Mk3 Aircon And Heating

[g4hlf]

Hi all,

 

What are your thoughts on the Aircon and Heating in the MK3?

 

I used to have a MK2 1.9TDI Ghia and both heating and cooling were exceptional (that is when the aircon compressor was not been changed 3 times of the aux heater was been replaced!) However on the MK3 2.0 TCDI Ghia I found the heating lacking over the winter and the cooling barely good enough in the summer, I imaging if we have another hot day this year it will struggle to keep the vehicle cool.

 

I tend to leave climate on at all times and on auto expecting it to sort itself out!

 

Regards,

 

Paul

[Nick]

I can only say both the heating and air con have been 100% on my car. I only have the a/c on when needed, not much of a summer so far in 2008!

[jonnyp]

My experiences are the same as Nick, although I havn't done a full winter yet. It can take a while on a hot day with the car full of pax, to cool down but when it does it is fine. I guess thats why there is an option to fit a rear evaporator for the airccon system.

 

You probably know but when you initially turn the air con on, on a hot day it is best to open the windows slightly to help remove the residule heat from the car!

 

Jon

[Farrelley]

I have a 2008.5 model with the rear air con and I was very impressed with the volume of air pumped out from the heater/air con.

I seem to get warm air after about 1-2 mins of starting from cold (a lot faster than my '07 Focus Diesel) which suprised me at first.

I have had no complaints with the air con either, always seems cold enough, I do stick the re-circulation button on with the air con when I want it to get extra cool though. (not sure if this is the correct use of the button :32: ) This model has the solar glass as standard though, so may help as it does have a huge surface area of glass.

 

Farr.

[morellomax]

I find the heating is fine - quicker to give warm air than the Mk II diesels I had - but the cooling is inadequate. Many other S-Max owners have said the same on another forum. Poor show from Ford in their most expensive and most greenhouse-like vehicles.

[Neily]

The heating on my car is OK but the air con is sadly lacking in performance, at best it struggles and on warm days it barely copes. And you have to have the fan on max which sounds like a 747 taking off. I suspect they've used inferior components and suppliers that are simply not up to the job. I know it's a big interior to cool down, so why don't they fit a compressor or entire system thats man enough to do it.

 

I had a Probe V6 about 4 years ago and the air con on that was awsome, so good in fact that many times you'd have to turn the heater control up slightly to just take the chill off because it was too cold! Why can't we have a system like that?

[rjhwuk]

I have found the a/c and heating to work well on all the Galaxy models. Pattern faults excepted.

 

One thing that can make quite a difference to the capability of the heater and a/c on any vehicle is the pollen filter. I have found that these are often choked and as a result the air movement is restricted and it's the volume of air that's moving around that makes the system cool you and the interior down. Being fiddly, they are often omited during servicing so it may be worth checking if your a/c and heating are not performing well.

 

You can check it by comparing the air movement through a vent with your hand while switching the recirc button on and off with air direncted through the central face vents only, fan on maximum. If there's a significant difference then there's a good chance you have found the problem.

 

 

 

Hope this helps, RHW

[colchestero]

You sound just like me friend, i haven't fathomed it out yet and i find it very frustrating. Without doubt not cold enough in the summer and too cold in the winter, whats going on Ford? Please sort it!!

[hotleaduk]

My 08 plate 2.0 TDCi galaxy climate control is faulty.

 

Took it back under warranty and dealer said it was a pipe leak.

 

It had already been regassed a month ago, they gassed it again and now will wait for part to arrive before taking back.

 

Seems llike this a common proble.

 

Willtake out the 4th and 5th year warranty at this rate.

[Neily]

Sorry to hear about that mate. I think Ford have really got to get their act together regarding the aircon, cos it was rarely perfect on the mk1 or mk2. And now the problems which should've been ironed ou now persist on the mk3. I thought the Germans were supposed to be good at designing stuff. :)

[brush2805]

I notice that the Ghia comes with the "Rear compartment air conditioning" as one of the extras.

 

I'm interested to know if people who find the Aircon and Heating to be poor own the Ghia or not?

[AndyBee]

I have a 56 2.0 tdci Ghia X (with rear a/c but also glass roof), and I have never noticed a problem with either heating or cooling. It is always left on auto between 20 and 22 degC and it is fine - I just leave it to do its thing.

 

By the way, I have noticed that different people use a/c very differently and, from my own experience, I would say :

a) it takes time to develop the best way to use a manual system. When I first had a car with manual a/c, I was always fiddling around with it, and trying to find a setting that worked most of the time. However, I think the reality is that you do have to keep adjusting it to suit the circumstances.

;) I have noticed some people who seem reluctant to use the fan on full speed - I am not sure why, other than it is noisy. However, on a hot day, it needs full speed for a few minutes to cool the car and then it can be reduced. With a manual system, it is also advisable to use recirculation for a few minutes so it keeps cooling the same air - then switch back to normal.

c) It sounds obvious, but to cool a car quickly, it is best to open all the windows for a couple of minutes and let the hottest air out that way.

d) Parking in the shade makes a big difference, as it avoids the interior surfaces getting very hot and continuing to radiate heat for some time afterwards. I notice it is always easier to keep a car cool (eg from an early morning start) rather than cool a hot car.

e) I would always MUCH prefer an automatic / climate control system, as it does most of this for you !

 

Apologies if this is stating the bleeding obvious.

 

Andy