Our Furby has been for a service today. They tried to tell my wife that the zircon has to be degassed every two years. Not 'its a good idea' but 'has to be done'. Anyone come across this gem before? 

its understood that air conditioning looses 10% per year through natural causes

Ah the Zircon, well maybe the Air Con, there will be a loss of gas across/through all the plastic seals and hoses, but most people wait until they can feel that the chiller is a bit short of gas before letting dealer regas it.

Nice wee earner for dealers though if you are feeling benevolent?

Skoda dealers sound as daft as Jaguar dealers . Find yourself a  good Indy , it wont  affect your warranty if they use approved parts  & the book gets stamped up.

Edited 16 August, 20169 yr by SlushBox

Maybe not connected in any way with this thread, but I put my wife's August 2015 VW Polo in for its first (prepaid) service, at hand over time I had to sign a worksheet, when I picked it up, there was outstanding warranty stuff, so I did not get any paperwork back. Yesterday after getting the final action cleared, again I signed a worksheet, they did not hand me any paperwork, when I complained about that I was told that no paperwork can get handed back until it has been cleared through accounts, " call us in two days and we can sort this out" - how strange, what is so wrong with handing back customer's copy of zero charge worksheets for their retention?

Edit:- as far as the warranty work, or upgrade work is concerned, there is a section in the VW service booklet for out of scope tasks - not used!

Edited 16 August, 20169 yr by rum4mo

not had my thirteen year old Fabia regassed since I got it in 2010. Still blows ice cold

#thevrsisnotthebestfabia

Yes, aircon. I hate autocorrect.

 

Yes some gas may be lost but telling customers it 'has to be done', especially at £75 when most places are under £50, is a bit rich. I did have my car done by them and they left the valve covers loose under the bonnet. I think I'll be looking somewhere else in the future.

 

I'm a bit careful of independents as well. The local one to me does Audis too, and made an even worse mess than the real dealers did when I ran an A3 Mk1. Worst thing was changing the CV boot on the wrong side (only one was leaking) they changed the other). While they were at it they stripped one of the three screws holding the lower balljoint on and replaced it with some random piece of crap they had lying around the workshop.

When my Fabia goes in for its services that's all its going in for. I'll get any issues like regas wiper blades etc sourced myself.

Yes, aircon. I hate autocorrect.

 

Yes some gas may be lost but telling customers it 'has to be done', especially at £75 when most places are under £50, is a bit rich. I did have my car done by them and they left the valve covers loose under the bonnet. I think I'll be looking somewhere else in the future.

 

I'm a bit careful of independents as well. The local one to me does Audis too, and made an even worse mess than the real dealers did when I ran an A3 Mk1. Worst thing was changing the CV boot on the wrong side (only one was leaking) they changed the other). While they were at it they stripped one of the three screws holding the lower balljoint on and replaced it with some random piece of crap they had lying around the workshop.

 

I was taking a risk there quoting Zircon as I was using wife's iPad which likes to change things when your back has turned!  Well, I've had VW main dealer fitting lower strength non VAG stock bolts to the front suspension on my old 2000 Passat 4Motion, that annoyed me a lot 6 months down the line, but I just ordered in the correct ones and fitted them - it was the strange steering ones which were special as they had a flat to stop them rotating and annoying the next "visitor" to that area - sloppy!

 

Like another poster, my wife ran a 9N Polo from September 2002 until August 2015 and its air con was still okay on its initial charge, my old 2000 Passat did have a leak at an inline pipe join, I took up the cheap spring air con deal from VW and told them about the leak and to replace that seal while the gas was out of the system (part of the air con service procedure) - they came back saying no leak, you can't see leaks and charged me considerably more that the "spring air con promotion" - maybe the "con" in air con means something else?  So how did I know it has leaking, well I have a AN134 leak detector and I could see the oil had weeped out as it will at most system leak sites. Maybe that is all in the past as I think all new VAG cars will be getting fitted with "always running" Sanden variable displacement compressors in the interests of fuel economy and emissions - and as a spin off, systems will stay more leak resistant longer due to small quantities of oil continuously passing through along with some R134A.

 

Edit:- there may well come a time when all air con systems need annual leakage checks, but there will be a lot more systems to "capture" and legislate for before these small systems come under closer examination. The very act of gas recovery will lose some gas anyway, so why make things worse, plus all the auto air con businesses will need to come up to a far higher level of accountability with regards to "gas weights" - I'd reckon that not much is done there right now as it is all being put down to all of us losing the gas while driving around, easy cop out and something very difficult to police. I used to have to do that job for a series of systems that had many safety devices and operators with other things to worry about, so all the gas cylinders were weighed in and weighed out and not just left to the displayed weights from original cylinder manufacture - it all counts when you are up against it (none of our systems leak and all our procedures have been vetted)!

Edited 17 August, 20169 yr by rum4mo

To cut down the amount of gas lost in aircon systems, the compressor pump is running at 2% all the time to keep the seals and hoses lubed. But still this doesn't stop the leakage that occurs over time. My own Fabia's have all been re-gassed  after 4 years use and it did make a difference. You don't really notice it until you have it done. My dealer charges just £59 if done with a service. That's actually not too bad. 

About 3 months ago when we had a spate of hot weather this forum was absolutely inundated with "air con not cold" and "my air con doesn't work" threads, we were also very busy with air con faults.

Having the system serviced regularly (it's only around £60 once every 2 years, that's 57pence a week) and not having the "they're just trying to rip me off" attitude prevents those issues occurring...

??

Is that the official VW Group / Skoda recommendation for the UK?

First Air Conditioning service @ first 2 years then each 2 years.

First Brake Fluid Change @ first 3 years then each 2 years.

Change / replace  Alarm Siren @ 5 byears.

Fuel Filter is fitted for life but might need changed at 4 years, but parts desk will tell you not needed, fitted for life.

 

It would be so good if Skoda made the Service Schedule / Guidelines clear by writing them down for owners.

It would be nice if Service Staff never phoned up and said brakes ar 80% worn if the are not even 50% worn.

Never had my old 11 year old Fabia VRS, re-gassed, but it still blows a chill throughout car when used.

Mileage 105,000, so perhaps more miles or years needed to get re-gassed ?? LOL

Edited 20 August, 20169 yr by giandougl

2 year regas intervals for air con systems is a recommendation by just about every vehicle manufacturer.

This being a Skoda Forum is there anything available to Owners of Skoda from Skoda UK online or in print 

advising that the first A/C Service should be at 2 years then 2 yearly.

Or on a VW site.

ANYTHING IN SKODA OWNERS MANUALS ON AIR CONDITIONING SERVICING?

 

VW do lots of websites.  Skoda not so many.  Not many leaflets or notices at service desks to assist owners either.

It means lots of Upselling possibilities and guff spouted by Service Desk Staff. 

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

 

Looks good value.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/summer-health-check

STRANGE VW UK DO NOT HAVE CLEARLY WRITTEN THAT 'LIKE MANY OTHER MANUFACTURERS' 

THEY RECOMMEND SERVICING / REGASSING YOUR A/C FIRST AT 2 YEARS OLD THEN EVERY 2 YEARS.

Edited 20 August, 20169 yr by GoneOffSKi

Seriously, just as well there is absolutely no read-across between how auto HVAC chillers work and how your domestic fridge and freezer works, or we would need to get them checked over every two years to avoid getting sore tummies or not cold enough beers/wines!  Upselling is the name of the game, next we will see "auto re-ordering" of toilet paper - just like the printer ink people would like us to do.  Luckily for us most of the time a reduction in the AC performance is a bit annoying but can be lived with and corrected in time.

 

Just reminds me a bit like what happened when I got wife's one year old Polo serviced on a pre-paid plan which was sold on the strength that you get the next 3 years services for no extra payment when you buy that up front:-  for the service - " right we will not charge you any more for that this time!", for the warranty work, ie fitting upgraded EVAP pipe - "right we have not made a charge this time for that work!"  I think that I was being made to feel a bit special on both counts - some people need to be able to see how customers are being treated before making comments, and then the follow up "how did we do questionnaire?"  - now at least is better than Audi's version on an ipad - to get filled in while they find your payment receipt!

 

Edit:- this was being completed as you posted the above posting GoneOffski.

Edited 20 August, 20169 yr by rum4mo

Your home chiller doesn't drive up the road over potholes etc though. The HVAC unit is put through a lot more than your fridge sat in the corner of your kitchen and has to be left a few hours if it's moved before you can turn it back on again should you decide to move it any distance. Not exactly practical on a car.

But at the end of the day like your brake fluid change, like a cambelt change its only a recommendation. If you don't want to do it then kindly decline and go about your day. Your AC might work for the next 10 years, it may not (even with a service). No one is forcing you to maintain your car beyond its service schedule or its warranty period.

In fact if you weigh up the cost of an engine against the likelihood of it actually seizing if you didn't change the oil why bother servicing at all?

The Brake Fluid Change was first @ 2 years then 2 yearly.

Now first at 3 years.

Owners can find that written down.

 

Where do we find the Skoda Dealership / Employee / Technician advice in writing,

or do we need the Sales / Upselling notes from that training day?

Training? Nah we just make it up as we go along just to prize money out of people's wallets.

Sadly many do.   

They spend the working week or their whole employment following the example of the employees training them or that they work next to.

 

If Customers can trust the advice then they would be using main dealers and getting what they pay for.

Sadly those at it just leave customers not sure if they need that new discs and pads, or the A/C service etc.

I think the key issue here is the general public are not being advised over some off these preventative maintenance tasks, they are being deliberately being given the "you don't have to but oohhh if you don't, something very bad will happen", now you might argue that only stupid or non techicnal customers are getting treated that way, but even so, is that the correct way to carry out business?

 

The motor trade like other customer facing operations does go through cycles, these cycles maybe altered but the latest staff training sessions, but the customer's wants and needs do tend to remain the same. What I have experienced by my latest contact with a VW dealer, is that too many members of staff are concerned by pretending to customers that they are doing their best while just really trying to fob people off, if they made some honest statements or even apologied, the customer, who is also a human being, just like the dealer staff, might feel that while they were being inconvenienced by someone's mess up, they might just accept it. Quite a lot of people do not default to lying in normal life, so when up against a service supplier who by default is trained to lie, then that is not good.  I've supported and sympathised the way the main dealer trade works in the past, but right now it looks like they are having a laugh and just need to grab in lots of money, and if that includes duping customers, well so be it - this is not just based on my present experiences, but it so happens that unfortunately my experiences confirm this!

Maybe worth an appointment at a VW Dealership.

They will obviously tell the owner if the A/C needs a Re-gas.  They do Skoda after all they are VW's with another badge.

Good Servicing offers as well quite often.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/summer-health-check

This thread has at least 2 Trained and Qualified Volkswagen Group Master Technicians on it.

 

?

So is the Official Advice from the VW Group to Customers and to Technicians that a New Vehicle should have the A/C Regassed for the first time at 2 years old?

ie At the first Major Service possibly the Variable / Flexible Service?

Im sure as you know, when new they come with the minimum amount of gas needed to run cold basically.

When regassed they tend to get filled to a higher amount so lasts longer.

 

Also is it not recomented for the oil rather than the gas to help the life of the pump and seals

Your home chiller doesn't drive up the road over potholes etc though. The HVAC unit is put through a lot more than your fridge sat in the corner of your kitchen and has to be left a few hours if it's moved before you can turn it back on again should you decide to move it any distance. Not exactly practical on a car.

But at the end of the day like your brake fluid change, like a cambelt change its only a recommendation. If you don't want to do it then kindly decline and go about your day. Your AC might work for the next 10 years, it may not (even with a service). No one is forcing you to maintain your car beyond its service schedule or its warranty period.

In fact if you weigh up the cost of an engine against the likelihood of it actually seizing if you didn't change the oil why bother servicing at all?

 

Actually I think that if you stacked cars up on their ends prior to selling them or at any other time, it would be advisable to wait a bit before using the AC as the oil might have moved into the wrong areas and as we know, you can't compress lubricating oil or liquid refrigerant very easily - so something might just have to give!

 

Has that trick with "no need to change engine oil" not been tried out already in USA already, not heard much about it in recent years though, so maybe another big sales fail!

 

Moving completely away from any VAG dealer/car issues, a neighbour of our at our last house, always bought Fords from the local Ford agent, ie a small time privately owned dealership which at that time was allowed to exist and get classed as an "agent". First Ford Escort 1.3 CVH he bought after a long line of buying new Ford Fiestas, all went well, car serviced on time at this local agent, then "bang" cambelt failed, or was "failed" by other bits failing - when he got the car transported to his local agent and asked why this had happened the answer was "you should have had the cambelt replaced by now and this would not have happened!" - all that guy knew about cars, and his friendly local agent would have known this due to their personal service and good relationship was - nothing other than colour and what reg number his was! That left a sour taste in his mouth and wallet, and he never ever bought a Ford again.