AC condenser fan question

[Matt Brighton]

Hi

No AC in my 1.2 2003 9n. the condensor fan won't activate when I switch the ac on...

The indicator light comes on and the heater blower and temperature (hot/cold) adjustment works fine inside the car - just no chilled air

.... both radiator and condenser fans (Large and smaller one) work when I bridge the pins on the x3 pin fan switch plug that screws into the radiator.

Any advice ? - if its low on refrigerant will that stop the condensor fan operating ?????

[Matt Brighton]

Just confirmed elsewhere in electrical that log gas can be a reason the condenser fan won't come on

[RUM4MO]

Yes, the compressor on these cars are variable displacement types, so the demand to increase the displacement and running the fan will get inhibited if the refrigerant sensor - not pressure switch by the way, is faulty or reads too low a gas pressure in the system, due to natural leakage or a physical bit of system damage that has cut through a pipe or more likely a core section on the condenser.

[Matt Brighton]

Thanks for that

Useful to know as a mate has just bought a seat ibiza and his ac isn't working either.

If his fan won't spark up when I bridge the pins then I will look at the sensor

Best

Matt

[RUM4MO]

Always look for any oily staining/marking around these pressure sensors or on the condenser and pipes as when there is a slight leak of gas, there will normally some oil escaping as well.

Edit:- these sensor designs have been changed a lot of times over the years due to problems with them, I have only ever replaced one on a late 2009 Ibiza as it had lost a lot of gas, it was slightly oily looking, or at least the surrounding bodywork was slightly with dirt/dust sticking to the escaped oil mist.

[Matt Brighton]

mystery continues

- healthy pressure and ample refrigerant is in the system -

bridging the pins on the plug to the pressure sensor on the pipe has no effect on the condenser fan

- so i sparked up the condenser fan to run by again bridging the x3 pin sensor plug on the radiator but still no chilled air

Baffled ...... - system has gas and pressure - fan is on (albeit by bridging the sensor plug to the rad) but no cold air

?

[RUM4MO]

Bridging the pressure sensor pins was not a very smart thing to do, I told you earlier that it was a pressure sensor and not a pressure switch, so bridging the leads to a sensor will not do much good, and if you are unlucky lots bad!

Getting the fans to run equally will not prompt/force the chiller to work unless the fan controller was faulty and not able to switch on the fan from the incoming demand from the AC controller.

This car needs scanned with a VW compliant scan tool while a set of fridge gauges are fitted to the High and Low pressure sides.

[Matt Brighton]

Thanks v again for the advice,

i will continue my quest for chilly air .....(without bridging anymore sensor switches )

I should get it fixed ..... in time for winter

Appreciate the responses, advice and time you have taken to help me....

Best


Matt

[RUM4MO]

Remember that is not a switch, a simple switch is either ON or OFF, these sensors actually measure the gas pressure and that is read by the AC controller.

A simple, maybe thing to check for, try to find the cable wiring that controls the variable displacement of that compressor and follow it back down to below the area of the car where the engine and gearbox bolt together, you should find a couple of cable joining points down there, ie a plug and socket arrangement one for the compressor control and one for the alternator control - check to make sure that both these sets of cables are still okay and not frayed or cut or rotten.

Edit:- possibly go back and check all the fuses as you might now have caused some to blow - always a possibility and if you miss that you would just be chasing your tail even after finding and sorting any wiring etc.

[Matt Brighton]

Again - many thanks

I have just received a long awaited call from my local hospital for a procedure I have been waiting for for 9 months

- I'm "under the knife" Thursday ....so after I have recuperated i will be back on this ac problem

I will fix it - eventually - and post updates and what the final fix turned out to be...

Best from a very hot n sunny Brighton

Matt