How's the AC on the R36?

[kleung]

Great explanation. Something that frustrates me is that you don't seem to be able to just recirculate air (prevent air coming in) unless you have the unit running. This seems very odd to me. I can't recall any other car where you can't just shut the external vents without having to have your fan still running. Or am I missing something?

Have you tried manually setting it to recirc mode, then pressing the 'off' button? In my old car, if you hit the 'off' button, the fan and AC compressor would be disabled, but the rest of the system would remember its last setting (recirc setting, air direction, coolant valve position).

I'm not sure why you'd want to have it in recirc mode without the fan going to circulate the air a little. I typically have the Climatronic in auto recirc mode with the fan and temperatures at their lowest settings with AC off in normal day to day driving.

[revivor]

I yesterday did a reset of the climatronics (i.e pressing AC + top vent button till all the LED digits light up). The Auto AC has been working cool the minute i get in the car and start the car (under the hot 30+ deg sun) for the past 2 days. Still monitoring if it made a diff. Might have resolved my prev frustration where driving for 10min with hot air before AC comes on.
Anyone else tried it and did it make a diff?

[Passatwind]

Is the A/C on the R36 different to that in other Passats?

[Avenue]

I yesterday did a reset of the climatronics (i.e pressing AC + top vent button till all the LED digits light up).

Sorry if I sound a bit thick but can anybody enlighten me as to what is meant by the "top vent button"? I will put my hand up as being underwhelmed by the amount of time the car blows out warm air before it magnanimously decides to start producing cold air

[kleung]

Sorry if I sound a bit thick but can anybody enlighten me as to what is meant by the "top vent button"?

Volkswagen Climatronic Diagnostics – Mark V | my-gti.com

The 'econ' button on the MkV Golfs is basically just the AC button function, inverted (illuminated Econ button = AC off). So according to the picture, it's the 'face level' vent button that needs to be pressed in conjunction with the AC button.

[revivor]

That actually brings it into diag mode.

The buttons are actually front face vent + AC button held together. All the LCD digits will light up and you can hear the flaps/vents changing between front-side-leg; like its checking/resetting its positions. The it will resume to normal.
Anyone with knowledge of this care to share?