Air Conditioning Service
- Thread starter Bemmy GY
- Start date
Mine is 3 years old ,done 64000 miles and the ac is never off. They told me that 1 year ago and it still works perfect having not had it done!
It isnt a sealed system the refrigerant leaks through rubber hoses at a very slow rate, just because its cold does not mean everything is ok... The system should be evacuated and refilled once every 18 monts to 2 years, otherwise when the refrigerant is low the compressor works overtime and ends up killing itself.
I have to agree with @Loz On This.
Though it may be possible to loose refrigerant microscopicly over time...... It doesn't need regassing every two years.... plus all the aircon lines are hard pipes due to the pressure..
Last van had 7years on it and AC was never regassed and worked a charm.
So if it makes you feel better to have it done as recommended by them, then by all means do it. But I aggree that it more a generation of additional income for the dealer type thing.
Oh and FYI the compressor will shutdown and and a fault will be logged if there is a leak or other fault with any part of the AC.... including the rad fans Etc.
Though it may be possible to loose refrigerant microscopicly over time...... It doesn't need regassing every two years.... plus all the aircon lines are hard pipes due to the pressure..
Last van had 7years on it and AC was never regassed and worked a charm.
So if it makes you feel better to have it done as recommended by them, then by all means do it. But I aggree that it more a generation of additional income for the dealer type thing.
Oh and FYI the compressor will shutdown and and a fault will be logged if there is a leak or other fault with any part of the AC.... including the rad fans Etc.
Heres the service regime :
interim/full /interim/full /interim/full /interim/full
No Mention of AC service at any point . . . . . . .
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source: VW Commercial Vehicles Service Options | VW Vans
**************************************
What's included
Full service
We'll make sure to check the:
We'll make sure to check the:
All non-standard service work:
VW Commercial Vehicles Service Options | VW Vans
.
interim/full /interim/full /interim/full /interim/full
No Mention of AC service at any point . . . . . . .
**************************************
source: VW Commercial Vehicles Service Options | VW Vans
**************************************
What's included
Full service
We'll make sure to check the:
- Lights
- Horn
- Instruments
- Washers and wipers and top-up fluid
- Tyre condition and tread depths
- Tyre pressures and correct them if needed
- Airbags for visible damage
- Sunroof
- Tipper system and change the oil if necessary
- Paint and bodywork for damage and corrosion
- Expiry date on breakdown set
- Engine and engine compartment for leaks
- Condition of visible drive belts
- Gearbox, final drive and rear axle for leaks and damage
- Manual gearbox oil level
- Final drive oil level
- Brake system for leaks and damage
- Thickness of the front and rear brake pads/linings
- ABS sensor and cables
- Underbody sealant and panels for damage
- Supplementary rubber rings
- Condition of the exhaust system
- Steering joints and boot for wear and damage
- Coolant levels and anti-freeze strength
- Condition of the camshaft drive toothed belt
- Power-assisted steering oil level
- Brake fluid level and condition
- ATF level (automatic)
- Battery
- Idle speed
- Adjustment of headlights
- Drive shaft
- Run a vehicle systems test and read fault memories
- Grease the front door check-strap and hinges
- Grease the trailer coupling
- Change the engine oil and filter
- Change the gearbox oil if necessary
- Change rear axle oil if necessary
- Renew the air filter
- Renew the pollen filter
- Renew the fuel filter
- Perform engine basic settings
- Perform a road test
We'll make sure to check the:
- Wipers, washers and fluid level
- Horn
- Lights
- Condition of the front and rear lamps
- Instruments
- Battery 'magic eye'
- Coolant level and anti-freeze strength
- Condition of visible drive belts
- Brake fluid level
- Power-assisted steering wheel
- Saturation indicator on the air filter (if fitted)
- Tyre condition, wear patterns and tread depths
- Tyre pressures and correct them if necessary
- Brake system for leaks and damage
- Thickness of the front and rear brake pads/linings
- Steering and suspension for wear and leaks
- Drive shafts
- Condition of the exhaust system
- Change the engine oil and filter
- Reset the service interval delay
All non-standard service work:
- Glass, including windscreen glass and head lamp lenses
- Tyre replacement or puncture repair
- Wheel alignment
- Oil, air and fluid top-ups between services
- Maintenance and repair of non-factory or non-standard fitted items/accessories
- Broken aerials
- Fuel
- MOT (apart from the Buy 4 package)
- Roadside Assistance
- Camshaft belts/chains
- Drive belts/chains
- Body repairs
- Any repairs or maintenance associated with the diesel particulate filter
- Negligence, abuse or misuse and accidents
- Food, drink and cigarettes
- Any form of corrosion including pollution, water, chemicals
- Salt and weather
- Using the incorrect oil or fuel
- Any repairs not deemed reasonable fair wear and tear
- In-car entertainment (inc. audio, communications and navigation systems)
- Internal and external trim and bodywork
- Any maintenance or repairs to diesel particulate filters and any other form of catalytic reduction system
- Warranty work
- Tyre replacement or puncture repair
- Oil and fluid top-ups between services
- Misuse or vandalism
- Wheel alignment as a result of damage or negligence
- Accidental damage and irreparable punctures
- Replacement of non-standard tyres and upgrades
- Tyre sealant, repair equipment and tyres that have been repaired using sealant or additives
VW Commercial Vehicles Service Options | VW Vans
.
I had a call from Heritage (my former dealer) and the lady said "Your California is due its 2 year aircon service" I said "There's no such thing" she said "Oh Ok" and politely ended the call.
VW has worked hard to reduce emissions and encouraging customers to replace the gas and the environmental issues with the recycling, must go totally against their policy.
Its fairly obvious you guys dont understand ac systems at all, by the way i am a qualified ac engineer for both vehicles and domestic so kinda know what im talking about! In A vehicle the lines are not all hard the low side and hard side lines to the compressor are rubber to allow for engine movement these are the weakspots of the system also the input shaft of the compressor its the only ac ac system type (vehicles) that are allowed to leak over time, domestic units are all copper lines so never have natural leakage. So yes it should be serviced every 2 years as once the gas drops below 75% you are over working the compressor and will end up using more fuel and causing compressor failure at some point. The main dealer is just letting you know of the manufacturers recommended interval. Im sure if you had an issue with the ac system and didnt didnt service it and had a failure then they refused warranty you guys would be the first to slate them for not telling you.
The compressor on the t6 cant "shutdown" it runs constantly and uses a valve internally to bias the load. i wish people on the internet would learn some facts before giving it all large. Just because you had 7 years and it was cold does not mean the system was running well! Would you run your engine around for 7 years on the same oil and not checking the level kind of the same thing. But i would not expect you to understand as it isnt something you guys work on every day
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Okay, calm down 
You may realise that we say things to open up the conversation and real understanding of a topic and try and tease out the full details.
So thanks for reinforcing the technical aspect, and no-one was saying you don't know what you are talking about, we just need all the technical gory details to satisfy our enquiring minds.
One thing that stands out for me though, is there is no manufacturer service recommendations from VW on this topic. There is a full service manual for the AC system but no recommended service interval or recommendation to re-gas.
You may realise that we say things to open up the conversation and real understanding of a topic and try and tease out the full details.
So thanks for reinforcing the technical aspect, and no-one was saying you don't know what you are talking about, we just need all the technical gory details to satisfy our enquiring minds.
One thing that stands out for me though, is there is no manufacturer service recommendations from VW on this topic. There is a full service manual for the AC system but no recommended service interval or recommendation to re-gas.
Im not disagreeing with anything you are saying. @Motortech
im just quoting from The VW service schedule and voicing my own personal experience.
By "shut down" i mean free wheel as there is no "clutch" as such as you say like on older compressors.
The compressor is controlled via the AC system control unit and will free wheel when there is no demand for AC. (or disabled due to a fault)
And the above is service information from VW and it doesn't state a service interval for the AC system.
just a few screen grabs below for anyone who wants to see what the AC system looks like.
RAC recommendation:
How often should you get you air-con regassed? When should it be serviced?
Most manufacturers recommend you service your car’s air-con every two years or so, but many people wait until it’s not blowing cold air.
This is unlikely to cause any harm, but bear in mind that poorly-functioning air-con will make it more difficult to demist windows in winter and could work the engine harder, thus using more fuel. So it’s not worth putting off a system check.
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im just quoting from The VW service schedule and voicing my own personal experience.
By "shut down" i mean free wheel as there is no "clutch" as such as you say like on older compressors.
The compressor is controlled via the AC system control unit and will free wheel when there is no demand for AC. (or disabled due to a fault)
And the above is service information from VW and it doesn't state a service interval for the AC system.
just a few screen grabs below for anyone who wants to see what the AC system looks like.
RAC recommendation:
How often should you get you air-con regassed? When should it be serviced?
Most manufacturers recommend you service your car’s air-con every two years or so, but many people wait until it’s not blowing cold air.
This is unlikely to cause any harm, but bear in mind that poorly-functioning air-con will make it more difficult to demist windows in winter and could work the engine harder, thus using more fuel. So it’s not worth putting off a system check.
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Watching this with interest. Nice to be educated on how the current AC systems work. 
Reason being, my van went into the dealers for warranty work on the AC system. Just wasn't working at all. They claimed after several days and apparently liasing with VW, Master Techs and so on, that they replaced the compressor, twice!
Claimed it wasn't running fast enough. Having a basic knowledge of AC systems with clutches, this tripped my bullsh#t radar.
More so when I was handed a typed up letter of confirmation of work done, that wasn't signed. Wasn't on headed paper either. No job card, like you usually get at a dealer.
Suspect it was a simple fix that someone missed and I probably still have the original compressor under the bonnet. Anyway. Left the dealer with AC working so never pushed it further.
Reason being, my van went into the dealers for warranty work on the AC system. Just wasn't working at all. They claimed after several days and apparently liasing with VW, Master Techs and so on, that they replaced the compressor, twice!Claimed it wasn't running fast enough
. Having a basic knowledge of AC systems with clutches, this tripped my bullsh#t radar.More so when I was handed a typed up letter of confirmation of work done, that wasn't signed. Wasn't on headed paper either. No job card, like you usually get at a dealer.
Suspect it was a simple fix that someone missed and I probably still have the original compressor under the bonnet. Anyway. Left the dealer with AC working so never pushed it further.
Its a bit cheesy . . . . .
but here is a short YT vid explaining how a modern clutchless AC compressor works.
and
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but here is a short YT vid explaining how a modern clutchless AC compressor works.
and
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Thanks @Dellmassive . I've seen those variable displacement pumps before, in other applications. So the speed of the compressor input shaft is still directly proportional to the speed of the engine, like older AC systems. But it's the variation in the stroke of each piston that moderates the output flow rate from the compressor at different load demands and engine speeds.
So when he used the word 'speed' he either didn't know what he was on about, or alternatively he thought he was talking to.....a Donkey.
So when he used the word 'speed' he either didn't know what he was on about, or alternatively he thought he was talking to.....a Donkey.
Yes basically that . . . . . the compressor input signal is PWM controlled so the AC control unit can request 0-100% of output as required.
its normal to see engine revs increase a bit and the cooling fan to startup slowly to keep air flowing over the front condenser.
I had an issue a few years ago where the AC would not function due to a Faulty front engine fan . . . .
heres an old vid i done yonks ago. . . . . the vid shows the PWM signal and fan motor control with the engine running but car stationary the AC called for a 10% fan speed to keep the front condenser cool..
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its normal to see engine revs increase a bit and the cooling fan to startup slowly to keep air flowing over the front condenser.
I had an issue a few years ago where the AC would not function due to a Faulty front engine fan . . . .
heres an old vid i done yonks ago. . . . . the vid shows the PWM signal and fan motor control with the engine running but car stationary the AC called for a 10% fan speed to keep the front condenser cool..
.
Sorry you feel i am rude but that is certainly not as intended i will however refrain from posting in future apologies if anyone has been offended!
apologies if anyone has been offended! 
And there in a nutshell is exactly why people fall out on forums..
Opinion isn't fact, and just like standing next to the loud bloke in the pub, you soon learn to see through the 'experts' by using more than just writing things. Things such as body language, nuances in tone and laughter all help to get the messages across without causing a fight, but things such as these aren't available in forums and this is the result.
So don't keep your trap shut Motortech, and don't leave.
It's not what you say, it's the way in which you say it my old gran used to say..
Opinion isn't fact, and just like standing next to the loud bloke in the pub, you soon learn to see through the 'experts' by using more than just writing things. Things such as body language, nuances in tone and laughter all help to get the messages across without causing a fight, but things such as these aren't available in forums and this is the result.
So don't keep your trap shut Motortech, and don't leave.
It's not what you say, it's the way in which you say it my old gran used to say..
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