relay clicking or chattering from the climate controls when car first started

rich dj

2015 A4 Avant 2.0TDI SE Quattro 190 Technik
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i have noticed now the temperature outside seem to be getting cooler (or just a coincidence) a loud relay clicking or chattering from the climate controls when car first started and it stops after a short time. Has anyone else had this.
Everything appears to work ok.
 
It seems to be getting worse it chatters / click for longer now.
Has anybody removed a climate control before?
 
It seems to be getting worse it chatters / click for longer now.
Has anybody removed a climate control before?

You sure it's not from the hazard light switch? Ours went the other week & at first wasn't sure where the strange noise you mentioned were coming from. While it was doing it I turned the hazards on & it stopped.
 
No it seemed to be coming from the climate control module.
this morning it was a lot worse clicking most of the journey it also sounds like another noise is coming from the relays near the fuse panel drivers side and also the throttle actuator/sensor and if i revved the car it seemed to stop so i switched of the climate control and it still clicks.
So i drove past my garage a little later where i get the car repaired and serviced (highly recommend these guys but prob cant due to site rules?) after a bit of testing they first thought it was a stuck air vent flap but then noticed after a while if the air con was switched on it stopped after a few seconds when the compressor kicked in. Then it came to me temperature here this morning was 2 degree's so that the compressor would not come on as the air temperature was too cold then later when it warmed up it stopped.
I had a chat with them and they said they could book me in to have a look at the climate control box and possibly send it away for recon/replacement.
So i said i would strip it down and have a look.
Found nothing, no dry joints, no leaky caps or burn marks.
I was told on the Audi TT the are problems with the fan in the front of this unit failing, it is suppost to cool this unit down but when it fails i assume it over heats.
I kept the unit stripped down and plugged it in and ran the car, then switched off the air con by pressing the eco button to get the clicking noise and felt the large black relay and this was what was clicking im assuming that the relay was not quite closing (revving caused more voltage) and bouncing and causing back emf spikes causing the other relays/actuators to make the same noise.
This is the relay
photo3.jpg


This is the unit
photo2.jpg

photo1.jpg

Im possibly going go to a Refurbish/repair company there appears to be one in Gt Yarmouth
so it may be a run there to get it fixed, i rang them and the technician should be ringing me tomorrow as it was ten min's before closing when i rang.
I will keep you posted.
 
Spent a long journey on Sunday, 200 miles with the relay clicking most of the way due to the outside air temp too low for the air-con to work. Annoying would be an understatement.
Just spoken to a Uk company that repairs them and got quoted £100 plus carriage plus vat....
I found on my long journey that a right hand bend made it worse and a left made it queit.
I still suspect the relay its an NEC type EN2-B1N1ST but i cant seem to get one from the usual sources i can get one from a company that has a £100 min order.
i found the data sheet on it and tempted to fit an equivalent now i have the specs.
see below
Download | Datasheet Archive
 
Its now fixed...
I have been noticing when the relay would click and when it stops (when the temp is too low for air con to run without freezing up below 4.5 ish degrees c)
It would stop clicking sometimes on release of the throttle and then when put down the throttle again it clicked but if put in neutral and then revved up whilst moving it would not click also turning corners one way would stop and the other make it worse.
So i got to thinking perhaps it was a connection outside the cockpit perhaps the compressor connectors so i asked my service guy Terry (who was replacing worn rubbers by replacing the arms due to odd steering movement) to have a look while it was on the ramps and it turned out to be the cable near the compressor worn through the insulation and shorting to the compressor which is earthed.
No wonder lots of replays in the cars sounded like they were chattering.
It also had lots of odd faults shown on the vagcom so now cleared.
So hopefully sorted.
Thanks Terry