Climate Control - Help!

[Sedge]

Hi everyone, I am a new A2 owner, had the car for about 3 months now.

I have a 52 reg A2 1.4SE which should come with climate control as standard. For some strange reason, the mad person that bought my car as new decided they didn't want it(???) so now I am stuck with a normal heating system.

Does anyone know if the car would still be wired and set up for climate control?

Your help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[spike]

Hi Sedge
Welcome to the A2oc.
When first launched, the SE did come with climate control as standard but Audi quickly dropped this and a few other goodies off the spec. I don't know exactly know when this happened but I have a Jan 03 price list and this shows CC as an £800 option on the SE. If the car was built without the system then retrofitting it would be extremely expensive - a wild guess would be £3000+ for parts and labour.
If you bought the car from a dealer and were misled into thinking it had CC then you may have some comeback.

Cheers Spike

[ULP]

The original A2 SE had climate control fitted, but the SE pack was some £1,800 more than the 1.4/ 1.4TDI basic spec. Air conditioning was a £1300 extra on the base models (ouch).

In 2002, Audi changed the SE to remove climate control and instead fitted the Concert C.d. player as standard (up until this time the SE had the cassette deck). The price of the SE upgrade was now £500 (it still had all the rest of the equipment fitted before, such as aluminium trim, 6-spoke 16" alloys, leather wheel etc. etc.) and climate control was a £800 option.

About 90% of SE models had climate fitted anyway as the car tended to be bought by dealers as demo's (the lack of climate would affect the resale value and desirablility) or by private owners who wanted it anyway.

In late 2004 (and a few times before) Audi did 'special offers' which generally were a pack made up of metallic paint and climate on base/ SE/ Sport for £250; this option was popular.

Retro-fitting could be possible, but it will cost a couple of grand at least and possibly making major strip-out of the cars interior. Your best option, if you really want it, would be to either sell your car and get another with climate or go to an air conditioning company that will install a single-button air con system for about £1,000. I would imagine you could use the 'Econ' button as the A/C on/off button (essentially the same operation as the cars with climate control) so there is no need to butcher the centre console for extra buttons. I would imagine you would see a few hundred of this back at resale and I'm sure they could use genuine VAG parts for the system if you want; all you are missing is the electronic sensors you get with Climate.

[Sedge]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Unfortunately, the dealer I bought the car from did tell me it had climate control and it wasn't until they delivered it I realised otherwise.

Does anyone have any companies they can suggest to do the standard A/C.

If not, I guess I will be sweating this summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GrayB]

If the dealer misled you, then you should be looking for a financial contribution from him, I would have thought. Time for the Citizens Advice Bureau...

[ULP]

Time to instruct a lawyer; anything paperwork-wise that has climate/ air conditioning written on it (be it an advert or sales invoice) will provide a very simple open-and-shut case.

[Mark Brigg]

If you have paperwork showing climate then the dealer has no case, don't worry about the time you had the car or be put off that you accepted it. They failed to deliver to the contract.. You may not need a lawyer if you are lucky and the dealer takes the correct line, but be very firm, after all you have been missing an important item that you paid for for 3 months. There are many A2s in the dealer system and I'm sure they will find the exact car that you need.

[ianjohnsonws14]

Sedge

Our first A2 was an early 52 SE and as standard it did not have Climate (I don't beleive air con, as you get on basic VWs, was ever an option on the A2 - it was hot air only or full climate)

At the time Audi had an offer on for Climate and metallic for ££££s less than list (dont remember exactly but may have been £500) and we took the option so got climate.

To convert will be major cost as it will mean BIG strip out to fit condenser and compressor and re-plumb heating - would be cheaper and easier to change the car!

BTW if you have a CD it is an early 52 as shortly after they dropped back to a radio cassette!

[spike]

Hi Sedge
I have not heard of anyone retro-fitting a basic air con system to the A2 but if you are interested, check out the attached link

http://www.delphiauto.co.uk/DELproductspages14121.asp

Cheers Spike