Ve Sportwagon Airconditioning Issues  

vk134
  • vk134
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  • From: Bribie Island
Post #1 post 1st January 2015 - 07:14 PM
Gents,
I have a VE series 2 SV6 sportwagon that has the most shittiest hit and miss air conditioning. It is apparently dual zone climate control, but it seems to be more make up random temperatures and if the outside air temp gets over 32C just crap out and blow cool heavily humidified air about head_wall.gif .
I had in into Holden for a service and they checked it and said it all tested ok, but I am not sure what they base it on, a 74 HQ statesman?, It just has crap air flow and poor performance compared to the previous 50+ cars with air conditioning I can base it on.
Are the newer sportwagons really just a shitty design that cannot cope or should I be riding them harder to get it sorted rant2.gif
Special k
Post #2

i have a series 1 ve ss wagon. it kept throwing the aircon belt off. they replaced the belt when it was under warranty. Kept happening and they said it needs the harmonic balancer replaced. But it was out of warranty now so they wanted $1100 to fix it. Even though the initial issue was presented under warranty. I fought with them to eventually get them to cover most of it. I was out of pocket $200 in the end. But just seems shitty build quality.

vk134
Post #3

This only has the Mangatech V6, I was just surprised at how random the airflow and temp is, I like the looks and the way it drives, but A/C is one area they should not fk up after all these years. All the other bling works fine, just A/C cannot cope on a hot day, I just need to know from other owners before annoying the fk out of the dealers as it is still under warranty.

Shuffs
Post #4

So we are dealing with Climate Control,which means computer management,meaning sometimes they they can do some whacky things,like,so he wants a cabin temperature of 21 degrees,outside ambient is 35 degrees,let me see what options I have,maybe I'll try a couple....
The main thing you're dealing with in Climate Control,is a flap,which regulates the amount of heated,and conditioned air into the cabin to maintain a set temperature,and the fan speed is automatically controlled,unless you override it.My Peugeot has Climate Control,and sometimes if the ambient temperature was lower,the last time I used it,because of the flap you can feel,and smell the hot air,even though the air conditioning is not on,the only way to rectify the problem,is to adjust the set point temperature down,wait for it to sort itself out,then turn it off.
I did a bit of Googling,as my exposure to vehicle air conditioning back when I was working for Norco,was mainly limited to their company fleet of Falcons (that's another story) and dual zone was not part of the equation.I'll post the link up,for you to have a gander,two things came out of it,the first was apparently they (Holden) were bringing out a software upgrade for it,but the main thing that came out of this thread was that the fan control switch was prone to sticking.To me,the main weak link,with this type of air conditioning has always been the flap,and the actuator that operates it,but have a read.

http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/ve-hol...-shut-down.html



vk134
Post #5

Ta Shuffs, seems I am not alone with this issue, It is only a temporary lease car, but I cannot tolerate shit not working properly, It seems to have behaved itself now the temps are below 35.

Shuffs
Post #6

As a matter of interest,when you jump into it,after it's been sitting out in the sun on days with high ambients,do you wind the windows down and let the hot air out of the cabin,before you turn on the A.C?The reason I ask,is the system has a high pressure cut out switch,designed to stop the compressor from being overloaded,and also to reduce the possibility of rupturing a high side hose.If you turn it on with a high cabin temperature,and with high ambient temperature passing through the condenser,the pressure in the discharge side of the system will be really high,and the HP switch will drop the compressor out.When the compressor stops pumping,the pressures will equalize allowing the HP switch to close again,and the system will restart.It will continue to do this,until it gets the cabin temp down to where the system can handle the pressures involved,and run continuously.
So nutshell,I'm saying let the hot air out of the vehicle first,then turn the airconditioning on,or it will take for ever to remove the heat (also a good idea to have the air flow on recirculate,so it's not continually having to remove the heat from outside air) boy,if you ever see the mess created when an air conditioning hose ruptures,atomized oil everywhere (and it's hygroscopic)!

vk134
Post #7

Yep, born and bred Queenslander, I always give the car a chance to at least just work with ambient, windows down to clear the hot air first, not pre heated. From asking around it just seems like climate control, dual zone is a clustefk of an idea past 35 degrees. It seems to just be underdimensioned for the glass area, probably worked fine in Victoria during testing, but the beanos would have overuled the engineers and popped in a shiity sized evaporator and a half arsed compressor. I just cannot understand for a late 2012 model car it just cannot match even the most basic old shitboxes I have had for beach work etc, I will see how the Qashqai goes before the jury is out, that it is just a fk up of a design.

toomanytoys
Post #8

sounds like too much gas . and system kicking out on over pressure. . has it been vacced and re gassed at all

vk134
Post #9

The symptoms do point to that or a faulty thermistor, but should have been set right from the factory, as it is only 2 years old, nice car apart from this.

Shuffs
Post #10

So has the system been opened, because that certainly puts a whole new slant on things,I was assuming that given it's age,that it hadn't been touched,and was thinking it had to be an electrical, or management problem . Thermistor prime suspect,if no one's touched the gas charge.

toomanytoys
Post #11

lots of variables at the factory, was it a friday arv build, did an apprentice gas it. was it gassed on a really cold morning. check the thermistor but my money would be on overgas. Even the factory gets it wrong occasionally .

terryhuntley63202
Post #12

My ve series 2 wagon is stuck on windscreen the air con is how do you get it off and on to other settings cause i habe tryed all the buttons to move it and habe tryed to rest the actuators and its still stuck in one spot and its blowing hot air only

Fazz1977
Post #13

QUOTE (terryhuntley63202 @ Sep 15 2018, 08:41 AM) *
My ve series 2 wagon is stuck on windscreen the air con is how do you get it off and on to other settings cause i habe tryed all the buttons to move it and habe tryed to rest the actuators and its still stuck in one spot and its blowing hot air only


Same here, except mine's intermittent.

2011 S2 SV6 Wagon. After it's been sitting in the sun all day, I'll turn it over, no front vents, only footwell and demister vents. Turn the car off and back on again and 8/10 times it now works properly.

This morning I hopped in, no fan function at all. Got to work, turned car off and back on again and now it's working again.

Have performed demister switch relearn function, seems to be ok for a few days then starts freaking out again.

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