markie

Just braved the artic conditions today (-4 degrees) in Norfolk to change the glowplug. Followed the advice from this site (brilliant as always). Took about 3 hours all in, that included me going in every so often to warm up so I could feel my fingers and toes ! Luckily, the glowplug was the beru one, not the more expensive one with wires. Bought it from vwspares.co.uk for about

My front wipers also went last weekend, if you pulled back on the wiper stalk it operated the rear wipers. Thanks to this forum again, found it was 2nd to last 10 A Red fuse on bottom row that had blown. They seem to be going in the cold weather ! Now just got to fit the new glow plug to the booster heater, which has also gone wrong !

Just a final update to this thread - air con is still working well, just in time for Autumn :lol:

Just to update this, coolant level is now stable and not dropping, but took over a week of filling each day to get it like this !

Thanks for replies...will keep an eye on it, but hoping it will be o.k.

Thanks, so to clarify what you said, was yours dropping daily like mine at about the amount I stated?

Last week I changed the coolant on the car, as it had never been done. I undid the bottom radiator connection as well as the two heater pipes towards the rear of the car to let the old coolant out. Refilled with correct amount on antifreeze, topped it up as advised on this forum by leaving cap off, running engine, etc. What seems to be happening now, one week on, is that the coolant level in the header tank seems to be dropping by approx 2-3mm per day. Filled it up to maximum line yeterday evening and this morning it had dropped by above amount. I have checked all the places where I removed pipes and they are watertight. I also jacked car up and looked along all pipe runs, as best as I could, and no leaks anywhere that I can see. Is this normal after an antifreeze change - it is a long pipe run on these cars and yet it doesn't have any bleeding places, so wondering if there is some air still in there, as I definitely cannot see any noticeable leaks? Any advice appreciated.

I chnaged mine at just under 40,000 miles

I got mine regassed at KwikFit. Worked a treat for three weeks then packed in. I have a leak somewhere. Unfortunately, welcome to the world of air con problems associated with this vehicle ! :huh:

MrT, thank you for your input. I have just checked and it does turn off in econ mode.

Thanks for that info - put my mind at rest - as was wondering whether it still wasn't working right with it being on all the time !

Thanks again, put my mind at ease a bit now, as was wondering whether I had a leak, although I couldn't see one !

Have taken the car out for a couple of rides this afternoon - and have noticed the top up vessel seems to empty below the minimum mark, meaning I have to top up the antifreeze a litttle bit. Can't see any leaks, though ! Is this normal once you have drained / filled the system again until it settles down?

Well, new compressor and expansion valve on and it seems to be working well (so far). Bank balance,

Hi, Thanks for that...did the job this morning..about another 4 litres came out..

Decided to change the coolant,as its never been done in over 5 years. Have disconnected the bottom pipe on the radiator, but just under 3 litres came came out. I think that there is meant to be 9.2 litres, so how do you go about getting the remaining coolant out? Do you have to undo any more hoses anywhere? Thanks...

Just an update to this, as have been away. Took it back to air con repair man, to have the compressor diagnosed as faulty and recommended changing the expansion valve as well . Hope to have this sorted early next week. Will update then.

Just an update to this, as have been away. With new condenser fitted, air con worked fine for a day ! Next day, wouldn't work at all. Took it back, to have the compressor diagnosed as faulty and recommended changing the expansion valve. Hope to have this sorted early next week. Will update then.

Just been out again ! You can turn it with one finger if you push hard, but its easier when gripping it ! It certainly does not go really hard / impossible to turn. I was turning it for at least 30 seconds, and could have gone on longer, but fingers started hurting !

Thanks for quick reply. I have just been out and am able to turn the inner of the compressor - I was able to turn it, with a reasonable force, neither easy nor hard. Does this seem right? Weird though, the air con is now working again, there is also a noticeable temperature difference between the pipes, right hand pipe hot; left one cold. Why does it now appear to be working again???

Wonder if anyone can help or advise? About a month ago, the aircon packed up. Just had a new condensor and pipe fitted to make the aircon work. Condensor was leaking and pipe corroded. Thought this had cured it. To cut a long story short, got car back yesterday, seemed to be working o.k.,this morning the air con seemed fine on a 15 minute run, but by this afternoon when it was warmer, it was just blowing hottish air again. The compressor and fan is turning. The inlet and outlet pipes have no significant temperature difference, one is a little hotter than the other, but nothing major. Should one be a lot hotter than the other? Do you think this lends itself to the compressor being knackered or on its way out? Must admit, when I first got the car a few years ago, you could sense an immediate drop in revs and a audible click when compressor engaged, but this not really apparent now, but, as stated above, the compressor and fan do appear to be 'working', i.e. moving round and are not making any weird noises like they are broken. Have read on here that the compressor can still turn round but be knackered. Any ideas, before I contact the air con mechanic again to tell him the bad news ? Do not want to buy a new compressor if it could be something else? If it is the compressor, any recommendations for where to purchase? Thanks...

Just an update to this. Took the car back to the aircon man today. He filled it and then took his sensor to try and find any leaks, as over the week, all of the gas had escaped again. His sensor went mad around the condenser area, towards the bottom near the back. He said the leak seemed to be at the back of the condenser - no leak was apparent near the top, where other people's have leaked. He is charging

From reading ALL the other posts about problems with air con, you are, indeed, correct ! Have just seen some air con leak fixer on Halfords Website for

Took car to an air con repair man who works from his home and as a mobile this morning. He said there was little / no gas in the system. He said in the moring it probably wasn't working either, just seemed cold as air temperature was colder. As soon as he refilled it (not full but enough for it to work), the fan came on and air con worked ! He sais there must be a leak somewhere. Only trouble is now is to try and locate where the leak is. He had a quick look with his leak detectors, but found nothing. Have to go back in a couple of weeks, when hopefully it will have leaked somewhere for him to find. Any 'normal' places this leak could be? Have checked condenser cap (o.k.) and visually looked at all the pipes I can see and cannot spot any leak so far.

Thanks for that, but that fan does come on when the temperature of the engine heats up. Should that fan immediately come on when you switch the AC on ? Surely, that doesn't point to the fan being broken, but something else?