Aircon Problems

[GalMan]

Don't know whether I'm tempting fate here, but I've had no problems with the climate control on my Gal, keep it on auto all the while and change it to Lo at least once a month for 1/2 hour. You need to wear gloves and an overcoat in the winter though.

Galman.

[879JTT]

Hooraay, a great result from my local Ford dealer. Today they replaced my aircon compressor and recharged the system. All the work has been done under warranty. So at last I have a cool gal again.

[Guest T120]

I also hope not to tempt fate, had mine recharged prior to picking up the bus, had no problems so far. I have also read the more you use it the less trouble you have.

[Guest shaf]

Hi everyone ,
just had a recon compressor fitted on my alhambra 2001 1.9 tdi which the dealer quoted

[Ivor]

I wish I had found this forum earlier.
I've had nothing but trouble, luckily all under warranty.
My Alhambra (Climate control) has had two new compressors, a new condenser and finally, they found a leak on the evapourator and replaced that. That was during year 2 and 3. It was off the road for around 6 weeks in total, waiting for parts.
It's been fine for a whole year now, with no problems.

But...

I was cleaning the car the other day, and the sun was shining through the front grille. I noticed what a botch up job they have done replacing the condenser (bolted to the front of the radiator). There are two composite fibre looking brackets down either side of the radiator, they have hacked into these so that they could pass the lugs of the condenser through without removing the brackets. What a mess, not even neatly cut, they look like they have been chiselled through, exposing raw fibres where moisture can now penetrate and freeze I suppose. The right hand side of the condenser isn't even bolted back on.

It's a year ago since they last touched it (main dealer), but it's due it's 2nd MOT at the end of this month and I am going to show the service manager what a botch up they have done and I want it fixed. They had better agree or I will have it RAC inspected then get their legal dept. onto them.

[Another?Maybe!]

Anyones aircon coping with this hot weather? It was 80+ (F!) today. Rear seat pasengers complained still too hot despite C/C running the fan at max revs... as someone said a bit back, the Gal is too big for the aircon to cope with all that space inside. Or maybe not working properly!

[MrT]

It depends if you have dual air-con or not. My old gals only cold outlet in the back was on the floor behind the handbrake, the new one has three vents in the middle ceiling for the middle row of seats and another two further back for the rear seats.

[gazza007]

It takes a lot of Chemistry to remove the heat from the air & will take a long time to get things cool. I find if you can drive for a bit with windows open to release the build up of air, things work much better. Interestingly I have a brand new Ibiza on loan as my major Service & belt change is taking place. The Ibiza's air is very similar in output terms to bamma but as it is much smaller & less glass area it does cool the interior quicker.

[Ivor]

Although I have had the unit fail, it has always coped, no problem. If you think it's not working, try turning it off, you will soon put it back on.

I had a V6 Galaxy prior to my Alhambra, and it didn't have air con, so I got rid of it, it was unbearable, like sitting in a green house.

I discovered that the Alhambra is the same car and it looks better. The resale value is also higher than the Galaxy because there is not the numerous add on options available, you either get air con, or climate control, that's it, just two models, everyone knows what they are getting. Mine, the SX, has got Climate Control, cruise, parking assist and best of all a separate programmable heater so I can get into a nice warm defrosted car in the winter. It sounds like a jet plane when it's warming the car up. It also assists the heater when driving, so I never get cold. It comes on automatically below 8 degrees. It looks weird when I walk away from it after parking, because the fans keep running for a couple of minutes to cool the system down - in winter!

[Guest BOZZY]

My climate control panel has been flashing for a few weeks and the aircon has also packed up. I've finally bitten the bullet and booked it in for diagnostics test with a main dealer. Only after dropping the car off this morning did I think to look for some info on the web, where I stumbled across this website (wish I'd found it sooner)

After reading the comments I hope it's not the compressor cos that sounds expensive!! I purchased the vehicle last August 03 and the history showed the system was re-charged (if that's the correct term) in June 03. Therefore if it is the gas then chances are its got a leak somewhere. WIll find out in a couple of hours what the report is, so will probably be back asking for advice on where to go for the best deals.



Boz

[mrumbongo]

I've been reading these forums for three months now, since I bought a one year old Galaxy Ghia, wondering when it would happen to me. Well it happened yesterday. The panel on the climate control started flashing but it still seemed to be blowing cold air. Phoned the ford garage who booked me in today (well done for the prompt service Evans Halshaw, Brighton) Picked up the car today and freezing cold air coming out of the vents. It still has a flashing panel for 15 secs each time its turned on though. Why is this?

[Guest BOZZY]

mrumbongo - not technical enough to offer advice on why LCD still flashing, but think the price you've been quoted is reasonable for Diagnostics and re-fill with dye. I had the same treatment (diag, re-fill and dye) and it set me back

[MatTdi]

Sorry for posting this twice but this thread seems more applicable....

Hi all,
I have had 3 fun weeks of beautiful cold air from my Alhambra...
Then Monday only warm air...... doh
I have checked all the fuses and the fans spin at slow speed but do not fire up when the compressor should kick in. maybe clutch?
It was re-gassed when I bought the car so may be they put in too much.......

Also Stoneacre Seat in MK are sounding helpful, its booked in for a Diag check and re-gas with dye on Friday at a very reasonable

[gazza007]

If it has failed, it should be done under warranty?

[MatTdi]

Hmmm if was under 60k miles I would be laughing but it has done nearly 80k....

When bought it came with 12mnth warranty which dosen't cover the aircon system If its a major failure I will speak to Seat Uk and see if they will help out as its only just 2 yrs old.

M@

[Velcrohead]

[quote name='mrumbongo' date='Jun 8 2004, 20:49:34'] I've been reading these forums for three months now, since I bought a one year old Galaxy Ghia, wondering when it would happen to me. Well it happened yesterday. The panel on the climate control started flashing but it still seemed to be blowing cold air. Phoned the ford garage who booked me in today (well done for the prompt service Evans Halshaw, Brighton) Picked up the car today and freezing cold air coming out of the vents. It still has a flashing panel for 15 secs each time its turned on though. Why is this? [/quote]
I get this with mine sometimes, I plugged VAG COM in and it stated that there was an intermittent rear blower, I was relieved it was nothing in the air con system.
This maybe the same problem with yours, apparently its more bother to fix than its worth but i might have a look one day.

[PaulB]

[quote name='BOZZY' date='Jun 9 2004, 10:05:59']
Anyone care to comment on whether this sounds right, i.e. if the gas is only half full it would stop the aircon from working at all? [/quote]

I don't think this sounds right. My understanding is that it would work OK until it's nearly empty. Also it shouldn't need recharging until after a few years so it sounds like a leak. Unless they do a leak test with a gas analyser thingy it's pointless refilling it IMHO.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Should lose less than 10 percent in first year after a refill.

[degens]

When we bought our '51' plate TDi in November we were told it had just had to have a new compressor.

By the March the Climate control had packed up. This time it was a broken pipe apparently!

Seems okay now - comfortable but doesn't get very cold.

[ridway]

2.3 petrol, 80,000 miles. The air con has never faultered. Agree it does take a while to cool things down on hot days but coped adequatley driving through france, 35 C. Its just a big volume with lots of glass.
Rich

[johnb80]

[quote name='PaulB' date='Jun 11 2004, 09:33:09'] I don't think this sounds right. My understanding is that it would work OK until it's nearly empty. Also it shouldn't need recharging until after a few years so it sounds like a leak. Unless they do a leak test with a gas analyser thingy it's pointless refilling it IMHO. [/quote]
It most definately will stop working when some of the gas has leaked away, well before it's almost empty. They loose efficiency as the gas level drops because the compressor will keep switching off due to low pressure. Eventually it remains permanently in low pressure and doesn't run. There is always an amount of leakage between the shaft seals of the compressor, this is minimised by running the a/c regularly even during winter.

Regards - JB

[ridway]

[quote]Anyone care to comment on whether this sounds right, i.e. if the gas is only half full it would stop the aircon from working at all? [/quote](Bozzy)

The system will work quite well until there is insufficient liquid refrigerent at the TEV or controller device at the input to the evaporator. As the refrigerent leaks away there will become a point where there is not enough being condensed back to a liquid in the condensor to be presented at high pressure to the expansion valve (TEV) at the evaporator.

At the evaporator refrigerant output, a sealed phile is strapped to the return pipe to the compressor. As the phile gets warmer its contained refrigerent expands; similar to a thermometer bulb. The expanding refrigerant is allowed to pass along a capillary tube to the TEV, the controlling valve. The TEV is at the refrigerant input to the evaporator. As the refrigerant expands along the tube its action is to progresively open the TEV more. The action of the TEV opening more allows a greater volume of system refrigerant liquid to be release into the evaporator. As it is released it turns back to a gas and expands absorbing huge amounts of heat from the air that is passing throught he evaporator fins. The TEV could be likened to a large aerosol nozzel that is releasing liquid into a spray or vapour within the tubes of the evaporator.

If a system leaks there will become a point where there is not be enough liquid to keep the evaporator at the correct temperature. The phile detects this and opens the TEV even more, demanding even more liquid. At this point the fridge cycle collapses because the valve fully opens, the condensor pressure drops therefore the refrigerant cannot be condensed to a liquid. The compressor then simply becomes a gas pump, pumping the remaining refrigerant gas around the system.

To answer Bozzies question. Yes generally speaking a half charged system might work quite well but it depends on the design.

A hypothetical system that holds a 1000 grams of refrigerant. If this charge were reduced to 700 gram it would probably still work just as well. Reduce this charge another 50 gram to say 650 gram and it wouldn't work. That how it is with fridges; they reach a certain point and the whole cycle collapses. When charging systems on cars they tend to start working when they have reached 400 to 500 grams of charge. This varies from model to model. The Gal is no different.

The charge level is very small between when it will work and when it wont. The symptoms are hard to detect as well. When a system is in a low charge state it can be detected sometimes in the following way. A hissing noise from the evaporator; this is when the TEV has opened fully. Sounds like a spray nozzel, not always detectable. Also when first switched on the system works momentarily and then warms up; sometimes accompanied with the hiss.

Note that this is a dangerous time for the system survival because the refrigerant oil is not being transported around the system correctly.

[Tigger]

Question.

I am sur this has been asked before but.

If you turn the fan down does the air get cooler as less air is passing over the element?

Does the fan control the temp? By rising and falling in speed. Or does the aircon control in temp? getting warmer and cooler?

Also its a pity that you can't stop the air comming out into the front foot wells. This is an ideal way to get cool air into the back as it comes out of the rear vent. But it does make ones feet a lttle cool!

I have found turning the air to feet is the best way to get the car cool?

[Guest nimrod]

[quote name='Tigger' date='Jun 15 2004, 07:21:54'] I have found turning the air to feet is the best way to get the car cool? [/quote]
Its the best way to keep your drinks cool I tuck a couple of bottles under the mat in front of the vent and they get blasted by the chilled air! other wise I find blasting the air out of the facia vents the best way to cool the car!
aim the outer two vents at the front seats and the center vents at the rear seating area, that way everyone gets a draft of cooled air

[Guest jimjams]

I have a 97 galaxy tdi, I've had it for almost 4 years. If I had found this site sooner I could have had you all entertained for ages recounting the various problems I've had.

Anyway latest is aircon wont cool, it is still charged. It has been suggested to me pressure switch on top off dryer is faulty, but no-one knows how to test!