£900 folly Schoolboy error. Climate control, but no Air Con!

[Oskar]

In my excitement of buying my A2, I made a reasonable assumption, but failed to do the correct level of homework, with some significant consequences.....

I was (and still am) under the assumption that if there is a working climate control module in an A2, then it has air conditioning.
This, along with what now appears to be seriously disengenous information from the seller, convinced me all was well in this area.

No, I did not test it went cold, and did not look closely enough under the bonnet.
I now find out there is no air con kit at all and the option codes imply there never was any.

I am not sure if there is history in people changing from the 'what I would expect' 3 dial control where there is no A/C, to the automatic nature of the climate control module, but I can't find anything.
Could it have been a factory option, even without A/C? No presence in the option codes of such a thing......

Anyway, it seems to all work, apart from getting cold, and I don't think I want to take on the huge job of adding A/C, so I will need to just suffer in the 40 degree heat this summer.

Beware the climate control module........

Photo attached in the midst of the stereo upgrade.

 

[Howey]

That's a very interesting question! The only reason I could see that being done is if the knobs somehow failed and the only available unit was the digital climate control, they just preferred it or to trick a new purchaser or if they wanted heated seat controls which are rare in both units (don't imagine this applies in your case thou)

 

[Erlingtheyounger]

In my excitement of buying my A2, I made a reasonable assumption, but failed to do the correct level of homework, with some significant consequences.....

I was (and still am) under the assumption that if there is a working climate control module in an A2, then it has air conditioning.
This, along with what now appears to be seriously disengenous information from the seller, convinced me all was well in this area.

No, I did not test it went cold, and did not look closely enough under the bonnet.
I now find out there is no air con kit at all and the option codes imply there never was any.

I am not sure if there is history in people changing from the 'what I would expect' 3 dial control where there is no A/C, to the automatic nature of the climate control module, but I can't find anything.
Could it have been a factory option, even without A/C? No presence in the option codes of such a thing......

Anyway, it seems to all work, apart from getting cold, and I don't think I want to take on the huge job of adding A/C, so I will need to just suffer in the 40 degree heat this summer.

Beware the climate control module........

Photo attached in the midst of the stereo upgrade.

That’s not something I’ve ever heard of before, nor did I think it was even possible.

 

[Howey]

Unless someone has taken all the A/C system out for some reason?

 

[Proghound]

The rotary knobs are connected to rods which then alter the positions of the flaps manually according to the settings. The fan motor will be the same (AFAIK) except controlled by a resistor pack on the back of the controls unit for its four (?) settings rather than the many more provided by the climate unit.

If someone were to get all this working with a climate control, they would have had to put in no end of wiring and motors etc. I'm with @Howey here, it's far easier for someone to have taken an existing AC implementation out of the car when it went wrong. Would be interesting to know what codes the climate controller has stored!

 

[Robin_Cox]

Can you take a photo showing the entire contents under the bonnet and secondly the build sticker with all of the option codes present?

Secondly the space in front of the radiator and behind the bumper.

It will be pretty easy to see if there are air conditioning refrigerant pipework / heat exchanger / refrigerant pressure sensor (G65) present or otherwise.

 

[Oskar]

Thanks for all the very fast and relevant info.
I am now thinking along the lines of what you are all suggesting, that someone has taken out the under-bonnet A/C kit. I have run a test in VCDS lite, and you can see the climate module all works when I run the output tests. Also, and strangely, there are no fault codes, but I may be in the wrong area for those (HVAC?).

Photos also of the under bonnet, with something I have not noticed until now, an alloy 'twin' connector high on the firewall, just above what I assume to be supply and return for the hot water. Also, a loose electical connector at the rear of the alternator, which may have connected to a compressor. I will need to study the manual in all regards.

The rear of the Climate module, compared to the 3 rotary knobs is so different it just would be too much to make a conversion.....and why would you really. Photos attached.

Any confirmation would be great, but there are going to be a lot of parts involved if I want to re-instate it all.

Folly, for sure!

Cheers

Matt

 

[Robin_Cox]

yes, the a/c condenser is there and the a/c pipes have been disconnected from the bulkhead and removed.

There should still be the different (larger) bracket present that supported the a/c compressor below the alternator assuming they've not gone to the effort of swapping the bracket for the non a/c version as well - should be visible below the alternator from the front looking through the hole where the intercooler would be on a Tdi.

Impressive bodging nonetheless!

 

[Howey]

Yeah it's been removed, looks like the evaporator is still present so in theory new pipes and a compressor might get the system running

 

[Oskar]

....and the option codes, which don't appear to confirm either way.
E0A = No special edition

0GG = Emission standard EU4

4UE = Air bag for driver and front seat passenger

6XC = Exterior mirrors: electrically adjustable

5SJ = Left exterior mirror: convex

6TS = Right exterior mirror: aspherical, large viewing field

1KB = Drum brakes, rear

J0R = Battery 380 A (80 Ah)

1LY = Disc brakes, front

1AT = Electronic stabilization program (ESP)

3FA = Without roof insert (standard roof)

1GA = Front shock absorption, basic design 1

7X0 = Without park distance control

4R5 = Power windows with comfort operation andcircuit breaker, mechanical window regulators rear

F0A = No special purpose vehicle, standard equipment

0L2 = Electric throttle actuation

8GD = Alternator 90A

0G4 = Cable gearshift

0YG = Weight range 7 installation control only, no requirement forecast

J25 = Suspension range 25

T1Q = 4-cylinder gasoline engine 1.4 L unit 036.D (aluminum)

3NC = Rear seat bench/backrest, split folding

8BF = Halogen headlight for driving on the left

U0K = Instrument insert with clock mph speedometer

X7Z = Control European Union

1N2 = Power steering electro-hydraulic

1MR = Leather steering wheel

9Q0 = Without multi-function display/ on-board computer

8Z5 = Not hot country

MN7 = 4-cyl. gasoline engine 1.4 L/55 kW 16V multi-point injection base engine is T1Q/T99/TK0

7Q0 = Without navigation device

C3N = Alloy wheels 6.5J x 16

4X1 = Side air bag front

6R2 = Leather gearshift boot

3L3 = Manual height adjustment for front seats

4K4 = Radio remote controlled central locking

5D1 = Carrier frequency 433.92 MHz-434.42 Mhz

1SA = Without additional front underbody guard

VV0 = Standard front axle

Q1A = Standard front seats

4GH = Windshield in heat-insulating glass with sunshield

 

[Oskar]

Here are some photos of the alternator. Not sure if you can confirm from this.

 

[Howey]

I would say no A/C bracket but it may be a non A/C bracket was fitted if you cannot simply fit a non A/C drive belt to an A/C set up(obviously by passing the compressor)

 

[Robin_Cox]

the (potentially) good news is that if a compressor can be obtained with its cognate bracket, a set of pipework from a breaker and a bit of messing about it should be possible to reconstruct a working a/c system. Wonder if the G65 is in working condition?

 

[robrace]

I travelled up to London by train to buy a very low mileage A2 and it wasn’t till I got there I found that it didn’t have AIR CON!I had wrongly assumed they all had it.Our then A2 had Air Con!I had to buy a return ticket on the train and come homeLuckily a few weeks later I found the low mileage one we have now with Pan Roof,Red leather etc!!

 

[Oskar]

Just an update on this Aircon issue.....many months later.

I could not quite believe that someone would strip out the pipework and then install an alternative alternator, which also requires a different mounting bracket and belt. What a hassle: even if your compressor fails.

I was very suspicous they may have actually dropped in another engine, from a non-AC donor car, which might have explained the bracket fiasco.
My V5c lists the engine number as 'UNKNOWN', so I have spent the last few months awaiting a response from the DVLA on any history of the engine number being changed.
Today, they have replied with fact that the V5c has listed 'UNKNOWN' since initial registration, so I have no further evidence.

The camshaft cover label shows an Audi AUA engine with a serial number, but of course, that could have just been swapped over.
I believe the actual engine number is stamped on the block just above the gearbox, however I can't see this without major work, which I don't need to do.....
Even if this matches the cam cover, it would not tell me if the engine is original or not.

I don't fancy spending £50 on an Audi report, which in the end may also not tell me what I need to know (I believe they are about that cost).

Anyway, the re-addition of all the pipework and drier from a breaker, and another second hand compressor, refurbished alternator and mounting bracket, and it all works perfectly.
Less than £200 all up, and with the bonus of a new Alternator, belt and full gas-up means this was not the disaster I would thinking it was.

I must say, the climate control is a great feature in the A2, and way better than may Jap cars I have owned. It just works and sorts inself out. This along with my heated wing mirrors makes the current weather conditions irrelevant!

Cheers

Matt

 

[Ami]

good news you got all the parts & sorted the car out, I was about to offer you all the kit as I am breaking an AUA, surprising though the length some people will go to solve one problem & introduce another, then moving the new problem to another person.

 

[Ami]

We had a tread sometime back with a heading the worst state A2 a member has bought, you may want to add there your experience.