Went out with the car this morning fine, with nothing untoward. When I returned it to my drive I had to shunt it nearer to the workshop and on restarting it the Climatronic unit flashed for about 10 seconds before reverting to seemingly normal operation. After a bit of research I interrogated the unit and it threw up error code 318 which refers to Air Conditioner Pressure Switch. I assume, rightly or wrongly that this signifies low gas pressure. Hopefully a regas will cure the problem.

My local indie VW/Skoda charges £80 and KwikFit £65. I wonder if it is worth the extra to have the indie do it.

Why pay more, it's a simple job largely automated by a machine.

25 minutes ago, Jocko said:

My local indie VW/Skoda charges £80 and KwikFit £65. I wonder if it is worth the extra to have the indie do it.

IIRC Kwik{censored} have a "so much colder or it's free" policy as well.

44 minutes ago, Jocko said:

My local indie VW/Skoda charges £80 and KwikFit £65.

Depends on whether you've been to the local indie VW/Skoda already and have been satisfied with their work and/or you want to go to the indie VW/Skoda in the future with other work.  £15 isn't a lot to build a relationship and help out local company that might not be there in the future for the losses of £15 less for simple works.  Swings and roundabouts, £15 more on one job a bucket load of hassle less on other jobs.

 

Some people at Kwikfit could be good or very good and some people and local indie VW/Skoda not so good or stereotypical motor trade treat customer like something they trod in.

 

I'm sure you have enough experience to know even the very best let alone the far-from-best can make ****-ups on even the simplest of jobs, perhaps disturb or break something else whilst doing the work, some will sort it, even own up to it, some will keep quiet and ignore it or bodge it.

 

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by nta16
pluralised

I may just give KwikFit the job. They may very well do more regasses than AVW. And £15 is £15.

4 hours ago, Jocko said:

I interrogated the unit and it threw up error code 318 which refers to Air Conditioner Pressure Switch. I assume, rightly or wrongly that this signifies low gas pressure.

 

Wrongly.

 

I'm not sure what code reader you are using but in VCDS the code for low regfrigerant pressure and the one for a fault with the temperature sensor are both explicit in their description.

 

I'm sure both places will probably take your money to do a regas which may not be needed and which will leave your aircon still inoperational.

 

The switch can be replaced easily without losing the refrigerant, there is a valve behind it that seals when it is removed, when an operational switch is fitted with VCDS (dont know about your reader) you can then tell if the pressure is too low.

 

On some of the vehicles water sits on the switch which can corrode the connectors or the actual switch body causing failure.

Good point about not assuming (makes an ass out of u and me) so do I take it that the Climatronic is telling you 318 and - 

 

"The Climatronic codes are displayed in hexadecimal. 318 in Hex is 792 in decimal."

00792 = A/C Pressure Switch (F129)".

 

"00792 - A/C Pressure Switch (F129)

 

Possible Symptoms

A/C System not working

 

Possible Causes

• A/C System Malfunctions
• Over or insufficiently charged
• Refrigerant System blockage
• Insufficient Air Flow to Condensor and/or Engine Radiator
• Wiring to/from A/C Pressure Switch (F129) faulty
• A/C Pressure Switch (F129) faulty

 

Possible Solutions

• Check A/C System for Malfunctions
• Check Wiring to/from A/C Pressure Switch (F129)
• Check A/C Pressure Switch (F129)

 

Special Notes

• In some applications, the F129 will be refereed to as the High Pressure Sensor (G65) in the factory wiring diagram."

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/00792

 

 

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by nta16
ETA: quotation mark

Perhaps your short shunt drive/trip buggered the system temporarily and you could save £65 or £80 by driving the car normally and see if the Climatronic gives any more messages or not, "what's that Climatronic, "Sonny's trapped down a well and I need you to fetch the helicopter so we can rescue him right now!"".

 

ETA: end of last century a mate had a newish Jag XJ and if he just moved it a short distance, say out of the garage to the drive to park or wash wash it, sometimes after that it'd not start the engine, IIRC he just disconnected the negative side of the battery waited a couple of minutes, reconnected and the car would start, they didn't like ultra short being shifted.

 

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by nta16
ETA:

The Climatronic generated the code and displayed the error. I didn't do a short shunt. We had been shopping, I parked the car in the drive and later when I went to move it it started flashing the moment I turned on the ignition.

I won't be getting the system checked until nearer the summer so if it wants to repair itself, it will have plenty time.

And as KenONeill says. if KwikFit doesn't make it colder there is no charge.

46 minutes ago, Jocko said:

The Climatronic generated the code and displayed the error. I didn't do a short shunt. We had been shopping, I parked the car in the drive and later when I went to move it it started flashing the moment I turned on the ignition.

Fair enough I misunderstood your OP.

 

 

46 minutes ago, Jocko said:

I won't be getting the system checked until nearer the summer so if it wants to repair itself, it will have plenty time.

I thought you might be getting it looked at sooner, good idea to leave it.  Best not to fully believe any VW computer readouts without checking, in my experience they can be a bit forward, or backward in reporting and frightened of their own shadow.  As you've found by now VW (ETA: and VWSkoda) are not Honda, hopefully your 2009 Fabia is more robust than my wife's 2015 Fabia but I doubt your Fabia will be restricted to one annual garage visit for an annual service, perhaps I'll be wrong and that's all it'll need, but in case not you might want to find a good and reliable indie VW/Skoda garage that can take on usual servicing work and also help with any future distress work that might (or might not) crop up in future.  In which case an extra £15 is spread across a number of jobs and possible saving a lot of hassle and giving peace of mind rather than piecemeal visits to various places with initial lower monetary costs.

 

But you can decide the world is your lobster.

              

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by nta16
ETA:

12 minutes ago, nta16 said:

As you've found by now VW are not Honda,

Good job the OP has a Skoda then.

7 minutes ago, KeithCheetham said:

Good job the OP has a Skoda then.

Thank you, a typo on my part, I'll rectify my error.

 

ETA: I wonder how many VW, VAG markings are on the Climatronic unit and its parts, I've no idea perhaps it's all Skoda and marked up as such and same for its parts, IIRC bits that needed replacing or sorting on my wife's Fabia were marked with VW and VAG.

 

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by nta16
ETA:

@Jocko btw, I meant to put it'd certainly be worth following up the suggested switch checking it and its connections.  If you're lucky it might only need the connections cleaning as required and then protecting, I favour using something like Contralube 77, a sachet goes a long way and tube much further also useful when replacing things like bulbs to lessen warning lights and messages. - PDS-Contralube_770.pdf

 

I'd probably check the switch out if I knew where it was and if it was accessible to a crippled old man. Haynes manual is no use.

It's a pressure sensor not a switch, and it lives in the alloy pipework just in front of your coolant expansion tank. If you can't spot it, post a pic of that area and I'll highlight it for you.

Do you hear a hissing noise deep inside the dashboard when switching between A/C active/not? That often gives an audible indication of low refrigerant pressure.

 

3 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

It's a pressure sensor not a switch, and it lives in the alloy pipework just in front of your coolant expansion tank. If you can't spot it, post a pic of that area and I'll highlight it for you.

I'll check it out when the rain stops. Thanks.

Talk to you again in June.  😁

Checked the pressure sensor out. It was easily identified and reached. The connections are pristine, like brand new. No sound evident when switching from Auto to Econ or back again.

See if all parts of the compressor pulley rotate together when A/C enabled.

Today I went out to check the pulley was rotating and when I switched on the ignition the Climatronic unit behaved itself. I turned on the aircon full blast and the temperature dropped quickly.

I had cleared the 318 code yesterday so perhaps it was just a transient that caused it in the first place. Or maybe the gas pressure is just on the limit. I'll see how it goes over the next few trips out.