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Intermittent air conditioning

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sgessler2011

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Today on my way home from the east end of LI i closed the windows and tuned on the AC. What happened today has happened a few times.

1. Turn on AC
2. Air from vents is same as ambient plus same humidity
3. 10-12 minutes later air suddenly feels cool around 60 F, nice stay chilled air blows from vents.
4. 2-5 minutes later air is warm again

I have tried cycling the AC, recirculate, temperature settings while in motion. Nothing seems to kick it into compressor on mode to chill the air.

I will be scanning with VCDS if I have any further info I will post.

Has anyone else experienced similar AC intermittent failures?
 
#3 ·
sgessler2011 said:
Today on my way home from the east end of LI i closed the windows and tuned on the AC. What happened today has happened a few times.

1. Turn on AC
2. Air from vents is same as ambient plus same humidity
3. 10-12 minutes later air suddenly feels cool around 60 F, nice stay chilled air blows from vents.
4. 2-5 minutes later air is warm again

I have tried cycling the AC, recirculate, temperature settings while in motion. Nothing seems to kick it into compressor on mode to chill the air.

I will be scanning with VCDS if I have any further info I will post.

Has anyone else experienced similar AC intermittent failures?
Click to expand...
Had it happen to me on Tuesday morning..I had to cycle the temperature control knob to full hot and then back to get it to get cold. Right now, I am hoping it was an isolated incident....Please let me know what you find out...Sounds IDENTICAL to my issue..
 
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#6 ·
Same symptoms. I brought mine to the dealer and they immediately ordered a new compressor. AC has been consistently ice cold ever since.

The master tech recommended a new compressor so quickly that it made me think it was a common issue that he's seen before.
 
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#9 ·
sgessler2011 said:
Appointment at dealer Wednesday. I fully expect the issue to be "non-reproducible."

I will report back when I have more information.
Click to expand...
What dealer did you use (from another Long Islander)? I mean worst case scenario, show them this thread if it can't be reproduced or even offer to go along for a test drive to re-create it. I rarely use the AC but it's been some heatwave in NY for the last week- I still don't turn it on past like 4.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Windsor Knot said:
What dealer did you use (from another Long Islander)? I mean worst case scenario, show them this thread if it can't be reproduced or even offer to go along for a test drive to re-create it. I rarely use the AC but it's been some heatwave in NY for the last week- I still don't turn it on past like 4.
Click to expand...
I'm dropping it at Smithtown VW early before they open. I work a mile away. I've had mixed results in the past with using internet posts, some service managers take it as an insult. Hopefully by late morning they'll have some diagnosis. If not then maybe I'll mention a few folks have had the same issue.
Thanks and take care.
 
#12 ·
sgessler2011 said:
I'm dropping it at Smithtown VW early before they open. I work a mile away. I've had mixed results in the past with using internet posts, some service managers take it as an insult. Hopefully by late morning they'll have some diagnosis. If not then maybe I'll mention a few folks have had the same issue.
Thanks and take care.
Click to expand...
I was going to assume Smithtown from the Suffolk County location- have heard mixed things but I'm hopeful they will be compliant about it. Was going to say originally that it sounded like a compressor issue with it going in and out from what you described. As long as they are able to take the time out to see this then it shouldn't be that difficult to recreate. On long leg stretches to my girlfriends house out east on the island I actually will use the AC by default if it's hot outside so I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for this.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
I dropped my GTI at the dealer today at 6am. I went to pick it up at 3pm. The problem was not replicated, service tech notes a/c system operating as designed. No codes/software updates/bulletins

I know tomorrow it will fail to function again. On the way home from the dealer a/c was ice cold.

Gremlins.
 
Discussion starter · #14 · (Edited)
If anyone is experiencing the intermittent a/c problem check under the hood to see that the electric cooling fan is running or not. Last week VW could not replicate my issue, today my a/c would not work. While it was "on" full speed and recirculating I opened the hood and observed the electric cooling fan was not on and running. The problem is somewhere related to the cooling fan. Please post if you have similar issues or solutions.

Leaving a car with the techs at VW and discovering they are helpless to determine an issue is very frustrating.


Now tis may be related- I have coded the car to enable the rain light sensor to operate the auto window close feature. Today the a/c fan wasn't working, but a few moments after the car was pulled into the garage (headlamps came on automatically) with the a/c on the fan finally kicked in.

I am going to un-code the RLS auto close windows feature. Very likely just a coincidence.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Back to dealer they finally were able to see the issue.
Car has codes for error in HVAC switching vent settings from windshield to floor to main vents. Maybe linked. They don't know. Could also be compressor. Car headed back when part arrives. The part is located in dashboard. Sounds like trial and error.
 
#16 ·
It really shouldn't be trial and error though with the dealerships. This hasn't been the first and it probably won't be the last time I heard this complaint and I'm sure the same goes with them. I'm following this thread closely and pretty much skeptic of my own AC unit but more or less I'm rooting for an LI dealership to get it done. I really use the AC unit though sparingly as stated in previous posts but I've definitely been on the "look out" for this. I did notice a few times that it seemed to have a hesitation in de-fogging the front windshield but it did eventually do it (just not at the quickest of paces I've ever seen). I do have to say though that so far in the first few months of summer that I had this car- that it's prob one of the first and only cars I ever owned where I didn't use max AC because it was too cold with the recirculation vent up and the knob turned to the coldest setting but that might just be me.

I have a good feeling I'm never going to use the compressor again for the rest of the year at this point except to de-fog. I'm hopeful for you though... sucks.
 
#17 ·
mine had a hiccup when it was just blowing hot air, no a/c working at all. recranked the car after shutting it off, worked fine ever since.
 
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#18 ·
Wow, so I was making a trip out east and when I was traveling around town I noticed the ac wasn't cooling the car down. By the time I got to the southern state I was dripping in sweat no matter what mode, climate control, or fan speed I tried. It was essentially just blowing air with whatever temperature was in the car. I'm thinking it might have to be an electronic problem because after basically hitting the off button and turning it back on and playing with the recirculating button it ended up coming back on for a little but dying again mid way. No odd sounds or evidence for me but when it kicked back on temporary it smelled like mildew coming through the vents... Not overpowering but noticeable.

Fml....
 
#19 · (Edited)
Not only have I experienced the problem with my compressor failing to kick on when I press the A/C button, but more often, I experience the opposite problem as well. My compressor won't turn off after I depress the A/C button, it just keeps on running (on and on and on). The A/C light goes off but the compressor does not. The compressor has a mind of it's own and does what it wants, when it wants. :screwy:

FYI, I have an Autobahn with dual zone climate control. Does that make any difference? I haven't been to the dealer yet.
 
#20 ·
ez4me said:
Not only have I experienced the problem with my compressor failing to kick on when I press the A/C button, but more often, I experience the opposite problem as well. My compressor won't turn off after I depress the A/C button, it just keeps on running (on and on and on). The A/C light goes off but the compressor does not. The compressor has a mind of it's own and does what it wants, when it wants. :screwy:

FYI, I have an Autobahn with dual zone climate control. Does that make any difference? I haven't been to the dealer yet.
Click to expand...
Probably not because I have the manual knobs in the S model and I pretty much second that it seems like the compressor just does whatever it wants. I really don't think it's a leak or a compressor issue either because if it was a leak for the refrigerant then I wouldn't expect it to randomly come back on and work and if it was a compressor issue I feel like it just would not work, and stay that way. When I messed around with the OFF and AC button was when it like tricked itself to come back but then I literally had it working, stopped for gas late at night which was probably a less then 5 minute proccess... I fire the car back on and it's back to blowing warm air even though it was definitely working as I turned the car off.

Will be contacting my dealership tomorrow and doing more investigating.
 
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