Jetta A4 A/C Question?

[D. Lynch]

Do we have an airflow problem with our 2001 Jetta TDI?
With a/c on almost all the air comes out of the two centre dash vents. There's hardly any airflow coming out of the two vents (at each end of the dash).
We would like to see more airflow from the two end vents than we have now.
Any ideas?
Dave
tdi chipped/dipped!

 

[blugg]

Are you sure the side vents are turned on (opened)? I drove mine around for a month before I realized they were closed.

 

[MITBeta]

The owner's manual shows the air paths and relative strengths of the air streams from all the vents for any given setting on the selector dial. My manual is in the car or I'd look it up myself.

I seem to recall there being different speeds for different vents... but I could be wrong.

 

[rforce1]

Dave,

My system is identical to yours. It feels like you get about half the flow (or less) out the side vents vs. the center vents. Not sure why this is the case. I guess it was a Friday before the long weekend when the HVAC Engineer finished up His design!

Regards,
Rforce1

P.S. Maybe the fan couldn't produce the desired airflow out all 4 vents, so VW decided to limit the airflow out the sides? (This ones grasping at straws!)

 

[naturist]

Rather than smudge the reps of the engineer who designed it or the company who built it, how about considering that it might have been done that way on purpose?

I would point out that cold air blown into the center of the vehicle has a much higher likelyhood of cooling the people sitting in the car than does air blown along the sidewalls.

Simply put, the designer and builder get more bang for their buck blowing the cool air on the people than they do blowing it on the doors and windows. And you will get more satisfaction as well. don't believe me? Turn off those center vents and force ALL the cool air to the sides and see how much difference it makes in your perception of the interior temperature.