Mk 5 Golf GTI Air Con Switch - HELP!!

[Ston1]

Hi All

Now... Apologies in advance - I've searched on the forum and can't find a thread on this.... I'm sure one exists and I'll be ridiculed in a matter of minutes..

I had wechillanycar.com out to service and re-gas my air con. They're good, I'd recommend them. It stopped working the other day, so they came out to diagnose. Verdict was a faulty air conditioning pressure switch. Quite good news as I feared a compressor etc...

The guy says that my best bet is to buy the part then get a garage to fit it or do it myself. I can see the switch and nut that needs undoing, but it's near the bottom of the engine bay - ie a total nightmare to get to. In theory it's perhaps a 10 minute job - if you have the right tool.

I took it to a local garage yesterday (I live in Sydenham in South East London) and the guy there said "No, it's a really fiddly job, needs to be up on the ramps, remove some stuff to get to it, at least £100 labour...."

So, some questions. Has anyone done this themselves? Is it a 10 minute job or a full on, gubbins to be removed, hour long effort?

I searched for a recommended VAG specialist around my area, haven't come up with much. Would love to hear recommendations.

Thanks very much for any advice.

Will

[Dr G]

Four Rings in Dartford come well recommended.

They're Audi by branding but the motor is virtually identical Golf/A3 anyway.

[Ston1]

Noted - thanks

[thebraketester]

Do you mean the pressure sensor that is near the alternator?

http://s2.photobucket.com/user/CupraR/media/Upload...


If so you need a set of crowfoot spanners. Not that hard a job just a bit fiddly.

[xjay1337]

It's fiddly.
Around £100 at a garage is reasonable. You need to drain the AC system and re-fill it, wouldn't really recommend you just crack it open on your driveway.

[thebraketester]

xjay1337 said:

It's fiddly.
Around £100 at a garage is reasonable. You need to drain the AC system and re-fill it, wouldn't really recommend you just crack it open on your driveway.

.....there is ( as far as I know a valve on that bit so when you take of the sensor it doesnt leak refrigerant.

[SHutchinson]

thebraketester said:

xjay1337 said:

It's fiddly.
Around £100 at a garage is reasonable. You need to drain the AC system and re-fill it, wouldn't really recommend you just crack it open on your driveway.

.....there is ( as far as I know a valve on that bit so when you take of the sensor it doesnt leak refrigerant.

Certainly on the my Audi S5 there's a Schrader type valve that the pressure switch threads on to. You can take it off with no loss of nasties.

[Ston1]

Yeah, this is correct I believe. I popped into a nearby Audi/VW specialist and managed to speak to a technician. He concurred with the view that you just need the right tool, no need to drain system etc.

So, now whether to attempt myself or pay them to do it.....!?

[xjay1337]

There you go then :-)

If you have the right tool then go for it.
You can't really break anything.

[va1o]

I remember trying to do it on mine but finding it impossible to access. In the end I paid a garage to do it, and had them change the compressor at the same time as they seem incredibly prone to failure and I didn't want to pay two sets of labour if the switch didn't fix.

The AC seemed to be the one thing to let that car down and drove me mad during the summer. It was otherwise the perfect hot hatch