Climatronic-Is it working ?

[Martin Linklater]

Hi there,
I have recently bought a 1998 VW Passat TDi and this may sound a little stupid, but how can I be sure that my Climatronic system is working! I have just driven for half an hour and during that time I had a lot of condensation on the inside windows that never really cleared! I tried all the different positions in the Climatronic system and it still did not work! I did have a quick check on the carpets to see if there was any water but could not find any. Also is it normal that the fan is quite noisey when in half and full mode. I can hear the fan working but it does feel like more air should be blowing.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Martin

[stuart]

Hi there,
I have recently bought a 1998 VW Passat TDi and this may sound a little stupid, but how can I be sure that my Climatronic system is working! I have just driven for half an hour and during that time I had a lot of condensation on the inside windows that never really cleared! I tried all the different positions in the Climatronic system and it still did not work! I did have a quick check on the carpets to see if there was any water but could not find any. Also is it normal that the fan is quite noisey when in half and full mode. I can hear the fan working but it does feel like more air should be blowing.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Martin

Hi Martin

I do not know of any common problems with the Climatronic system in VAg cars, apart from, they are very common to have faulty AC fan motors! we sell a large number of these for both Passat's and Audi A4 (same motor) this could explain the noisy motor. If you have only just had the car, I would check the Pollon filter first, if this is blocked it will cause a lack of air flow to the interior, this should be changed every 2 years as part of the service.

The leak from the Evaporator does not need to be very bad to cause the condensation, so you may have no visible signs of a leak.

Again, the AC system should be serviced every 2 years, this involves a check of the system fo leaks, re-gas, using an anti bacterial spray in the air ducts to remove germs, and re oiling the system. These cost around the £60- £70 mark.
Hope this helps

Stuart

[Martin Linklater]

Thanks Stuart for your help. I am sure I will be back soon with more problems.
Martin

[stuart]

No problem.

Many people are unaware that the AC system needs a service every 2 years to keep it in top working order. (EVEN DEALERS!)

I have a 2.5 year old Leon that went into the dealer for a service at 2 years old, and no mention of the AC was given. I took it to an AC specialist, and even after 2 years a large amount of gas had been used.

You would have thought dealers would be keen to mention it, after all an extra £70 in the bank.

Stuart