Motor Ombudsman Advice

AdrianC

sambobo wrote: »

First of all, by changing the subject i assume you are agreeing that the two are directly related.

No, I'm trying to make you realise just how little sense you're making.

I cant get the car to move under its own power all the time. hence, why I'm so peed off!

The flywheel cannot be just lightly sort-of sometimes attached to the engine. It's either bolted firmly to the crank, or it's flopping about doing nothing.

If the latter, then you cannot even start the engine, because the starter motor cannot turn the crank.

Before the clutch stopped working, the ac was working intermittently and the clutch was working intermittently.

They are unrelated.

Yes i see what you are saying here - i did say that its possible that it was alternator problems. I know this is not your main point but obviously the key locks run off the battery when engine is off and do not require alternator voltages.

Where do you think the battery gets its charge from? Are you putting the car on a battery charger every night? If a duff alternator has led the battery to be so flat that the aircon compressor cannot operate, then you will not be able to start the engine.

A far more likely reason for the compressor clutch not to be operating is that it's interlinked with the gas pressure, preventing a depressurised system from operating, because the lubricant for the compressor is suspended within the refrigerant. If the pressure is borderline, then it's entirely possible that the pressure increases in higher ambient temperatures, leading the switch to allow the compressor to operate.

Again thanks for your contributions here [cheers], perhaps we can get back to the MSE aspects of this rather than the mechanical.

<shrug> If you want to go in to to the ombudsman armed with arguments based only on complete and utter misunderstandings of the basics, feel free. Good luck. You're going to need it.

BeenThroughItAll

Let's just all leave now.

DoaM

Well at least I've learned something ... it's now explained to me why the AC stops running when I come to a halt and the engine Stop/Start mechanism activates (Stops).

sambobo

First of all, by changing the subject i assume you are agreeing that the two are directly related.
Originally posted by sambobo
”No, I'm trying to make you realise just how little sense you're making.

Not sure how being correct makes little sense?

I cant get the car to move under its own power all the time. hence, why I'm so peed off!
”The flywheel cannot be just lightly sort-of sometimes attached to the engine. It's either bolted firmly to the crank, or it's flopping about doing nothing.

If the latter, then you cannot even start the engine, because the starter motor cannot turn the crank.

Or the Flywheel is damaged and remains bolted to the crank and flaps about. a common DMF problem which i am experiencing.

“

Before the clutch stopped working, the ac was working intermittently and the clutch was working intermittently.
”They are unrelated.

the clutch and the compressor and the alternator are connected to a "single point of failure" - in this case the DMF. therefore Related.

“
Yes i see what you are saying here - i did say that its possible that it was alternator problems. I know this is not your main point but obviously the key locks run off the battery when engine is off and do not require alternator voltages.
”Where do you think the battery gets its charge from? Are you putting the car on a battery charger every night? If a duff alternator has led the battery to be so flat that the aircon compressor cannot operate, then you will not be able to start the engine.

Batteries get their charge from the ions produced by chemicals in the battery. The alternator does not recharge the battery unless the engine is running. The Alternator operates at a guess at around 14 volts when running the engine. The battery with good charge will be around 12.7volts. Im suggesting that perhaps the AC clutch requires more like a good 14 volts to operate rather than just 12.7. but its perhaps equally likely that the AC compressor is not working because of the flywheel not working, causing the Alternator and Compressor to receive uneven rotations through drive belts.

A far more likely reason for the compressor clutch not to be operating is that it's interlinked with the gas pressure, preventing a depressurised system from operating, because the lubricant for the compressor is suspended within the refrigerant. If the pressure is borderline, then it's entirely possible that the pressure increases in higher ambient temperatures, leading the switch to allow the compressor to operate.

This seems unlikely because the AC works when the DMF is not making a rattling sound. How would the refrigerant escape from the AC and then re-enter. High ambient temperature does not produce more refrigerant.

“
Again thanks for your contributions here [cheers], perhaps we can get back to the MSE aspects of this rather than the mechanical.
”<shrug> If you want to go in to to the ombudsman armed with arguments based only on complete and utter misunderstandings of the basics, feel free. Good luck. You're going to need it.

obviously its not that basic if you think im wrong and I have a little knowledge of cars. A lot of knowledge about air conditioning (outside of cars).

AdrianC

sambobo wrote: »

Or the Flywheel is damaged and remains bolted to the crank and flaps about. a common DMF problem which i am experiencing.

There are two halves to a DMF. There is the basic half - the ring gear and most of the bulk, which is still firmly fixed to the crank. Then there's the sprung half - which the clutch is attached to. That isn't "flapping about" - it's just not quite as solidly attached as it should be.

the clutch and the compressor and the alternator are connected to a "single point of failure" - in this case the DMF. therefore Related.

Different halves. And, remember, it's the flywheel being turned by the engine, not vice-versa.

Batteries get their charge from the ions produced by chemicals in the battery.

That's what stores the charge. It doesn't create it.

Im suggesting that perhaps the AC clutch requires more like a good 14 volts to operate rather than just 12.7

No. As with everything, it's a nominal 12v, but requires very little current.

but its perhaps equally likely that the AC compressor is not working because of the flywheel not working, causing the Alternator and Compressor to receive uneven rotations through drive belts.

You are ignoring them being driven by different ends of the crankshaft.

High ambient temperature does not produce more refrigerant.

I didn't say it did. Boyle's law, remember?

verityboo

The issue with the flywheel and the AC is not connected

If the engine is running then the crankshaft driven by the pistons rotates. At one end the crankshaft is bolted to the Flywheel. On the other end is a pulley which drives a belt, this in turn drives the alternator and AC compressor (when the compressors clutch kicks in)

The only way there would be an issue with the flywheel and the AC at the same time would be is there was a severe problem with the engine itself which drives them both. If that was the case you would be moaning about a fault the engine and you're not

If the engine is running normally in the middle, no issue with the flywheel could be transmitted to the AC system at the other end of the engine

waamo

DoaM wrote: »

Well at least I've learned something ... it's now explained to me why the AC stops running when I come to a halt and the engine Stop/Start mechanism activates (Stops).

Mine carries on running. It must be a fair drain on the battery because after a few minutes the engine springs back to life again.

DoaM

waamo wrote: »

Mine carries on running. It must be a fair drain on the battery because after a few minutes the engine springs back to life again.

On mine (VW Golf Bluemotion) I know it has stopped because the air warms up; as soon as the engine kicks in again the air becomes cooler.

AdrianC

waamo wrote: »

Mine carries on running. It must be a fair drain on the battery because after a few minutes the engine springs back to life again.

Hybrids would tend to have electric compressors. Stop-start ICE would tend not to.

waamo

AdrianC wrote: »

Hybrids would tend to have electric compressors. Stop-start ICE would tend not to.

Thanks. It's the 2.0 tfsi engine so petrol. VAG engines seem popular here.