Aircon is pants

[antonio buffa]

morning,

I have only had my cali for 4 months so rather inexperience at it all, I love the thing to bits with one notable exception: air conditioning. It is pants ! It seems to operate on two states only: freezing cold or bloody hot with virtually zero modulation in between, and what is more disconcerting, when on cooling mode it occasionally decides to spew out hot air on the passenger side for no reason ( both on sync or split mode ). Anybody has same issues or any suggestions.. ?

 

[MarkVw2017]

Is it a new van?

 

[Keith Smith]

Take it back and get it looked at. The climate control is excellent, better than our Audi TT.

 

[GrannyJen]

Warranty issue.

Mine is excellent.

 

[antonio buffa]

yes new van...
apart from the obvious hot air malfunction it just feels coarse and unresponsive, dealer seems to intimate AC on a van cannot be as refined...

 

[johnyboy]

Ours is climate control and every bit as good as any car or SUV we have owned, I would insist on them sorting it out on warranty

 

[antonio buffa]

mmm...
consensus seems to be I have a problem.
thanks

 

[GrannyJen]

yes new van...
apart from the obvious hot air malfunction it just feels coarse and unresponsive, dealer seems to intimate AC on a van cannot be as refined...

Your dealer is wrong.

The base vehicle is that of a Caravelle, a vehicle sold as a large upmarket people carrier / minivan. That attitude by a dealer (It's only a van) is why at the very least VW should provide centres of expertise for it's van-derived passenger products.

 

[Amarillo]

Your dealer is wrong.

The base vehicle is that of a Caravelle, a vehicle sold as a large upmarket people carrier / minivan. That attitude by a dealer (It's only a van) is why at the very least VW should provide centres of expertise for it's van-derived passenger products.

I think that might be what VWUK try to do by limiting the number of VW commercial dealerships selling the California to a subset of their commercial dealership network.

 

[Bellcrew]

yes new van...
apart from the obvious hot air malfunction it just feels coarse and unresponsive, dealer seems to intimate AC on a van cannot be as refined...

"The Ocean features impressive 3-zone temperature control for the driver, front passenger and passengers in the rear compartment. It recognises the intensity of the sun's rays and the outside temperature, and adds more or less cool air accordingly. The automatic air recirculation function, the air quality sensor, additional air vents in the roof lining of the rear passenger compartment and an auxiliary heater create a pleasant interior climate. The coating of the new allergen filter also keeps out substances such as pollen and spores which may trigger allergies." Just a van?

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

Mine has climate control. Last year in Morocco, even the Sahara it kept a constant 22’. Same in Italy/Sicily this June.
Some dealerships are more informed and more helpful.
I deal with Robinson’s of Peterborough whom I find give excellent service. The awning came apart at the seam and they ordered a new one immediately. As I say, some are better than others, for example, I live near Kettering but use a dealership in Peterborough; say no more....

 

[antonio buffa]

Mine has climate control. Last year in Morocco, even the Sahara it kept a constant 22’. Same in Italy/Sicily this June.
Some dealerships are more informed and more helpful.
I deal with Robinson’s of Peterborough whom I find give excellent service. The awning came apart at the seam and they ordered a new one immediately. As I say, some are better than others, for example, I live near Kettering but use a dealership in Peterborough; say no more....

thanks for that ksar, interstingly I have been offered a couple of options for looking at the problem but the earliest I can get booked in isat the Kettering dealership... any comments on them ?

 

[teeboy]

thanks for that ksar, interstingly I have been offered a couple of options for looking at the problem but the earliest I can get booked in isat the Kettering dealership... any comments on them ?

Another Kettering dweller - we used to take our van to Listers in Northampton.....

Kettering always have a few Calis in stock as they have quite a big compound and are linked to Derby, Leicester and Parkway Northampton - but don't appear to be very Cali savi!

I assume your van does have the 3 zone climate (i.e. you can set an actual temperature on a digital display)? If so that is normally excellent. The other cheaper version is climatronic which can be a bit hot/cold.

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

thanks for that ksar, interstingly I have been offered a couple of options for looking at the problem but the earliest I can get booked in isat the Kettering dealership... any comments on them ?

Have had dealings with them in the past; I use Robinson’s van centre now. Nuff said!

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

Have had dealings with them in the past; I use Robinson’s van centre now. Nuff said!

That’s the one in Peterborough.

 

[Meoncoast]

Our compressor was a crock from the start - took a while to cotton on as we picked her up in the winter. New compressor fitted after a few other checks

 

[antonio buffa]

Thank you all for your comments!

 

[antonio buffa]

Hi
I am resurrecting this thread just in case anybody has any further feedback
Climatronic works fine in summer or winter but I am not happy with it in mid season: within the space of a few minutes it switches from hot to cold. It appears to me that it’s trying to maintain the set/target temperature but in a fairly coarse way.

Are there any settings one can access to refine the way this works or does one just put up with it ?

Thanks

 

[Stoneybroke]

I've noticed this too. I think, a bit like office Aircon, it tries to keep the temperature stable, so warm air when it drops below target, cool air when it goes above it. Hence just getting comfortable and then a cold draft on your toes...

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

I've noticed this too. I think, a bit like office Aircon, it tries to keep the temperature stable, so warm air when it drops below target, cool air when it goes above it. Hence just getting comfortable and then a cold draft on your toes...

Can only reiterate my previous comments; the previous one worked excellently. Done 2 trips to Morocco recently. Ok, not 50’ but still in the high 30s in the Sahara but the new one is as good as the previous one. Definitely a warranty investigation.

 

[antonio buffa]

Thanks Ksar-el-kebir
No complaints when whether is hot or cold, problem starts between around 12 and 20 deg C external temperature It appears it can’t make its mind up

 

[Soton Campers]

I'm having a similar problem with mine. Delivered October 2018. A MY 2019 Ocean. Trying to maintain 22 degrees cabin on sync setting it will blow nice cool air on the driver's side and hot air on the passengers side. This cannot be right.

 

[antonio buffa]

Thanks Darryl,
That happened a few times to me initially but not for a while now... strange one !
I did take the van to the dealer at the time and they found no fault, they say system is very sensitive to variations and even temporarily lowering the window on one side can kickstart the unusual behaviour
My problem now is lack of finer modulation

 

[AlisonF]

I'm having a similar problem with mine. Delivered October 2018. A MY 2019 Ocean. Trying to maintain 22 degrees cabin on sync setting it will blow nice cool air on the driver's side and hot air on the passengers side. This cannot be right.

Did you get this sorted? We only spotted this issue in September when I had a friend visiting and we went camping and he complained of hot air on the passengers side vent (the central one)... Haven’t dared mention it to the dealer yet as I have a lost if things ongoing...
Mine’s a 16 plate Ocean

 

[Soton Campers]

Did you get this sorted? We only spotted this issue in September when I had a friend visiting and we went camping and he complained of hot air on the passengers side vent (the central one)... Haven’t dared mention it to the dealer yet as I have a lost if things ongoing...
Mine’s a 16 plate Ocean

Nope never did get it sorted and not noticed during the winter. I'd actually forgot about so I'll have play this weekend and see how it's behaving.