How Cold Should A/con Be?

[GalMan]

Thanks Fixmyford,

 

I've been doing some tests over the past couple of days and the fans do indeed decrease when the set temp is reached, the day I mentioned when they didn't seem to was a hot day and the temp in the car was very hot and I think the A/C was just struggling a bit.

I'll get down to the dealers to see if they can check the evaporator is the correct one.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

GalMan

[Guest fixmyford]

Hi all!

 

There is a service message relavent to all GALAXY up to the 2000/2001 updated model.

You may or may not be aware of this but it basically says if you have a leak the most likely area is the evaporator. This is due to poor pollen filter design allowing road moisture to enter the heater box core, corroding the evaporator.

 

This would ring true if normal leak tests are unable to pinpoint it as the evaporator is deep inside the heater box, any dye would be unseen. In our experience the sniffers used in leak testing are a bit hit and miss.

 

Hope this helps at least someone!

 

fixmyford

[rwtomkins]

Gazza007, ages ago you posted this:

 

So that I can monitor my air-con performance I rang round several SEAT dealerships with various results. Eventually I managed to get a chart faxed to me with the recomended temps and test instructions.

Make sure Vehicle is out of sunlight. Set blower to No 4 and dial to coolest. Close all vents apart from centre 2 face vents. Run the Engine at 2000rpm. Insert thermometer in left centre vent and engage AC. Temps should be in following range.

Ambient temp Output temp

18 8-12

20 7-11

25 6-10

30 5-9

35 4.5-8.5

 

For the benefit of those of us testing our Gals, can you (or any other Seat owners)say roughly what level of airflow is delivered by blower setting number 4 is on the Seat? I was testing the aircon on my Gal at the weekend with my new Maplins gizmo and it looks OK but the blower setting does make a significant difference - not surprisingly, if you put the blower on full blast, you get much more airflow but the air temperature is not as cool as on lower blower settings.

 

So is number 4 setting full blast, pretty fast, sort of middling, or what? Any guidance appreciated.

[gazza007]

No 4 is full blast. I've gone paranoid. I keep sticking the probe in to check that it's OK. Just got back from Bath to South Man. Was able to keep nice & fresh on No1 or 2 setting all 4 face vents open with distribution between face & feet.

[rwtomkins]

Many thanks, that's very interesting. Now I've got a probe, I think I'm going to get paranoid too. Wonder if there's a way of rigging it permanently in position so you can get a constant read-out? Given the well-known problems, maybe it should have been fitted as standard equipment!

[bushm]

I borrowed a digital thermometer from work at the week-end and got the following results driving along at 60mph with only the central vents open and the fan setting set to 4 and the temperature dial turned to cold. The probe was in the left centre vent.

 

Outside temp C vent temp C

10 3.1

13 4.8

15 4.8

[rwtomkins]

Well yes but the test only starts to deliver results when the outside temperature is 18 degrees C or above. At the low outside temperatures you experienced, the aircon wouldn't need to be doing much work to produce the output temperatures you cite! Note that at an outside temperature of 35 degrees celsius, the aircon if functioning properly is supposed to be reducing the air temperature by around 30 degrees C on full blast - an incredible achievement!

 

Mind you, I've just noticed the test doesn't say whether the aircon should be on recycle or fresh air.