A4 Cab out of warranty - A/C repair - take it to Audi or local garage?

[navman]

Hi folks

I drive a 4 year old Audi A4 Cab 1.8T which I've owned from new. I usually leave the ECON on most of the year round, with the air con only getting dusted off in 25 degrees plus!

2 years ago I turned on the air con when it got warm around May/June time and it was pumping out hot air, so the Audi folk kindly looked at it and repaired the problem under warranty.

Now the same thing has happened again , but the car isn't under warranty - I've booked it in with the local dealer for collect and deliver in about 2 weeks, but they are charging £138 for the first hour's work and I'm weary as to how much it's gonna end up costing!

Since the car is out of warranty do you think Audi are a waste of money and a local dealer would be better?

Any thoughts welcome!!

Nav

[darich]

Local I use fixed my aircon for free last time.
I had been in a few days earlier for a regas = £40 incl service, clean etc.
They reckoned I needed some kit or part that would cost £130 with around £70 labour.....so, disappointed, I booked the car in.
On the agreed day I dropped the car off and received a text from them before lunchtime to say the car was ready.

Turns out it had been a faulty connector on the compressor which they repaired/replaced and didn't charge me a penny.
I've used this indy a few times and would recommend them.....but you don't say where you are Navman.

Incidentally, it's a good idea to run the aircon for a while every couple of weeks as a minimum - it keeps it in working order. I believe the refrigerant is also a lubricant to the system, so lack of use can lead to seizure of parts, and repairs as you've found out.
Besides, aircon is awesome in the winter for clearing windows because the air has less moisture. Aircon isn't purely for summer use.

[gblades]

Its not worth going to a main dealer for aircon repairs. A good independant will have aircon service equipment which is all that is needed to check for leaks.
Its always advisable to let the aircon run for a few minutes every few weeks as the lubricant it contains helps to stop the seals in the compressor from drying out which can lead to leaks.