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  1. Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Hi all.


    I'm presuming my A4 tdi should have cold air blowing out when the temp is set on 'low' on the climate control unit. I'm just getting normal recirculated air. Heater works fine. Do you think it's a case of recharging? The car hasn't been driven much in ten years before I got it (about 3000 miles)

    If it's just a recharge any ideas where I would go (local garage?) and how much it should be? (Never had to recharge air con before)


    Thanks in advance
     
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  2. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Recharges seem to start around £45, some quick fit type places were doing a no work no fee type thing a while back. Pre- refrigerant charging vacuum test will show up any leaks, if there are leaks then you need to decide if it's worth the cost fixing it, probably not on that age car TBH.
     
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  3. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob69 View Post
    Recharges seem to start around £45, some quick fit type places were doing a no work no fee type thing a while back. Pre- refrigerant charging vacuum test will show up any leaks, if there are leaks then you need to decide if it's worth the cost fixing it, probably not on that age car TBH.
    Great! That's the advice I was after. Thanks very much.
     
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  4. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    I had a marine engineering business, my own speciality being refrigeration and air conditioning, and always refused to fix car aircons. I was talked into it on a couple of occasions, for good customers, but on a basis of only adding refrigerant - no repairs. We used to use vehicle compressors and other components for engine driven units on small yachts, and they were a pain, even though the accessibility was a doddle compared with cars.

    I never had aircon in a car before now, apart fom hired cars. My A4 is 22 years old, and guess what - the aircon blows warm air.

    I still have enough equipment etc., so I vacuumed it and filled it with refrigerant, which leaked out in about a day. Holding a vacuum is not a reliable test for leaks, we used to pressurise with dry nitrogen at around 10 bar and look for leaks with soap solution and an ultrasonic detector if a simple leak detector didn't find a leak.

    After looking for/repairing leaks, we would leave them pressurised with nitrogen for 24 hours, and only refill them if the pressure did not drop in that time.

    After 22 years, the rubber components, especially the flexible hoses, are probably deteriorated, and the compressor shaft seal probably needs replacing. As I am certainly not going to pay anyone to do this, and have better ways to spend my time and money, I will continue to forego the pleasures of aircon in the car.

    I'll rely on 4:60 air conditioning - 4 windows down and 60 mph.
    Last edited by FrenchAudi; 19-04-2018 at 04:03 PM.
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    1996 A4 B5 (S2) Avant 1.8T (petrol) 150 bhp code AEB automatic with 79,125 kms = 49,450 miles on 30/07/23
    VW T25 Camper, Alfa 33 1.4 ie, 2 Alfa 33's for parts.
     
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  5. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    tbh the chance of it just needing a regas is slim. Pulleys, and pumps fail, as do the pressure switches.

    Ian
    A4 B6 Avant Nogaro Blue
     
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  6. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Most garages have the machine nowadays to vacuum and clean the system. Also to fill it with dye to find the leaks. Compressor and sensor faults are easy to find with a code reader. Hoses are not that hard to replace with second hand or new. Seals are really easy.
    Just start with a good checkup. Its worth the 50 quid.
     
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  7. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Please let us know how you get on with the aircon repair, how much it costs, and how long it lasts.

    Obviously some members have had better experiences with old vehicle aircon systems than I have.

    The main problem is that eight ounces or so of refrigerant, plus an unknown amount of oil, don't take long to get out of even the smallest leak.
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    1996 A4 B5 (S2) Avant 1.8T (petrol) 150 bhp code AEB automatic with 79,125 kms = 49,450 miles on 30/07/23
    VW T25 Camper, Alfa 33 1.4 ie, 2 Alfa 33's for parts.
     
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  8. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    It doesnt really matter how long it takes to fly out. If it leaks, it leaks.. Slow or fast.
    When the garage knows it leaks, they add UV dye to the filling. And then use special uv glasses to see where the dye leaked out.

    That makes you know quite well what to change. Most parts are not that expensive. Just sometimes timeconsuming to reach.
    You might be in luck and it could just be some seal. Or a hose. or a switch.
    Even the dryer, evaporator, sensors/switches or radiator are not that expensive. The pump is the pricy one.
     
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  9. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    Quote Originally Posted by kaneelschep View Post
    It doesnt really matter how long it takes to fly out. If it leaks, it leaks.. Slow or fast.
    When the garage knows it leaks, they add UV dye to the filling. And then use special uv glasses to see where the dye leaked out.

    That makes you know quite well what to change. Most parts are not that expensive. Just sometimes timeconsuming to reach.
    You might be in luck and it could just be some seal. Or a hose. or a switch.
    Even the dryer, evaporator, sensors/switches or radiator are not that expensive. The pump is the pricy one.
    Of course all that is true. You can say much the same about any car repairs.

    If you can find someone to leak test, repair, evacuate, and refill your unit for a reasonable fixed price, that would enable you to find out how reliable it is. I don't know what sort of guarantee you will be able to get on an old car. We gave long guarantees, but spent a lot of time searching and testing, and charged accordingly.

    It does matter how large the leak is. Small leaks can take a long time to find and repair, but can still lose all the refrigerant in a few weeks.

    We used a UV lamp to illuminate the dye, I never heard of the glasses your people use, which would have been a lot cheaper. We relied more on sensitive gas detectors and high pressure nitrogen, used with foam and ultrasonic equipment, which don't leave traces behind.

    The problem we always had with the dye was that it had often been used previously and there were traces of it all over some installations, and an amazing number of items such as glue and labels were also fluorescent.

    I agree that some components might be considered inexpensive, depending on one's pocket, but I consider the 60 or so Euros per hour charged here for "time consuming" work to be too much to spend on a 22-year-old car, for something I can easily do without.
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    1996 A4 B5 (S2) Avant 1.8T (petrol) 150 bhp code AEB automatic with 79,125 kms = 49,450 miles on 30/07/23
    VW T25 Camper, Alfa 33 1.4 ie, 2 Alfa 33's for parts.
     
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  10. Re: Air Conditioning A4 B5 TDI 
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    No. Thats not true. most of the airco parts are simply quite cheap. except for the pump or radiator.

    I dont know how it is in your country. But finding a garage like that here, is really no issue..
    Every car garage here that does anything with airco has its own airco machine. Its not allowed to mess with loose filler cans, etc.
    This is a one solution machine. Hookup, turn on and wait.
    Before charging it empties the system and pressure tests it. So no real costs yet. Then you fill it. If needed with dye.
    In Hungary the price of the full charge is about 30 euro. In Holland around 50 euro. With dye sometimes a little more.

    Dye can have been used before. But I have seen my garage look at the car with uv before testing. To see if it is clean or not. And then actually clean the car when needed.
    Its not a very big system on a car. There is really only so much what can go wrong.
    Never paid extra for that.

    Well.. For me this 17 year old car is the newest car I ever owned.
    So I know all about pocket depths. And old or not.. Cars will always cost money..
    Thats why I am on a forum. To save money by fixing things myself instead of paying a garage per hour.
    Most if not every part of the aircondition system you can change yourself easy. For second hand or new. to what you can afford.

    Of course you CAN do without airconditioning. I drove around in warm countries for decades without it. And I drive a lot. Did 140000km in the last 4 years. Seen al of europe. in al sorts of cars.
    Driving with airconditioning is simply a lot nicer..
    Its 31 degrees here now

    Anyway. its for the TS to decide about that anyway
    So expect about 50 quid. The machine will tell you if it leaks. the dye will tell where. A computer if the electronics are ok. So to diagnose that all cant be more than 75 quid.
    Up to you to continue on the repair path Evaporator behind dash is most labour to work on. rest is not hard to access and replace. special tools to seperate lines cost 10 quid..
    good luck!
     
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