractions controls "off" on certain European performance vehicles.