How good is the AC?

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
On the GSW? We had some warm weather last week, about 75 degrees. Driving on the interstate with the windows up and the sun shining the cabin got pretty warm so I ran the AC for about an hour. It was OK but didn't seem icy cold like I thought it would be. Cool enough at 75 degrees F but I am wondering how it will be when we get to summer temps of 100 plus here in the desert. I do realize that it is a temperature differential and I will stick a thermometer in the center vent for my next test to see where I am at with that.

Normally I buy white cars with light interiors but the black interior on this car looks really great so I bought it anyway. The outside is white and I plan to get tint before summer.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
In a word: very.
Even driving in temps pushing 35-38C, I've never had complaint about the A/C in my mk7.
 

smittyatl

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
GSW
There is a technical service bulletin out on the AC compressor solenoid valve.

My dealer changed out the entire system under warranty because they get to charge VW more money than just changing the valve.

Blows cold now. But not cold like my wife's Honda.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
hot country will change your world!

IMO in normal coding mode, at idle the AC duty cycle is something like 25-50% it'll be coolish but not cold. its not until rpms are constant and above 1,500 that ac duty cycle is increased.

Once coded the AC will blow a solid 38F no matter what the engine is doing. At least this is my experience with manual HVAC system on our Alltrack.
 

15TDICommuter

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
South Florida
TDI
2015 GSW
South Florida guy here. I've noticed around town the car is not as cool as other cars I've owned. But once on the highway and doing 70mph it drops the temperature and definitely feels pretty damn cold. May have to read up on that hot country code for when the Florida Summer is in full effect.
 

JeffsSportWagen

Active member
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Location
Usually between the Florida Gulf Coast & Treasure
TDI
2015 Golf SportWagen S TDI/dsg
Central Florida guy here.

I don't feel my A/C gets too cold during the summer. I always have to run it on Max on a higher fan setting than I would prefer. (Last summer was my first in the GSW)

I was able to set it to Hot Countries last month and hadn't had much of a chance to notice any difference as it's been cool here. Last Thursday I drove the 90 miles to the stealership for an oil change and had it running for 45 mins on Max fan droning away and it was only barely cool enough.

Even checked to make sure my settings had been saved correctly the next day. Still set to Hot Countries. I was considering breaking out my A/C gauges and adding some refrigerant, but you can bet I'll check the A/C thread next instead.

Edit: I have 20% tint all the way around and a 10% strip at the top of the windshield.

Thanks and cheers!
 
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740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Central Florida guy here.

I don't feel my A/C gets too cold during the summer. I always have to run it on Max on a higher fan setting than I would prefer. (Last summer was my first in the GSW)

I was able to set it to Hot Countries last month and hadn't had much of a chance to notice any difference as it's been cool here. Last Thursday I drove the 90 miles to the stealership for an oil change and had it running for 45 mins on Max fan droning away and it was only barely cool enough.

Even checked to make sure my settings had been saved correctly the next day. Still set to Hot Countries. I was considering breaking out my A/C gauges and adding some refrigerant, but you can bet I'll check the A/C thread next instead.

Edit: I have 20% tint all the way around and a 10% strip at the top of the windshield.

Thanks and cheers!
No need to break out the A/C gauges, read what VCDS is requesting and what the demand is.

RCV are still a thing on these cars and easy to replace (yet a dealer will toss a new compressor in as their only solution under warranty or not)
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
Blows cold now. But not cold like my wife's Honda.
This has been my experience, too. Our VW A/C's ('98, '12, '15, and '16 eGolf) have all been adequate but not even close to comparable to the asian imports my wife's parents own.
 

iamatt

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Location
Rosharon, Texas
TDI
2014 Jetta 6 Speed manual
Mines pretty weak even after replacing the return control valve. Wow did you really drive 90 miles for an oil change???
 

JM Popaleetus

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
Signature.
When I was shopping for mine, I noticed a number of 2015 Golfs had recharged ACs listed on their Carfax.

Being of the impression that a recharge = leak, I called a couple VW specialists to arrange PPI’s and they assured me it was normal with MK7’s due to use of new environmentally friendly refrigerant and the system only holding ~1lb of it.

Mine is ice cold, but I also recently learned that mine was a “Hot Country” model sold in Florida.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
I had my rear coil spring recall done today and I asked about the VCDS hot climate adjustment.....neither the service manager or the tech had ever heard of it....the service manager went so far as to say if there even was such a thing, it would cause the system to freeze up.:confused:
Until I get set up with my own VCDS I'll ask the local VW indy to check it for me.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
And that is a very generous offer, thank you. I will eventually have VCDS when I decide on a laptop.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
I had my rear coil spring recall done today and I asked about the VCDS hot climate adjustment.....neither the service manager or the tech had ever heard of it....the service manager went so far as to say if there even was such a thing, it would cause the system to freeze up.:confused:
Until I get set up with my own VCDS I'll ask the local VW indy to check it for me.
He needs to know that there is a temp lockout for it not to run when the ambient temp is below 4C, as I recall.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
Update

I am bringing this thread back to report that we are close to 100 degrees now and the AC is performing very well. My earlier doubts turned out to be unfounded. I did have ceramic tint installed along with a windshield eyebrow but my main concern had been the temp coming from the vents which has proven, so far, to be very good. At this point my only complaint is a slight mold odor for a few minutes after startup but I am planning to deal with that with either Lysol sprayed into the intake or the foaming AC cleaner that you inject into the drain tube.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
I use ozone (ozium) for that smell. I spray it down into the cowling intake.
I just bought a cabin filter called Frecious, I think, that is anti-microbial.

The reason for that smell is the water condensing after the a/c is turned off begins to build up bacteria. The best way to reduce it, so far for me, has been to turn the a/c off and run the air through the vents for a bit while I'm pulling off the freeway or parking.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
I use ozone (ozium) for that smell. I spray it down into the cowling intake.
I just bought a cabin filter called Frecious, I think, that is anti-microbial.

The reason for that smell is the water condensing after the a/c is turned off begins to build up bacteria. The best way to reduce it, so far for me, has been to turn the a/c off and run the air through the vents for a bit while I'm pulling off the freeway or parking.

Yes that is the best way to reduce it and I used that method on my Grand Cherokee which would literally stink me out of the cabin. It also helps to run on fresh air instead of recirc. Since I am not the original owner I doubt if the original owner did that.
My Grand Cherokee was so bad I decided to drill a hole in the evap housing for flushing. I studied the diagram so I would get it in the right place without hitting the evaporator. I started with a step bit with a removable tip so as not puncture the evaporator and got a 7/8" hole drilled right at the bottom where the condensate drains, on the opposite side of the drain tube. Then I took a garden hose with a spray gun fitted with a rubber tip, pressed it against the hole and shot the stream of water in. Water would shoot out of the drain tube, and a pan on the passenger floorboard would catch what came gushing out of the hole after flushing. A nice rubber plug filled the hole afterwords. Totally eliminated the smell, nice and fresh after that. I ended up doing it every year.
 

rpm-inc

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Location
illinois
TDI
2000 beetle, 2015 golf s
Does hot country tweak work with manual ac? I will check tonight if I can enable it. AC seems very weak. I had the noisy blend door motor actuator replaced hoping that was it. Doesn't seem any colder and its not even hot yet. I will stick a temp gauge in the vents tonight.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
It does, and it does wonders. Before changing to hot country I had to be traveling on the highway with max ac for the vents to blow 40F, while sitting a lights or around town the temps would hover around 60F.

After the change vents are constant 40F (regarless of engine RPM) within 10 min of a heat soaked car.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
I'm beginning to wonder if the Touareg's is set that way by default and if that's why 76F setting blasts me almost out of my chair. Can barely hear phone calls. Is anyone noticing anything like that?
 

rpm-inc

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Location
illinois
TDI
2000 beetle, 2015 golf s
81 degrees hot undriven car. Turned on the ac and let it idle for 15 minutes with a meat thermometer in the center vent. Fan speed 3 recirc on. 58 degrees. Turned it off, let the car heat back up again. Sun beating on it so didn't take long. Did the tweak(mine said cold tuning not hot country), and let it idle 15 minutes. It was down to 52. Very unscientific. Looking forward to actually driving it and see what happens.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
recirc on a heat soaked car wont cool as fast, i usually hit recirc after 5 min of driving.

the wife has finally accepted the meat thermometer in the vent as a common place and doesn't make fun of me anymore.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
recirc on a heat soaked car wont cool as fast, i usually hit recirc after 5 min of driving.

the wife has finally accepted the meat thermometer in the vent as a common place and doesn't make fun of me anymore.
A lot of people don't know/understand this, especially on the American cars that say "MAX" instead of "RECIRC". Many believe the MAX setting somehow magically increases compressor output when all it really does is recirculate. Those are usually the same people who think there is a special "passing gear" in their automatic transmission. I've tried to explain both of these to some old timers but was met with stubborn disagreements.
 

rpm-inc

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Location
illinois
TDI
2000 beetle, 2015 golf s
I understand the recirc max deal. Wanted the "test" to be fair.. Drove the car a bit today and no lower than 52ish @82 outside. I know the coding was accepted and I will double check that. I did just have the temp door motor replaced. Could that need some tweaking via vcds? Or maybe just low on refrigerant?
 

rpm-inc

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Location
illinois
TDI
2000 beetle, 2015 golf s
I understand the recirc max deal. Wanted the "test" to be fair.. Drove the car a bit today and no lower than 52ish @82 outside. I know the coding was accepted and I will double check that. I did just have the temp door motor replaced. Could that need some tweaking via vcds? Or maybe just low on refrigerant?

Hooked up my horror fright gauges. 80/80 ac off. 30/120 ac on. When I took the cap off the low pressure ac port, I can see green. Dye probably so somebody was in there before? I want to try adding 134 but don't know if this is the issue yet.


EDIT-but its only 62 degrees so maybe those pressures are normal..
 
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adjat84th

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
TDI
'01 Jetta TDI/'15 Golf TDI
I run a thermometer in the vent during the summer and consistently see at least 40deg lower than outside temp which is ideal from what I understand.
 
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