00 new beetle A/C problem

Hello fellas, 00 new beetle A/C problem. Has anyone experienced a problem with A/C on their new beetle. Some months back it quit working so I took it to the shop. Before we got started working on it the mechanic leaned on the fuse box above the battery and we heard it click on. In looking at the three green fuses we found one was loose. Fixed.

Months later it stopped working again and I figured it was the same problem. I wiggled the fuse and it never came on. Using a volt ohm meter I found it was not the fuse because the three red trailing wires from the fuses were all fed with 13.9 volts while the vehicle was running. Can't be the fuses.

I am by myself and I can't hardly tell if the compressor is coming on when I hit the A/C button. I hear a click and I think it is coming on but the air is not cold. I haven't the time right now to take it apart to see if in fact the compressor is coming on or not.

My question--- Anyone had the same issue? If so where to start? I thank you in advance.

You can tell if the compressor is running by looking at the center part of it. If the middle clutch piece is spinning with the rest of the pulley, it's on.

Start looking for leaks. A leaky connection will have an oily film all over it. Mine was at the expansion valve, where the pipes go into the firewall. A good A/C shop will fix the leak, replace the receiver/dryer, evacuate the system, check for vacuum loss, and fill with refrigerant. A good A/C shop should have a sniffer to more easily find the leak.

Replace the expansion valve, and not just the seals if it is leaking. Not doing so can result in more service being required if the valve is near failure and dies a few months later.

The receiver/dryer must be replaced if it is more than 7 years old, or the system has been open to air for more than about 15 minutes.

And open the hood with the a/c on and look to see if both fans are running. If not, or only one, then you have either a bad fan controller or bad fans.

Dead radiator fans are common with an A4 chassis of that age.

Cooling fans, cooling fan controller, dual pressure switch, control head, A/C clutch, are all common things to look for.

While on the subject, I am looking for someone in the Ohio area to look at my '03 NB with a dead AC. Dealer wants $1200 to replace virtually the entire system. And my local techs have all indicated a definite lack of enthusiasm for tracking down VW AC issues.

I _have_ replaced the fan control module, but that did not solve the problem. Im thinkin' I have two dead fan motors, since neither spin, but frankly, how you get the fans OUT has so far stumped me.

OTOH, having BOTH fans going out at the same time strikes me as improbable. Yeah, the simple stuff like fuses has been checked repeatedly.

Live in Logan, OH (Hocking Co.), SE part of the state. Work in Cols. Willling to travel.

Thx!
Don

Much more likely one fan has been dead for a while, and the other one died later on from overworking.

Just one more thing that should be checked at each service. I sell boatloads of cooling fans simply by checking them at every service.

The NB's fans come out the bottom. Tight, but not too hard. Most of what you need to get at is from underneath anyways.

OH... hmmm... good point.. the fan(s) used to come on with the AC POST, but then it/they stopped and no AC.

Was going to have the fans checked at a GTG, but there was some collective ignorance about how to run the wire to the fans... <g>

One of those things that is very easy to do after you have done it 20 times....

TDIfor said:

While on the subject, I am looking for someone in the Ohio area to look at my '03 NB with a dead AC. Dealer wants $1200 to replace virtually the entire system. And my local techs have all indicated a definite lack of enthusiasm for tracking down VW AC issues.

I _have_ replaced the fan control module, but that did not solve the problem. Im thinkin' I have two dead fan motors, since neither spin, but frankly, how you get the fans OUT has so far stumped me.

OTOH, having BOTH fans going out at the same time strikes me as improbable. Yeah, the simple stuff like fuses has been checked repeatedly.

Live in Logan, OH (Hocking Co.), SE part of the state. Work in Cols. Willling to travel.

Thx!
Don

Click to expand...

Don, if you still have the old FCM remove the black plastic cover (without destroying the module). It has two large relays (and a smaller one). If you don't have a Bently manual you can re-install the old Fan Control Module and push the contacts closed and you should power the fans. I've done if both ways with a jumper and by using an old module. A word of advice, don't try to short the pressure switch. It has a Gate inside and normally you'll blow a fuse. If your A/C Button lights up your fuse is OK! You can also jump the compressor from the FCM plug (but you still need an electrical drawing for wire colors).

Are you sure you have gas in the system?

Hi MCathcart;

Yes, I have the old FCM, but on the NB this is a major pain to get to (simple for those to remove the entire front half of a car to replace an air filter, but a pain for me).

I have borrowed a Bentley from the local library, and it helps, but it has its limits, IMHO. There is a lot of:
"To replace engine:
- drain coolant
- remove engine supports
- remove engine.

Replacement is the reverse of removal."

In short, doesn't help _me_ a lot.

In the NB, you pull the battery, pull the battery pan, then you can access the FCM. But this makes powering the NB a little difficult, since everything has to go back together -- unless you use jumper cables to connect the removed battery to the electrical system.

But, it is getting to the time when I need to figure out how to approach this, so I will look at the old FCM and see if I can determine which relays control the fans. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have not pulled pressure on the AC for several months... but lack of coolant was not the cause of the failure. I had a slight leak in the dryer area, but nothing major - at least at the time it held charge long enough for the dealer to determine I needed a new compressor, dryer, receiver, and fresh blinker fluid. Maybe I do.. then again, maybe I don't....

Don

I will go outside and look in a minute if the fan is running or not. Would the fans effect teh operation of the AC while running down the highway? It seems the fans would pull/push the air through the coils while at idele and the movement of the vehicle through the atmosphere would take care of it at hwy speeds. I need VW education.

Any a/c will operate in that manner. If you are going fast enough down the road, radiator fans are irrelevant. Then when you slow down, you get no more cool air out the vents followed by rising coolant temps.

Whenever the a/c is on, both fans should be blowing. And Oilhammer is right. One fan running can do OK by itself for awhile, but when it dies is when you finally notice you have a problem to take care of. So yes, both fans being dead will happen quite easily.

They seem to die about 140k-150k miles or so. Depends on how corrosive your environment is (salty winter roads) or how much you use the a/c (hot Arizona all the time).