A3 Aircon low cooling power

[alexmof]

Hi,

The aircon in my A3 2.0 TDI from 2008 takes a good 30 mins before it actually blows cool air. I was suspecting that the cooling power is decreasing already last summer as it wasnt really cold as I was used to but it was still acceptable. This year when the summer hit I realized I was still sweating in the car by the time I got home from work which takes about 30 mins.

I took it to Audi today and and they said the radiator has a leak and has to be replaced and they want around 500EUR including labor. Obviously I didnt accept and went to pick up the car.

The dealer then tells me they had to empty the cooling fluid to check the leak on the radiator. Since I dont want it fixed they cannot refill the cooling fluid which means there is no cooling power at all. Now the "Econ" button is always on.

I cant help but feeling like an idiot.... I have to pay so they can put my aircon completely out of order when it was actually working to some degree.

If the radiator has a leak, then there is no cooling fluid anymore right? There is quite a bit of pressure so the smallest leakage would lead to completely emptying the cooling fluid.

I feel like I want to take the dealer to court..... but before I do that I need to know if im thinking right? Is it possible at all that the dealer is right?

Thanks for any input. Anyone with similar problems with their aircons?

[Zenerdiode]

To be honest; I think your quote is 'reasonable'. If it is 500 for the whole job, that will be the new condenser, nitrogen flush, evacuate, fill with refrigerant & PAG and finally test.

Econ is always on as the compressor is disabled to protect it when there is no refrigerant and (more importantly) the possibility of less PAG oil in the system.

The pressure in the system is not too dissimilar to that in your tyres - and you can have a slow puncture detectable in a bowl of water that takes weeks for the tyre to go down.

They haven't really de-activated your system out of mallice - have they? You took your vehicle in and asked them to investigate why it wasn't working. It's fair to pay for their investigation. They have found a leak so it would be irresponsible to recharge with a gas that shouldn't really be released into the atmosphere into a known leaking system.

As above, if Econ is on all the time the compressor was not working to any degree; and it would be the outside air blowing on you making you feel cooler.

[alexmof]

ok I hear what youre saying..... though the Econ button wasnt always on before they did this. It was actually working before just that it wasnt getting as cold as it used to get. The Econ button stays on afterwards...

and to be honest I cant help but feeling they did this because I didnt accept their quote....

[Zenerdiode]

... though the Econ button wasnt always on before they did this.
Yes I know I re-read your original post just after I posted mine and realise what you're saying.

Have you any aluminium welding specialists closeby? They may be able to repair your existing condenser; but you'll still need to go somewhere to get the flush/evac/charge done as well. You may not save that much and the Audi parts will have a two year warranty.

Stay cool. :cool: [Pun intended :D]

[alexmof]

asking for advice here is part of me trying to stay cool :p

Is the refrigerant like motoroil and needs to be refilled every few years? Or will is last forever (almost) if kept in a completely sealed system? Is it really likely that the condenser has a leak?

[Geraldy212]

Alex, the refrigerant circulating in this closed aircon system also contains a lubricating oil. The oil lubricates the compressor bearings, keeps them supple, and allows them to do the difficult job of keeping the refrigerant from leaking away. It is said that despite this, an aircon system will loose refrigerant slowly (perhaps between 1 and 4 per cent each year). Conventional wisdom says that it is a good idea to run the aircon each month just a little to keep the bearings well lubricated, and also to have the system checked and re-gassed every few years. I believe that one can have a system re-gassed and at the same time a little fluorescent dye is added to the mixture. Leaks can be very small indeed, but they will show up under a particular frequency (UV?) of light. Allowing a technician to spot a tiny leak.

[alexmof]

Thanks Geraldy, that certainly does make sense.... I normally keep the aircon on even in winter because it keeps my windshield clear :)

I now have an appointment at another garage for next wednsday and am excited (and worried) what they are going to tell me. I shouldn't have let those idiots touch my car in the first place..... didnt even have the decency to tell me what would happen if they started messing about with it. Ill just wait until the other guys tell me whats up with the condenser. But regardless how it turns out I will most certainly write a letter to Audi and tell them what f***ing idiots they have as partners

[alexmof]

ok so as promised here is the update.

Went to a small garage close to my office this Wednesday. The engineer hooked up a device to my car in my presence which emptied the system of all refrigerant (which was already empty) and then measured the pressure under 4 mins. Because no pressure variances could be detected the device proceeded automatically with filling the system with refrigerant again. It only took 30 mins and costed me just 50 EUR. The Audi shop wanted 500 bucks to replace a condenser that was perfectly fine. Or they weren't event going to go through the hassle of replacing anything in the first place. I now have a fridge on wheels again :)

The letter to Audi customer care services is already out telling them the story.