Air Con Woes!

[dave284]

Hi all,

First let me start by saying I love subaru - fantastic vehicles and usually very reliable. Previously owned an MY00 WRX Club Spec Evo IV and it was a brilliant car.

Now I am the sometimes proud owner of an MY08 Liberty STi. I say sometimes cause this thing has caused me nothing but problems in the couple of months I have owned - all up it has spent over three weeks on and off in the Subaru workshop getting things fixed - including having the engine replaced after owning it for two weeks.

Anyway the latest problem is with the air con and I am interested to see if anyone else has experienced this. Am having problems with the air con not working sometimes when starting the car. The fan works but the compressor does not seems to be running as the air isn't cold. This happens intermittently and for no obvious reason and then after the vehilce running for about 5 minutes the air con kicks in.

The car has had three visits to Subaru and has now been at the workshop for over a week and the mechanics cannot work out what is wrong - partly cause the air con always works for them when they start the car! Have told them that I do not want the car back until they have found the problem and fixed it. Latest is that they are going to replace the control unit.

Anyone had a similar problem with their air con?

Dave

[GTSPECB STI]

Sorry to hear of all your troubles and no the MY07 GT tuned by sti I have has never had a problem like you are describing. I also can't recall anyone else with that issue. Hate to say it but sounds like you may have gotten one of the few lemons. Good luck and be firm as hell with Subaru mate.

[Spec B Wgn]

doesnt sound good Dave...

quick question... was it doing this particular problem before the engine was removed or only after... if it was after ..have they re-fitted everything correctly.

my initial thoughts are it sounds like a thermostat problem or similar..

perhaps the sensor is thinking it has reached its desired temp so it turns of the compressor.. and just leaves the fan running.

Have you tried maxing the temp out to the hot setting and putting your a/c on to see if its blwing hot air out as it should ...as opposed to cold air on a cold setting.?

[dave284]

yeah I reckon you are right - just a lemon. but that's what makes it so bloody frustrating - subarus are normally so damn reliable. In fact on an episode of Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson even made the point of saying that throughout his motoring journalism career he has never had someone write to him saying that their Subaru broke!! Why did I have to get the crap car!

Anyway the mechanics hopefully will find the problem, was just hoping someone else out there might have had a similar issue and had it fixed.

Also am writing a big nasty letter to Subaru Aus complaining about the car

[Spec B Wgn]

why did they remove the motor ?

[dave284]

apparently the main bearing disintegrated (am no mechanic that's just what they told me). Subaru sent a new engine and they had to send off the turbo to get tested & checked. took 10 days and I had only had the car 2 weeks!

[Spec B Wgn]

did you read my first post ??

so did this occur before or after the re-fit?

[dave284]

[quote="Spec B Wgn"]doesnt sound good Dave...

quick question... was it doing this particular problem before the engine was removed or only after... if it was after ..have they re-fitted everything correctly.

my initial thoughts are it sounds like a thermostat problem or similar..

perhaps the sensor is thinking it has reached its desired temp so it turns of the compressor.. and just leaves the fan running.

Have you tried maxing the temp out to the hot setting and putting your a/c on to see if its blwing hot air out as it should ...as opposed to cold air on a cold setting.?[/quote]

sorry mate I think i posted something at the same time you did and didn't notice this post.

to answer your questions - yes the issue only started occuring after the engine was replaced. I reminded the head mechanic of this!

things they have done so far to try and fix it are:

move the registration label as where is was stuck on the window is directly above the temperature sensor (I think this was pointless as all the courtesy cars I have driven - 4 different ones now - all have the rego label on the windscreen above the sensor and there are no problems with the air con)

increased the gas level (again I think this was pointless - it made the air con much colder but how does this impact on whether the compressor is starting or not?)

removed the main ac unit and found some pins(?) loose (probably related to when they changed the engine)

again checked and reset gas level

and now they have replaced the control unit but still don't know what the actual problem is!

I haven't tried your suggestion on the hot air thing - when it hasn't worked have always just cranked it down to 18 degrees - am picking the car up again tomorrow so if it stuffs up again will give your suggestion a go. Am seriously at the point though of wanting a replacement car.

[Spec B Wgn]

doesnt sound good Dave...

quick question... was it doing this particular problem before the engine was removed or only after... if it was after ..have they re-fitted everything correctly.

my initial thoughts are it sounds like a thermostat problem or similar..

perhaps the sensor is thinking it has reached its desired temp so it turns of the compressor.. and just leaves the fan running.

Have you tried maxing the temp out to the hot setting and putting your a/c on to see if its blwing hot air out as it should ...as opposed to cold air on a cold setting.?

sorry mate I think i posted something at the same time you did and didn't notice this post.

to answer your questions - yes the issue only started occuring after the engine was replaced. I reminded the head mechanic of this!

things they have done so far to try and fix it are:

move the registration label as where is was stuck on the window is directly above the temperature sensor (I think this was pointless as all the courtesy cars I have driven - 4 different ones now - all have the rego label on the windscreen above the sensor and there are no problems with the air con)

increased the gas level (again I think this was pointless - it made the air con much colder but how does this impact on whether the compressor is starting or not?)

removed the main ac unit and found some pins(?) loose (probably related to when they changed the engine)

again checked and reset gas level

and now they have replaced the control unit but still don't know what the actual problem is!

I haven't tried your suggestion on the hot air thing - when it hasn't worked have always just cranked it down to 18 degrees - am picking the car up again tomorrow so if it stuffs up again will give your suggestion a go. Am seriously at the point though of wanting a replacement car.

fukn frustration big time i bet...

they have obviously stuffed something up when they refitted the motor.

probably crimped a a/c line or something and its not holding gas or a seal has leaked ... shouldnt be too hard to retrace ..i would have thought

i love the first thing they did ... moved the reg disc... hahahahah

bloody rocket scientists dont you love em...

[dave284]

well looks like they have finally fixed the problem - after all the fixes listed above, about 15 days in the workshop and me continually telling them that the problem is that the air con compressor obviously isn't working they finally replaced the compressor. So far so good and the air con appears to have been fixed!

Dave