Dear Alex,
My wife’s VW T-Roc has a problem with the air-conditioning system. During the warranty period, each time the car was serviced by our dealer we mentioned the aircon’s lack of efficiency. The system hisses, which they told us meant it needed re-gassing. Each time they said they had fixed it and yet, after a short period, it returned to not cooling sufficiently. What might the cause be? And as the car is now out of warranty, can you recommend an independent aircon specialist in the Watford area?
– CB
Dear CB,
For starters I’d want to have a word with your dealership, which happily kept re-gassing your car without thinking to suggest that it should probably investigate why, at less than three years old, the gas was leaking.
On an older car it might simply have seeped out through the seals over time – but on a car of this age, a re-gas (especially one that has to be repeated) points to a deeper problem. That’s something your dealer really should have picked up.
Condensers on modern Volkswagen Group cars are particular weak points and seem to corrode or split pretty easily, so my money would be on that being the cause; I had to replace one on my Skoda when it was only four years old, and I’m sorry to say they aren’t cheap.
The trouble is, if that is the case, it wouldn’t have been covered under your warranty. Most warranties, VW’s included, don’t include certain air-conditioning parts (hoses, condensers, etc) because they’re considered wear-and-tear items; condensers, for example, can be hit by stones, which counts as damage rather than component failure.
So the chances are you would have had to pick up the bill in any case. But had your dealer been more on the ball, it might have saved you the cost of the second re-gas, at least.
I don’t have any experience of the businesses in your area so I’m afraid I can’t recommend an air-conditioning specialist near you; however, there are several local firms with good reviews that you can find easily on Google. The air-con specialist I used to replace the Skoda’s condenser, JLC Automotive, is based in Orpington, so rather far from you – although if you are prepared to travel, I would recommend their services wholeheartedly based on my experience.
