Why is air con not covered by service or warranty in this day and age.

NaughtiusMaximus

coffeehound said:

It seems cars made after 2016 have R1234YF refrigerant which is more costly than the old R134a for which there are some £30 - £36 regas deals still around.

So do some built before 2016. The 2014 C4 Picasso I used to own used the newer, more expensive gas.

BOWFER

HansOndabush said:

I've got two cars and using the air con on either slugs performance. On one it feels like driving through treacle. 
To those that say leave it on the whole time, why do you think
a) There is a button to enable it?
b) How can you get cooling without expending energy and hence some cost?

BTW the air con button on my Mercedes to turn it off is actually marked 'economy'!

Something wrong with both your cars, 100%
I've had umpteen cars with aircon or climate, going back to when it was still unusual for a car to have it.
On some, you only noticed a slight load on the engine at idle, but that was it.
No difference in performance, no measurable difference in MPG.
If your cars are as seriously affected by the aircon, which is what you're saying, they're broken.

niktheguru

My point is surely a 2 year old car shouldn’t need regassing if the air con is used properly and they haven’t detected a fault. If this is so common then regassing should be included in the service just like an oil change or filter change.

fred246

I think you are right. The manufacturers and the dealer seem to be involved in a fight and the customer is left in the middle picking up the bill. The dealer says "we need paying for our work". The manufacturer says we won't pay. So then they charge the customer. Seems a common problem. So many people on these forums seem obsessed with having a warranty but they don't stop unexpected bills.

coffeehound

Perhaps worth writing to the manufacturer HQ to request a goodwill gesture?

niktheguru

fred246 said:

I think you are right. The manufacturers and the dealer seem to be involved in a fight and the customer is left in the middle picking up the bill. The dealer says "we need paying for our work". The manufacturer says we won't pay. So then they charge the customer. Seems a common problem. So many people on these forums seem obsessed with having a warranty but they don't stop unexpected bills.

A warranty should have a purpose though right.
When you buy a car, does someone specifically tell you how "air conditioning" should be used. No mention of "dont turn it off"etc etc. Is it in the manual? (answer: nope) If it wasn't meant to be turned off why is the function there. If i leave my stereo off for 6 months and then later tried to use it and it didn't work would that be user fault or a fault in the car?

There just seems to be a lot of excuses for air conditioning. Oh its the seals if not used....well it needs to be designed better then, or it needs to be covered for function. What the hell is a service for then? Its to ensure the car is running smoothly. The whole car! The filter is changed, the oil is changed, so why is the air con gas not "topped up" if this is what is needed.
If there is a stone chip in the air con equipment causing a hole, then although i dont agree that it shouldnt be covered, i do understand why it isnt covered......but this BS about "needs a regassing" its just ridiculous and a money making scam.

EssexExile

niktheguru said:
What the hell is a service for then? Its to ensure the car is running smoothly. The whole car! The filter is changed, the oil is changed, so why is the air con gas not "topped up" if this is what is needed.

A service is for doing things on the service schedule. If during a service they find the brake pads need replacing they will charge for the pads and fitting.

Repairs and servicing are two different things. I've never encountered problems with air conditioning so I can't comment on whether it would be fixed under warranty.

fred246

I am not sure about this stone chip business. I can just imagine them saying "this customer is asking to see where the stone chip is. Just shove a screwdriver through the front then we can show him".

ontheroad1970

fred246 said:

I am not sure about this stone chip business. I can just imagine them saying "this customer is asking to see where the stone chip is. Just shove a screwdriver through the front then we can show him".

It might show the shape of the screwdriver if they did that.  Your constant slandering doesn't get more convincing just because you repeat it

daveyjp

Ironically since the OP posted I noticed during last week's warmer weather my climate was colder on the passenger side than driver's.

Suspecting a problem with a blender valve or climate synchronisation system I took it in to the dealer this weekend.

They have found a poor weld on the corner of the condenser and it is leaking very slightly.  Despite the OPs original statement a new condenser will be fitted under warranty.