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Thanhs for that mate.Your quite correct in saying air con compressor.All i was doing is using the parlence the mechanic used.Only trouble is it was an aircon specialist who advised me!.I`ll try elsewhere within the next week.In the meantime I`ll have to live without it!.
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The compressors on those are renowned for failing. The trouble is they fail big time and puke their guts throughout the system. As the compressors disintigrate, getting a rebuilt one is usually futile. A lot of rebuilds are nothing more than repainted rubbish, so you may as well bite the bullet and buy new. They're about £800 from Audi, but cheaper in the aftermarket. The muck from it will have contaminated the entire system, so you'l also need a new orifice tube and accumulator, as well as a total system flush. A decent system flush will take about 4 hours to break down the system and flush everything thoroughly. If you don't, then the new compressor will last a couple of weeks and you'll have no warranty.
All VAG dealers have now been instructed to purchase refrigerant flushing kit due to the number of failures, and repeat failures. Find a good independant that knows about flushing, has the correct equipment, and gets a good deal on parts. And also one that doesn't call a compressor a pump!
There's a new breed of independant out there that buys a charging/recovery machine and suddenly think they're a/c specialists, when in reality any monkey can work the machine but it takes time, skill and experience to really do a good job (and only have to do it once).
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www.midlandmagneto.co.uk/
I had mine done there, not an Audi though.
Probably the best work I have ever had done by a garage, didn't talk rubbish and BS when I first went to enquire, explained who there supplier was and their credentials, just quoted a price, booked it in, picked the car up and paid at the agreed time, no problems, they put everything back properly, and it has worked perfectly for over a year touch wood. Most aircon places I phoned or visited didn't fill me with confidence as they sucked their teeth and scratched their dirty chins.
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Oh great - something else to look foward to on my '97 A4 TDi SE!
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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www.midlandmagneto.co.uk/ I had mine done there, not an Audi though. Probably the best work I have ever had done by a garage, didn't talk rubbish and BS when I first went to enquire, explained who there supplier was and their credentials, just quoted a price, booked it in, picked the car up and paid at the agreed time, no problems, they put everything back properly, and it has worked perfectly for over a year touch wood. Most aircon places I phoned or visited didn't fill me with confidence as they sucked their teeth and scratched their dirty chins.
Thankyou for the link.I`ve booked the car in for them to take a look at and they seem to be very helpful and professional.I`ll post the results on this thread when its sorted out.
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www.midlandmagneto.co.uk/
I got the work carried out there and I recieved very professional service.The total cost was £805 which was very reasonable when it is considered that a new compressor alone is £800 at Audi not including £90 per hour labour in their palatial premises!.I`d like to thank all the backroomers who gave me good honest advice and I`m glad I bit the bullet!
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Thanks for the update! Glad it all worked out well, bar the dent in your finances!
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Unfortunatley the aircon repair has failed utterly after all of a fortnight!.The car will be going back there and we`ll all see the results on this forum.Hopefully they will look after a customer who`se spent £800+!!
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Sorry to hear it's quit on you already.
Did they flush the system, replace the orifice tube and the accumulator? I don't repair any failures without doing all this, as I get no warranty on compressors otherwise. It quite often looses me business as I have to charge for it, and on explaining to customers why it's necessary, many just look at me like I'm trying to stiff them, especially when the specialist down the road mentions nothing and comes in with a good price. Of course, sods law says 9 times out of 10 they get away with it. But I jsut don't like doing the job twice over.
I took a look at the link, and noticed they recommend the use of sealants. I don't wish to cast aspertions, but in the US sealants have an extremely bad name. They seem to fall into the category of miracles in a can, and not only do they not appear to work, but in fact can damage and block the rest of the system, as well as screw up the recovery equipment we use. As a result, no manufacturer of car a/c parts, or the recovery/charging machine manufacturers will offer any sort of warranty if they find this stuff. I now have to use a special throwaway filter each time I recover gas just in case someone has put this in their system. Of course I have to pass this cost on.
If a system has a leak, then it needs fixing properly, that way you only have to do it once.
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Hello Dave, what exactly is this thing you replace, is it what some people call the dryer? Forgive my ignorance, I have heard these should be replaced but have no clue why they do or what they are for?
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Hi Dave
I dont think they did replace the orofice tube and accumulator they certainly didnt bill me for it.The cars going back there next week for them to investigate and i will ask the questions you posed.Thankyou very much for your good advice and I`ll keep you posted of the outcome.
Chris.
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The cars been back there for a diagnosis.Unfortunatley the news is that a new evaporator is needed for which the quote is £735!! fitted.needless to say it aint gonna happen.The most annoying thing is they waited until I`d spent £805 there before telling me this.If I had been quoted £1540 to begin with I wouldnt have considered going ahead.The situation now is I`ve spent £805 for nothing.So anyone considering going there all i can say is caveat emptor.
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It's all a bit of a pickle realy, however, here's some food for thought.
Before this all started, there must have been enough gas to let the system start, hence you hearing the compressor knocking. Was it cooling at that point? It's also fair to say that A4's do have more than their fair share of evap problems, and it is a rubbish job to do. However, logically the alarm bells should have been raised when they recovered the refrigerant (if there was any), as if they didn't get much out then they shouldn't have gone ahead with the compressor repair without first addressing the no (or low) gas issue. Evap leaks are always hard to diagnose, but still questions should have been asked. Now it is possible, but unlikely I would have thought, that the evap blew after the compressor was done, as they don't suffer any higher pressure when running, though of course they do get cold which could thermally stress the material. I guess you could ask them what the gas situation was when you took it in for the compressor and then question them further, certainly raising the above points.
I've been in this position twice. One guy had already had the problem diagnosed elsewhere and just asked me to fit a part, which I duly did. It then turned out not to be the problem, and it was only when I'd finished that I got the full story. The second time I screwed up and only spotted one leak. I was so excited at finding it that I looked no further, and it was only a couple of weeks later that I spotted it. Fortunately I kept the leaking compressor, so put it back on and gave him his money back, as much like you he wouldn't have gone ahead had he known the full story. It cost me a good few hours of labour, but what else can you do?
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Thanks again Dave for your good advice.I`ll be contacting them again tomorrow to put the points you raised to them.As i was at work today i had a relative take my car in and collect it and it was him who relayed the news to me.Am I within my rights to ask for a refund? seeing as i personally didnt accept the car and their excuse?.As you say it is a pickle and a very expensive one at that!.Thanks again Dave. Chris.
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Will this problem eventually affect my 2000 Octavia 2.0 Petrol?
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