I bought my ND1 a couple of years ago and the dealer had it regassed before purchase. I did not use the AC that much and it did not stay cold for a full year (not exactly sure when it stopped blowing cold).
I had it regassed last July and was advised to keep the AC on all the time so that the seals did not dry out and leak. He said it should then last about a year. I told him about the TSB about the leak they are aware of but he said this area was fine and there was no evidence of a leak there.
I have had the AC light on most of the time with the fan usually on low settings since the last regas, I do not use auto very often though.
So, the question(s) then, do other people find they are having to regas their ND every year?
6 years old and still blows cold when asked. I do not usually have aircon on, I just activate every now and then to keep it in good condition.
So the answer is NO.
I had a SEAT (family hatchback) for 10 years, never had the aircon off, summer or winter. It finally needed a regas after 9 years use.
The guy I use is local for regassing, I took ig to him he checked it for leaks all good, so regassed it.
Moral of this story, just keep it switched on, it costs very little to run, pence I’d say, folks think the vehicle will use more fuel using it, not really.
My ND came with a fully working icy cold aircon, the last owner said he had it regassed a few years ago.
I’ve now got a Skoda as a daily driver, that has always got the aircon in use.
Drive with the top down 100% of the time, but I put the air on on for a few mins each time I drive it (about once a week or so). Still fine, '18 plate.
6yrs on and AC still cold, I have AC running all year, heating or cooling, roof open or not.
I find without the AC it’s a bit stuffy (obvs not with roof open lol).
It seems perverse to be air conditioning the whole world when the roof’s down, but a cool breeze makes open top motoring pleasant when it’s otherwise too hot.
And all those people with steamed up windows in the cold seasons? They haven’t dicovered that running the aircon banishes condensation and probably uses less extra fuel than having the HRW on.
It seems like people are doing different things and still having AC many years in whereas I can only get say 8 months from a charge, despite having the AC switch on all the time (unless the fan is off for some reason) and only using auto when its very hot.
Seems like I have a problem but not obvious what that might be. Last time it was charged, he did check for leaks first as there was dye in the system.
Looks like I will have to go back and chat to the guy and see if he has any ideas as I am not keen on £120 every year (8 months!) for a regas.
Get your car tested by a reputable a/c technician. We use a/c all year, it’s brilliant in winter for clearing the interior air and windscreen. Our car’s last two or three years inbetween a/c service and regas.
I have booked it in for friday and he will check to see if he can find evidence of a leak as there is dye in the system so fingers crossed he finds an issue first!
