Air Con faults

[spartacus68]

Hi folks

1.4 TDI, 2015 plate, 40k on the clock. Was purchased a couple of years ago under Das WeltAuto programme. At the time there was an issue with the air conditioning, so insisted VW recharged it which they duly did. I've been laid up working from home for the last 18 months, so the Polo hasn't done much mileage.

I ran a scan as I have VCDS as the first decent day the air conditioning didn't feel cold.

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Address 08: Auto HVAC (J301) Labels:| 6C0-820-045.clb
Part No SW: 6C0 820 045 A HW: 6C0 820 045 A
Component: AC Manuell H03 0204
Serial number: 1501161B-0813
Coding: 201000001000000200
Shop #: WSC 31414 790 50316
ASAM Dataset: EV_ACManueKMMValeoPQ26 002001
ROD: EV_ACManueKMMValeoPQ26.rod
VCID: 1D64D0F7DD3DCA53845-8048

3 Faults Found:
329475 - Motor for Fresh Air / Recirculated Air Flap
B108B 13 [012] - Open Circuit
Intermittent - Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 6
Reset counter: 85
Mileage: 68690 km
Date: 2021.04.18
Time: 15:48:04

Voltage terminal 30: 14.5 V

262914 - Refrigerant Pressure
B10AB F0 [013] - Too Low
Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 45
Mileage: 68680 km
Date: 2021.03.08
Time: 10:19:42

1048834 - Functional Limitation due to Energy Management
B10CD 00 [013] - -
[Funktionseinschränkung durch Energiemanagment]
Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 7
Fault Frequency: 3
Reset counter: 45
Mileage: 68662 km
Date: 2021.03.06
Time: 11:44:20

Voltage terminal 30: 14.6 V
Auxiliary heater: in stages-Enabling for auxiliary heater operation: no_enabling
Auxiliary heater: in stages-Act.val.: 0
Auxiliary heater: in stages-Target value: 1
Auxiliary heater: in stages-Specified value for control: 0

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So I know the air conditioning needs recharged (more surprised it loses pressure), so obviously leaking. Tell tale signs are wet dog smell, which is just bacteria in the system. I will take it to a local specialist as I have no faith in the main dealer, pressure test and dye leak test.

The electrical fault or energy management I think will be linked.

The bit I'm interested in is the recirculation flap. Where does it exist?, is it accessible, and anyone got a how to? I'm fairly spanner savvy, can do most things, just conscious of a total dash out job. I can hear clicking which I assume is either a stuck actuator or nylon gears running?

Anyway, any pointers greatly received. Thanks.

[RUM4MO]

I'll keep an eye on your progress wrt to recirc flap motor problem, I'm sure that is a "when" and not "if" this ends up being an issue, also I think that it is reasonably accessible behind the glove box area - though I'm willing to get proved wrong!

Low pressure, did you dig deeper to see what the system pressure was, it is viewable in one of the channels/fields.

My wife's August 2015 Polo needed topping up last year, or more correctly by the winter before that, it was logging low pressure. Again one year later it is back logging low pressure and the chiller function is being inhibited, I ordered in a Nissens condenser from ECP just in case I find that it is leaking when I take the front off the car, but being lazy, I can see that time is running out to make use of my Groupon/itison voucher for ATS so I'll probably just get it recharged if it is still not leaking too much, and try to get round to taking the front off while there is still enough R134A in the system for my sniffer to find the leak source, I tried finding the leak source last year without any success - so as long as it is not the evaporator I'll be happy to just find that the condenser has a slight leak.

[spartacus68]

Thanks RUM4MO

I didn't dig any deeper on pressure. It's exhausted, tell tale stale smell on start up and no cold air.

I'm a bit ****** off. The sales guy who sold me the car (who was bleed' useless) had the indignity to call me yesterday, 2 years down the line to try and sell me another car!

My local garage don't do air con recharges, however they have advised of another local that they trust. I'd go back to a main dealer only if I had a gun to my head.

I'm hoping it's not terminal and that the fix is possible. At 6 years old and 40k miles I shouldn't be looking at a compressor or evaporator. I scanned my Allroad and it had a faulty G65 pressure sensor valve which was easy to replace. It's 2012 and was regassed a couple of years ago and still very cold.

Push comes to shove I can get it regassed and try a fix on the recirculation valve. Will keep you posted.

[RUM4MO]

I've always been told that mobile AC operators are the ones to contact, they turn up at your house or workplace, these guys mainly exist by having a "good name" so have a lot to offer so that they stay in business, and their overheads are lower in general so they charge slightly less - and they might even be willing to carry out a diagnosis, let you supply and fit some bits like a condenser - as that involves a bit of pulling the car apart and re-assembling it, and returning to pressure test and recharge the system.

It seems that most if not all new condensers come fitted with a new drier and seals - well Nissens one did anyway and checking elsewhere other brands tend to as well as the drier really needs replacing if the system has had a gross leak.

[amer6R]

I think the smell is beacuse you have a leak in the condenser/ radiator that is under the dash.

Polo is a easy car to tear down.

Set of seals are cheap ( universal)

[Tonyp1]

I think you may mean evaporator which is under the dash.

[RUM4MO]

I think you may mean evaporator which is under the dash.

Yes, but I'll try to continue thinking that that is okay in my wife's 2015 VW Polo so the leak must be somewhere more convenient to deal with, I'm probably living in denial!