S3 - Air Con

[j0nny2013]

Ok guys, before I took delivery of my S3 Saloon I made a good effort of reading threads about what I should do with my air con as in leave it on all the time of switch it off etc.

In the end I realised that most people said leave the air con on with auto set.

So I've done that since new (December) and didn't see any problems, temp was always fine.

Hotter days have came so I've put my air con set to "LO" and its just not cold at all. I remember it used to be freezing in previous A3 when I didn't keep it on all the time.

Have I done the right thing leaving it on all the time or do you think this is just a fault?

Anyone else having a problem with this?

Sure I am cursed with Audi's. First Headlamp motor fault, squeaks, engine rattle and now air con!!!

 

[Reggieboy71]

Hi mate, had my car since November and have done the opposite from you and only put it on a couple of times to stop the seals from drying and cracking (can't remember where i got that advice!!). Now as it has been warmer the AC blows freezing cold so it could well be you may have run out of gas and may need a re charge. Left AC on all the time on a previous car and that's what happened,ran out of gas ,so didn't want to make the same mistake. A trip to your dealer's to check maybe in order.

 

[j0nny2013]

Hi mate, cheers for response.

yeah I had a feeling that it could be the gas from what I've read. is this something that the dealer will need to sort out?

Probably best I don't keep it on all the time then!

only good thing I've noticed with leaving it on all the time is that I didn't have a nasty smell from the air con which used to happen when I only used it a couple of times a year.

I would have thought leaving it on was the point of climate control? obviously not lol

 

[Rob2k68]

Mines on all the time as it has been in my previous cars for well over a year during my ownership and not had any issues.

I agree it does sound like the gas has escaped get the dealer to do a pressure check before a regas.

 

[veeeight]

You probably have a faulty G65 sensor or a hole in your condenser.


http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/air-con-condenser-design-fault.216978/

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/aircon-issues-on-new-s3-sportsback.221866/

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/ac-climate-control.242397/

 

[h5djr]

I've always left the A/C on all the time on all my A3 and never had any problems and never needed to have it re-charged. With my current A3 it's been on for 15 months so far. To me the whole purpose of air conditioning is to 'condition' the air, whether that's to warm it, dry it or cool it. It's not just an air cooling system!

 

[Soulboy]

Me too.
Leave it on Auto all the time. Just adjust the temperature as needed.
Have done in all me recent cars.

 

[j0nny2013]

I will get it booked in to try and get it sorted.

I will continue leaving it on since you lot have left it on and had no issues.

Hopefully I wont have to keep getting it re charged!

 

[lee_fr200]

I always leave my ac switched on and it's always been fine

 

[andywil13]

I had a similar issue with air con and they recalibrated the flaps. Nice and cold now

 

[veeeight]

OP Any update please?

 

[j0nny2013]

No updates, going to get it booked in. Hate having to wait for a courtesy car in the process of a simple job!

 

[Cymru09]

Mine stopped blowing cold yesterday. It's booked in for this afternoon. I'll let you know what they say.

 

[sunscreemer]

I so hope for your sake it's not a hole in the condenser. That really hurt me in my 8P A3. Over £600 as a "special deal"!

 

[Cymru09]

There's a fault with the flap motor. They've reset the fault and it's now working but it needs booking in so they can replace the unit.

 

[Wondering Soul]

There's a fault with the flap motor. They've reset the fault and it's now working but it needs booking in so they can replace the unit.

Is this covered under warranty?

 

[Cymru09]

Yep

 

[Wondering Soul]

Well that's one good thing then! Hope it's all sorted for you soon!

 

[Beluga S line]

My previous two Audi's I had the Air con on all the time. Never had any issue with them running out of gas. Both covered over 100,000 miles!

I think you're just unlucky

 

[Daz Auto]

I was reading in the VW Magazine that the Mk7 Golf has a new on-demand aircon system which is supposed to use less energy. Presumably the A3 has the same system. I wonder does this mean that cooling/drying is only activated when the car is too warm? It has not been that warm recently.

As for the gasses... surely in a pressurised system they will leak weather used or not?

We leave the aircon on in both our cars to avoid the smell issue. Have tried switching it off, but never noticed any improvement in mpg.

 

[j0nny2013]

Mines booked in for 20th. Will have more info then. They were surprised considering age of car only 6 month, at first they tried to charge £60 for a refill, that soon got taken off.

 

[Minion Bob!]

I was reading in the VW Magazine that the Mk7 Golf has a new on-demand aircon system which is supposed to use less energy. Presumably the A3 has the same system. I wonder does this mean that cooling/drying is only activated when the car is too warm? It has not been that warm recently.

As for the gasses... surely in a pressurised system they will leak weather used or not?

We leave the aircon on in both our cars to avoid the smell issue. Have tried switching it off, but never noticed any improvement in mpg.

The Audi does have this it's called eco mode and it just changes the way it reacts. So if you click the auto button (which takes away manual control over where it's blowing in the car) and press it a second time you'll notice eco comes up on the display. Apparently it just reacts in a more conservative way and over the past few days that just didn't suffice so left it on normal auto.

Also (sorry if you've all learnt this already) sure most will have but the driver and passenger temperature can be syncd!!!

 

[Wondering Soul]

Also (sorry if you've all learnt this already) sure most will have but the driver and passenger temperature can be syncd!!!

How does one do that if you don't mind?

 

[h5djr]

From the Owner's Manual...
By pressing the AUTO button for 2 seconds, the temperature of the passenger's side can be set to the same temperature as the driver's side. The settings remain the same until it is changed on the passenger's side.

This only effects the temperature settings and not the air distribution or any other settings.

 

[Wondering Soul]

From the Owner's Manual...
By pressing the AUTO button for 2 seconds, the temperature of the passenger's side can be set to the same temperature as the driver's side. The settings remain the same until it is changed on the passenger's side.

This only effects the temperature settings and not the air distribution or any other settings.

Thank you! Read quite a bit of the manual but obviously overlooked that!

 

[h5djr]

Thank you! Read quite a bit of the manual but obviously overlooked that!

It's difficult to remember all the items in the manual especially when there are things that you may not use very often. Glad to be of help.

 

[Minion Bob!]

@h5djr beat me to it, but yup that's the great thing about this forum there's so much knowledge between the members here some are even resident geniuses and walking encyclopedias of the forum (@veeeight) which is just amazing!!!

 

[j0nny2013]

So mine has been in today and there saying mine needs a new part, cannot remember what part but some kind of valve from what I remember. It's on back order and they don't know when it will be in. So I'm driving around in an A4 diesel... Great. Going to ask for mine back tomorrow regardless until part is here.

This is second big fault on this car, first headlamp motor now this.

Do you think complaining to Audi will get me anywhere?