Airconditioner

[doink]

Climatronic Manual Mode

I still don't quite understand how the cooling/heating system works. Even when I switch to manual mode (OFF button) and adjust the fan to a certain speed, it still has a mind of its own. I read in the manual that even in manual mode it tries to automatically adjust to the set temperature. What's manual about that?

I have an MY09 golf and don't have the ECON button either. I have OFF, DUAL, AUTO & AC. I think the AC button sits in the same position as the ECON button on earlier models. I'm guessing it has the same funtion?

[FJ Steve]

Is there a person in Perth area with VAGCOM that I can visit and eventually see what options are available turned on or off. Dealer will not give me the list.

You may need to start a specific thread on this matter. If someone has one, they may not be viewing (or have any interest) in this thread.

VAGCOM can resolve a lot of issues, and not just aircon troubles. So put a generic non-specific enquiry out there. The Perth guys know who can and can't.

[Russ59]

I always consider one of the best ways to tell if your a/c is working well or not is to drive around for a while (say 20 mins or so) on a hot day with the a/c on regardless of whether or not it is climatic or just normal. Stop the car and get out, as soon as you open the door of the car you should get a reasonable idea of how well it is working because if it is working OK the heat will hit you like a opening an oven door. Someone mentioned earlier in another post about the temperature range, I agree with what they said about nearly all a/c only being able to maintain a temperature drop of around 10 - 15 degrees on the outside air temperature, that is to say that if it is 40 deg outside the a/c will only be able to manage an in cabin temp of around 30 deg. It doesn't matter what you set the climatic dial to it will still only drop to a certain temperature level, therefore if you set it to auto and say the lowest setting (16 degrees ? ) the fan is going to continue to blow like a frenzied hairdryer because it is simply impossible for it to reach that temperature in such conditions. It is always a good idea to open the windows for a short time prior to turning on the a/c if your car has been sitting in the sun, as this allows the hot air to escape from the cabin and thus once the windows are wound up again the a/c should start to take effect quicker. I'm not saying that certain people who have posted here don't have issues with their a/c but I think that your expectations of a car a/c capabilities, in some instances, might be set a little high.

Russ

[gregozedobe]

The a/c in my transporter is good, the a/c in my Ocy is only "adequate", but neither are a patch on the a/c in a couple of different Landcruisers I used to own - either could make you uncomfortably cold, no matter how hot it was outside, and they both produced seriously cold air within 30 seconds of starting up, and an arctic blast within a couple of minutes.

Given that no-one here ever complains their VAG a/c is "too cold" in hot weather, I suspect that VAG have sized all the a/c components to suit milder climates than here in Oz in summer.

I am now in the habit of opening all the windows (using the remote) as I approach the car, and I leave them down with the a/c fan whirling like a dervish as we drive along until the excess heat (from the sun) has dissipated a bit, then I wind the windows up.

If it is really hot I switch to recirc, but I find it gets a bit stuffy for highway driving and I get a bit sleepy sometimes without fresh air.

[Big Yellow]

The a/c in my transporter is good, the a/c in my Ocy is only "adequate", but neither are a patch on the a/c in a couple of different Landcruisers I used to own - either could make you uncomfortably cold, no matter how hot it was outside, and they both produced seriously cold air within 30 seconds of starting up, and an arctic blast within a couple of minutes.

Given that no-one here ever complains their VAG a/c is "too cold" in hot weather, I suspect that VAG have sized all the a/c components to suit milder climates than here in Oz in summer.

I am now in the habit of opening all the windows (using the remote) as I approach the car, and I leave them down with the a/c fan whirling like a dervish as we drive along until the excess heat (from the sun) has dissipated a bit, then I wind the windows up.

If it is really hot I switch to recirc, but I find it gets a bit stuffy for highway driving and I get a bit sleepy sometimes without fresh air.

ill have to agree with you on the toyota AC!

my first car, a camry and my most recent yaris AC units would pump out freezing cold air in seconds! even on the lowest fan settings.

[bazzle]

Every airconned vehicle ve owned, (i've had quite a few in my 56 years...) has performed better than my R32.

I know about opening door, driving for a bit etc etc... the fact of the matter is the aircon cannot cope... period.

Its not even a matter of how cool the cab gets, its the temp of the air coming from the vents that is not cold enough.

Bazzle

[CatonaPC©]

There's quite a few people stating their eggnishning isn't cold enough. Makes me think there could be a bad batch of compressor units or regulators. I'm trying to see a common denominator here (vehicle, engine, tranny), but there doesn't seem to be any.

Are all Mk5s made in SA for the Australian market? Is there a chance that some are built elsewhere. Or are the airconditioning components sourced from different factories?

[Fanaki]

a/c coolant

i remember the a/c in my old mans XF falccon used to be really cold until it got a top up. we complained that the a/c wasn't as cold as it used to be and the mechanic said that the a/c coolant used had changed and therefore wasn't as cold (basic synopsis).

could it be that the type of coolant used isn't the same as the jap cars? has anyone tried using a different coolant?

just my 2 cents.

[CatonaPC©]

I think there is only one type of coolant that can be used, a hydrocarbon based gas. Used to be CFC, but that can't be used anymore. You can have your existing CFC coolant "cleaned" as opposed to "recharged".

[PhilMart]

There's quite a few people stating their eggnishning isn't cold enough. Makes me think there could be a bad batch of compressor units or regulators. I'm trying to see a common denominator here (vehicle, engine, tranny), but there doesn't seem to be any.

Are all Mk5s made in SA for the Australian market? Is there a chance that some are built elsewhere. Or are the airconditioning components sourced from different factories?

I can't say for other mark Vs but I heard that five door models were made in SA and three door models were made in EU for GTI for AU market.

[bazzle]

R32s made in Germany

[Virgil Tracy]

You can have your existing CFC coolant "cleaned" as opposed to "recharged".

This would serve no purpose, the reason many car AC Systems are recharged is that the refrigerant can reach a critcial temperature where it breaks down into its chemical componets. The end result is a loss of efficency and a build up of non condensibles in the Condensor.

Then the only solution is to recover the gas, change the drier, evacuate the system and recharge with new refrigerant.

This should not have to done often is more likely to be seen in older cars which run hot or have over heated.

[acdcfan]

You may need to start a specific thread on this matter. If someone has one, they may not be viewing (or have any interest) in this thread.

VAGCOM can resolve a lot of issues, and not just aircon troubles. So put a generic non-specific enquiry out there. The Perth guys know who can and can't.

Which particular thread do you suggests?

[gregozedobe]

.... I'm trying to see a common denominator here (vehicle, engine, tranny), but there doesn't seem to be any.

Are all Mk5s made in SA for the Australian market? Is there a chance that some are built elsewhere. Or are the airconditioning components sourced from different factories?

My Transporter was assembled in Germany, the Octy was put together (and very well too) in the Czech republic (but quite possibly uses exactly the same a/c components as all Mk 5 Golf GTIs).

I drove a Pirelli GTI the other day, it's a/c was also barely adequate (but it was black).

[CatonaPC©]

. . . (but it was black).

A common misconception. Someone tested this out once. The result was a white car's interior temperatures were higher than the equivalent black car. Reason? The white bonnet reflected more light and heat radiation into the car.