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[Padster]

Hi all, whilst browsing the many thousands of threads on here, i came across one regarding the AC.

Apparently on the dash there is a little hole with lines on it, that sucks in air to measure cabin temp, and this can be tested by holding a piece of tissue over it. Well my piece of tissue fell down (even tried a lighter in front of it and the flame didnt budge), suggesting that it is not working... Should it have that much draw on it, or is it just a sensor that will "feel" the air in the cabin...?

Will it affect the climate control?

I own a 2.2 CD Y reg 2001 facelift 4dr Saloon.

PS, got the AC re-gassed at kwik fit today (yes for my sins i went to them), it only cost £25 and its Polar Bear cold again!  

Oh and if anyone knows where i can find my aerial booster box, i would be obliged. Crackly FM.com is taking its toll on me! I cant seem to find it under the parcel shelf. Either i aint got one, or its in disguise...

Ta, Paddy

[mark.adams]

Theres a fan behind those little holes that drags air in from the cabin over a sensor, i have the same problem, could be the fan or the electronics drive for the fan.

[Padster]

Oh no, so dash facia off then?

[amba]

Hi Padster..I have a similar problem with my "sampler fan" as it is callled,for adjusting the flow of warm/cool air inside the car...see with live local so if you fancy a "combined repair of air con fan day" whn the weather improves,probably around mid 2008 let me know and we can have a meet ?

[Padster]

Yep, sounds good, if i can wait that long. If not and i have it fixed in the mean time, i shall let you know how.

[amba]

Padster..I have read many posts on how it is done ,it is just it looks slightly daunting with lots of bits to disconnect,and they are all electrical,so my hope was that either i could find somebody who had done it before and would be happy to earn few £££,s,or a trial by error session with somebody else in the same boat,especially as it seems a common fault

[Golfbuddy]

Just to throw my experience into the pot. The grill over the sampling fan on my car won't hold a piece of tissue paper or anything else from the suction from the fan.

Nevertheless, my climate control works just fine. Once the engine has had a chance to warm up a little, I hear the fans change and the warm air starts to blow in.

I am absolutely no expert on anything to do with cars but, I would have thought that it would take a while for the instrument panel to heat up to such an extent that the sensor was fooled into cooling the air coming into the cabin. With the temeratures that most parts of the UK are experiencing at the moment, I am surprised that the ambient temperature in the car isn't low enough to make the heater come on.

Sorry I've got no answers but hopefully I've given some more food for thought before you replace something that might not need replacing. It would be worth taking the thing apart to see if the fan works before you go to the expense of buying a new one.

Finally, please let us know what the results are when you do the work. Some step by step pictures would be a great help to many of us.  

[Jay w]

i would agree with Golfbuddy here.

I had an issue with my climate when i first got the car, mine wouldn't hold tissue or paper no matter how light it was.......

I let the car idle for about 5 mins before moving off and find that it is about 10 mins before there is any heat in the cabin

[Padster]

Cheers guys, well i mite take it apart anyway, but i tried it out last night, temp was reading -1.0, i set it to auto and the dial to 23c. The fan symbol showed four bars, but it didnt blow hard until about 5 mins later and heat came out. Then when the cabin warmed up, the fans slowly toned down to a trickle even though the bars stayed at four. And the AC was on because i could hear the maine fan running and the compressor was switching in and off because if you pay close attention to bright dials, they flick when the AC comes on.....

So that may put a damper on the myth that AC does not work below 4c or 3c.

I mite get my can of compressed air for cleaning out keyboards and see if it mite loosen up the fan

[Golfbuddy]

Cheers guys, well i mite take it apart anyway, but i tried it out last night, temp was reading -1.0, i set it to auto and the dial to 23c. The fan symbol showed four bars, but it didnt blow hard until about 5 mins later and heat came out. Then when the cabin warmed up, the fans slowly toned down to a trickle even though the bars stayed at four. And the AC was on because i could hear the maine fan running and the compressor was switching in and off because if you pay close attention to bright dials, they flick when the AC comes on.....

So that may put a damper on the myth that AC does not work below 4c or 3c.

I mite get my can of compressed air for cleaning out keyboards and see if it mite loosen up the fan

What you've described sounds quite normal to me. When the engine is cold, the thermostat is closed and the heater bypass valve is closed so that the engine can get up to running temperature quicker. Once the engine is warm enough, the thermostat opens and the heater bypass valve opens allowing warm water into the heater matrix.

At this point the fans will blow hard to warm up the cabin temperature. Then, once the cabin temperature is at the desired level, the fans reduce to maintain the temperature at the level set. 23^o is not a high temperature. Why not set the temperature to Max? After all, your car has climate control, not just air conditioning, so the system should keep the car at whatever temperature you set it to and no matter what the temperature is outside the car.

[mark.adams]

Mine has started working again since i blew into the sampler fan holes, now blows warm when it should instead of cold

[PhilCavSRi130]

Dont know if this works on the facelift models but definately works on the earlier models (98ish)

Turn your CC off, press and hold the off and auto buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds. You will hear the servo's whirring as it resets itself. Worked for me when i had a similar problem.

With regards to the sampler fan mine definately works as at the mo its noisey, tried a tissue and it doesnt hold it. I have had this in bits before for it beong noisey and there is a fine gauze over the holes to stop dust getting into it. The fan is only about 10-15 across so doesnt create much of a vacuum effect.

Hope this helps.

[Golfbuddy]

Dont know if this works on the facelift models but definately works on the earlier models (98ish)

Turn your CC off, press and hold the off and auto buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds. You will hear the servo's whirring as it resets itself. Worked for me when i had a similar problem.

With regards to the sampler fan mine definately works as at the mo its noisey, tried a tissue and it doesnt hold it. I have had this in bits before for it beong noisey and there is a fine gauze over the holes to stop dust getting into it. The fan is only about 10-15 across so doesnt create much of a vacuum effect.

Hope this helps.

Reset works on Facelift.  

[Big_Roger]

I used to have a Renault Safrane which has very similar air temperature sampling arrangement for Climate control.
Had a similar problem to this and fixed it with a couple of squirts of WD40. It worked fine for over 3 years after this.