Re: Coupe Quattro 90 air conditioner question.

["Barton P. Chambers" <bartonc@infi.net>]

Hi Mrak,

> I have an  90 Coupe Quattro with an air conditioner that does not want to 
> work. I've taken it to the Audi Dealer and they can't figure it out. The 
> symptoms are as follows:
> 
> 1. There is no cool air and the air is as hot as the vent (economy).
> 2. If there is cool air (setting LO)  it goes out slowly after <15 minutes. 
> Usually preceeded by a blast of humid air then vent air.
> 
> The dealer has recharged the coolent and replaced the thermostats. Their 
> answer is
> "I don't know" or "take it in again".

BT,DT...  This sounds like the classic symptom of an A/C system that has been 
recharged by a dealer too cheap to purchase the required equipment, or to hire 
an knowledgeable A/C specialist, or both.  I paid $700+ to find out about this 
several years ago with a Scirocco, a large VW dealer, and a cousin.

My A/C failed with the same symptoms you describe, on a trip to see my Dad in 
Arlington, TX in June.  (In fact, it failed *suddenly* around noon, in a 
monsoon-like rainstorm as we were in 70+mph noon-rush traffic, on I-20 bypassing
Birmingham, AL.  Heat, about 100; Humugity, about 100; instantaneous window fog 
on windshield and all windows.  Interesting effect, under the circumstances...)

Anyway, we drove the rest of the Way to my dad's with the windows open, and 
dropped the car at a very large VW dealer.  a week and $650 later, we got the 
car back just in time to leave for Tulsa to see some cousins.  Cooling seems ok 
for 20 min, then starts fading, gone entirely by 30 min.

Got to Cousin's home 400 miles later that day, having confirmed that both sweat 
glands and vocabulary are still in good working order.  Stop at local Shade-tree
mechanic/service station, and have system charged again.  Same results.

Enter another Cousin who has a small A/C repair business (and the right tools).
He explains the "secret handshake," all the (remaining) refrigerant *must* be 
pumped out of the system *before* recharging or adding fresh refrigerant.  
Otherwise, OY, you got soch a headache...

It requires a special piece of equipment to do this pump-down recharge, and it 
requires someone knowledgeable of A/C systems.