A busted A/C on a Volkswagen Jetta is the problem of the day. We just solved an A/C problem on a Chevy Equinox, so let's see what we can find on the Volkswagen Jetta GLS. The Volkswagen Jetta is a great car and with a little bit of maintenance will last you a long time. But there are some issues with the A/C. 1 complaint from Volkswagen owners. Customer Concern: The A/C system does not blow cold air. There is a vibration and/or noise in the A/C lines that can be felt inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. And once again we will start with some basic tests to see if we can find any obvious problems. 1. Install a gauge set on the Jetta and look at what the gauges say. A. If the high side pressure is high and the low side pressure is high, that would indicate an A/C compressor overcharge situation (this could be refrigerant or oil overcharge).
B. If the high side pressure is high and the low side pressure is low, this could indicate that the a/c compressor is stuck at its maximum displacement or that there is an other-than-specified restriction in the system. Signs of frost on the lines indicate the point of restriction. 2. Flush the A/C system with nitrogen or refrigerant. This requires using a "dummy" restrictor that is a straight opening at the flush point. DO NOT under any circumstances use air to flush or blow out the lines. This will introduce moisture to the system that will be difficult to get rid of. Flushing the A/C ensures that all the refrigerant and oil is out of the system so that when the charge procedure is performed, one can be as accurate as possible about the amount of refrigerant and oil in the system. 3. Inspect the restrictor for signs of damage. Look to see if the restrictor is completely plugged. On expansion-type restrictors, look to see if anything is blocking the movement of the valve. 4. Inspect the A/C lines for evidence of desiccant coming apart. This will typically look like a gray sludge paste (think valve-lapping compound). If the desiccant has come apart, flush the A/C system. The desiccant can plug up the restrictor or cause damage to the compressor. 5. When replacing the Volkswagen Jetta's compressor it is recommend to drain all the oil out of the compressor (if pre-filled) and measure the amount of oil. This way, the actual amount of oil in the A/C system can be known and accounted for. Tech Tips: VW/Audi recommends replacing the drier unit along with the compressor.
However, the company said in the documents that it doesn't know of any fires, crashes or injuries caused by the problem. Fuel injectors squirt fuel into the cylinder, where it is ignited. The resulting explosion pushes the pistons, which move to power the cars. On some of the VW diesels, a vibration given off by the injectors can cause stress that eventually can lead to cracks in the injector fuel lines, VW said. Volkswagen will replace a fuel injector line in some models and install dampers to cut the vibrations on all of them. The repairs will be made free of charge. The recall is expected to start in November, NHTSA said. The recall includes 161,144 Golf and Jetta models and another 7,131 Audi A3s. About 20 percent of the cars built during those time periods will need to have fuel lines replaced, and all will the vehicles will get the vibration dampers, VW said. More than 20 percent of the Volkswagens sold in the U.S. YAHOO NEWS -- September 12, 2011 - Volkswagen is recalling more than 30,000 Jetta sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years because the tailpipes can stick out too far and burn people.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that stainless steel exhaust pipe tips installed at ports of entry and dealerships can stick out farther than the factory-installed tailpipes. If the tips are hot, people could be burned on the legs. Documents on the website say Volkswagen received complaints of burns in July and began investigating. Volkswagen said Monday that fewer than 10 people have complained of burns, but a specific number wasn't available. Dealers will inspect the cars to see if the exhaust tips are too long and replace them free of charge if necessary. SEPTEMBER 2011 -- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Jetta sedan vehicles manufactured from March 18, 2010, through August 22, 2011. Some vehicles had a stainless steel exhaust tip installed at the port during importation. These exhaust tips may extend beyond the original length of the factory-installed exhaust pipes. It is possible for inadvertent contact to occur with a person's leg.
