# Air conditioner is not cooling right



## Nfsroadsta2786 (May 5, 2019)

Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?

I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.

I have not tested with a thermometer, just going off holding my hand to the vent.

If this question has been asked just point me in the right direction please.

I have a 2019 SE


----------



## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Our 2019 is fine, and in fact it may be colder than our other vehicles.

Maybe just a leak check and/or recharge required?


----------



## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?


Ours is ice cold. We have to turn it off most of the time, but we're in Seattle so it's not that hot (yet).


----------



## schagaphonic (Aug 24, 2008)

My SE has one of the best AC units I can remember.

Try this: After running with AC/MAX button engaged, place a digital thermometer in front of a center vent and let us know what you get after running several minutes. Do this test to confirm if you have a major AC problem or not.

After 5 min. of driving, my car reads _*41F*_ at the vent. Outside temperature on the hwy was 89F.


----------



## PZ (May 9, 2002)

I have not tested the air temp, but I am very happy with the a/c in ours. I rarely hit Max button, but it does cool quickly and keeps temps cool even when it was hot out (2 days in Death Valley at 103 and 107). We don't have a sunroof and we do have the front windows tinted to match the rears.


----------



## mlsstl (Nov 28, 2018)

The AC on our 2018 SEL-P is excellent. tt cools the car quickly and had no problem keeping the interior comfortable. Once the car has cooled off a bit, dependng on whether direct sunlight is shining on me or not, I keep the thermostat at somewhere between 72 and 76 and the fan speed at 3 or 4. Weather in our area this summer has been in the low to mid 90s, very high humidity and plenty of sun.


----------



## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...


I have a 2018 and I find the ac very weak. I also find the heating system just as bad. I have to take it out of auto mode to get it warm.


----------



## mlsstl (Nov 28, 2018)

smg64ct203 said:


> I have a 2018 and I find the ac very weak. I also find the heating system just as bad. I have to take it out of auto mode to get it warm.


Very interesting the different experiences different people have with the car. While heating was not in the original comment, I found the Tiguan heating very good this past winter. The car's cabin warms up much faster than my prior Subaru Outback. Not that was a weak heating system (though the AC was good.)


----------



## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

smg64ct203 said:


> I have a 2018 and I find the ac very weak. I also find the heating system just as bad. I have to take it out of auto mode to get it warm.


Can you provide facts to backup your comment? Are you using the system correctly?


----------



## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

mlsstl said:


> Very interesting the different experiences different people have with the car. While heating was not in the original comment, I found the Tiguan heating very good this past winter. The car's cabin warms up much faster than my prior Subaru Outback. Not that was a weak heating system (though the AC was good.)


It does heat up fast, but I have to take it out of the auto mode to get warm. We have. 2018 outback that takes a long to to heat up but will blow you out of there once it’s hot. 

I’m in Connecticut and when it’s in the upper 80’s and humid the ac struggles to keep me cool. We have a 2005 Impreza for our third car and on hot days I drive that, gets much colder.


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

phlegm said:


> Our 2019 is fine, and in fact it may be colder than our other vehicles.
> 
> Maybe just a leak check and/or recharge required?


If the car's AC needs a charge then there's a leak that needs to be repaired. All modern sealed compressor systems are designed to not leak anything. Needing to put refrigerant in occasionally is not normal.


----------



## Nfsroadsta2786 (May 5, 2019)

Temp around here in NY are hitting 90+ and getting to be very humid. Haven't noticed any issue with the heater so from my experience with heater, check and see if the heater core is blocked/clogged.

I'll try the temperature test and see what's up. I'll post an update once I get a chance. Lately i've had to run the ac at the lowest temp with recirculate on just to keep the temp cold.


----------



## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

gerardrjj said:


> If the car's AC needs a charge then there's a leak that needs to be repaired. All modern sealed compressor systems are designed to not leak anything. Needing to put refrigerant in occasionally is not normal.


Yes, the assumption if that if a leak is found it would need to be repaired. I did not suggest refrigerant leak is a normal condition.


----------



## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

Is your pollen filter clogged? I can sit and idle the engine and get it too cold to stand in 90 degree weather... Pollen filter not getting changed is the only thing other than system damage I can think of.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


----------



## jwvetere (May 12, 2019)

*Agree w. OP*

This past Friday (yesterday, 5JUL) was the hottest day of the year thus far (in DC-metro area) - low to mid 90's in the afternoon. I took a 10 mile highway drive around 5:00PM - hot, sunny weather, with pano-shade closed - and my car did not cool off before I reached my destination. It was so bad that I even opened my window on the highway once or twice, because I felt like there was still hot air in the car and I needed additional circulation to cool me off. (This was probably a 20 minute drive.) I set the AC to Max/Auto - and I just did not cool off. Note: I was in my cool, air conditioned house before entering the car for the drive - it's not like I was out working in the sun all day, and just didn't cool off personally.

Based on the positive feedback from the other posters about their ice-cold AC blowing air - I definitely think something is wrong with my unit. It blows strong - but it just wasn't ice cold air blowing out of there.

In fact, even though we didn't have real hot weather until this point, I have noticed the air wasn't super cold during previous drives - but I just wrote it off to not being that hot outside/shorter distance drives.

This is my first VW - and I have yet to deal with VW Service at all. Should I take it in? What should I expect? My past few cars were high-end BMW's - and I never had any reluctance taking them into BMW for service (and my local service centers were two of the largest volume BMW dealers in the US (South Florida)). I took the car in for the slightest imperfection/malfunction - expecting new, top-tier models to operate perfectly. (Don't get me wrong - I wasn't in there often - but the few times I was, I was sure the car had something that needed correcting - and I was always right.) (Just didn't want to set the tone that I'm someone who takes my car in for unreasonable complaints/service issues - I'm def not an auto-hypochondriac!)

(Note: 2019 SEL-P purchased in April - so this was my first time really needing the AC on Max mode in this new vehicle.)


----------



## jwvetere (May 12, 2019)

*Pollen Filter*



zackdawley said:


> Is your pollen filter clogged? I can sit and idle the engine and get it too cold to stand in 90 degree weather... Pollen filter not getting changed is the only thing other than system damage I can think of.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


Is this possible after just one Spring season? Don't get me wrong - we had tons of pollen up here this year. The car was even "yellow" from pollen when I first saw it on the sales floor at the dealership. And I purchased it in April - right at the start of Pollen Season.

Is this something I can check myself? Something I need to take it in for? (See my post just above.)


----------



## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

I'd just take it in, but it is easily user replaceable... 

You shouldn't even need Max AC unless it's a super hot day and it's been sitting in the sun.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


----------



## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

I have a 2018 SE and my AC gets cool, but not cold. And in the severe winter cold it struggles to keep the interior warm. 

Is it because it's a 4 cylinder? It's the worst heating and cooling system I've ever seen in a car. But love the vehicle otherwise. 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

I did an objective test in my 2018 today. Phoenix Summer here. 
With the car in my garage, ambient air temp 105°, started the car with the auto-climate-control set at 72°. Within three minutes the air coming out of the center vent was 51° once I started moving it quickly went down to 46°-47°.
33° of cooling at idle is pretty impressive to me. Blowing 50° air at idle with outside temps over 100° is impressive to me.

Yea, it takes about 10 minutes for the fan to start reducing speed, but on top of the high outside temps I also have blazing Sun warming the car. I have no complaints.


----------



## Sopey15 (Mar 12, 2019)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...


I have the exact same model and have thought the same thing. It seems like the car especially doesn't get as cold as I expect when sitting idle. I figured I'll have the charge checked next time I go in in a couple weeks.


----------



## FromAudiToVWWithLove (May 8, 2018)

My 2018 SEL-P has had the same A/C issue twice. Both times I randomly noticed that it wasn't blowing as cold. 

Took it to the dealer, they did "blah blah blah" under warranty and it fixed it.


----------



## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

FromAudiToVWWithLove said:


> My 2018 SEL-P has had the same A/C issue twice. Both times I randomly noticed that it wasn't blowing as cold.
> 
> Took it to the dealer, they did "blah blah blah" under warranty and it fixed it.


Do our Tiguans use the same Sanden AC compressors with the sticking RCV issue that many other VWs have? These compressors are famous for having inconsistent cooling ability. In the past VW would replace the compressor to fix this, but I have been told that they now have a TSB that just replaces the sticking Refrigerant Control Valve (like many other shops have been doing for years). Check your paperwork and see if "blah blah blah" makes any mention of parts replaced.

Have Fun!

Don


----------



## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

My brand new Tiguan (in April) had a cool-ish but definitely not COLD AC. I brought it in and they said it was fine until I made them compare with another Tiguan. They scanned codes and found the compressor wasn't turning on and when they checked, it was simply "unplugged."

I'd bring it in and have them check for codes and check the compressor plug and use a thermometer to read the coolest air temp. Compare with similar new models on the lot.


----------



## EPilot (Jul 27, 1999)

Since they share a lot of the same coding with the Golf, has anyone checked to see if the "Hot Country" is active on the AC system?
Check this topic from the Golf/GTI section:

2015 GTI VCDS AC "Hot Country"I know on my GTI Hot Country wasn't set and my A/C wasn't that cold but switching it to Hot Country changed that and it cools quicker and stronger. I mean not like walking into an ice storage building cold but there was a difference.

From that topic.


> Here are the instructions :
> 
> 
> Open VCDS
> ...


----------



## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

I used the "Big Country" setting, but that made my radio only play 80s music.


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...



in my '18 I'd randomly noticed that I could not manually enable the air recirculator funciton. The light would not come on at all. I don't know if this is a "thing" in these cars like some other issues but pulling in hot, possibly humid, air will definitely reduce the cooling ability of the system.
With the automatic climate control you can't force fresh air intake so I can't compare fresh/recirculate but one of the things that made me press the button that one time was that the unit seemed to be blowing warmer than I expected.

The thing was in the shop for three weeks, they wound up replacing several motors and the climate control display unit before resolving the issue. When I took it in I'd thought it was a simple computer settings thing like it had lost "basic settings" as my headlights had when they stopped moving.

If you can't get recirculated air then I would expect the car to take longer to cool off and perhaps never get down to a comfortable temp, but as I said above in Phoenix full sun my unit gets and keeps the car cool even during the daylight hours. At night and in the cooler seasons I think I can get the entire cabin down near refrigerator temperatures.


----------



## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

gerardrjj said:


> in my '18 I'd randomly noticed that I could not manually enable the air recirculator funciton. The light would not come on at all. I don't know if this is a "thing" in these cars like some other issues but pulling in hot, possibly humid, air will definitely reduce the cooling ability of the system.
> With the automatic climate control you can't force fresh air intake so I can't compare fresh/recirculate but one of the things that made me press the button that one time was that the unit seemed to be blowing warmer than I expected.
> 
> ...


I'll double check this, but every time I've manually pressed recirc, it has worked.

I'm also curious about the "forcing fresh air" piece you meniton. My expectation is that unless recirc is enabled (such as manually, or via max a/c mode), the you are getting fresh air. Are you saying there's a mode where we'd be in recirc without knowing?


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

phlegm said:


> I'll double check this, but every time I've manually pressed recirc, it has worked.
> 
> I'm also curious about the "forcing fresh air" piece you meniton. My expectation is that unless recirc is enabled (such as manually, or via max a/c mode), the you are getting fresh air. Are you saying there's a mode where we'd be in recirc without knowing?


Yes, with Climatronic, or whatever it's called, in full auto mode it doesn't show you any detail. No: air routing, recirculation status nor fan speed. Only the temperature settings, sync status, Auto and AC lights are on. You can't tell if your in full recirculate, blend or full-fresh air supply mode. The unit chooses that based on sun intensity, outside air temperature, cabin set point and inside humidity level.
One would assume that when I start the car with setpoint of 72° and outside temp of 105° and inside temp of 130° that it would first use full fresh air to force out the hottest air, then change to full recirculate to maximize cooling, then once the near 72° move to a blend of fresh air, but there is no visual and almost unnoticeable change in sound when any of this happens.

With the automatic system I don't know that you can force full fresh-air mode, there's not way to tell the status of the intake door nor force it open through the controls; you can only force it closed with the recirculate button.


----------



## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

gerardrjj said:


> in my '18 I'd randomly noticed that I could not manually enable the air recirculator funciton. The light would not come on at all. I don't know if this is a "thing" in these cars like some other issues but pulling in hot, possibly humid, air will definitely reduce the cooling ability of the system.
> ...


Unsure if other automatic factors involved, but I finally remembered to give this a shot in my 2019. I can enable (light stays on) recirc from any climate settings I'm in. In some cases like defrost, the defrost settings would turn off, but the recirc could be selected.


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...


Here's the pics from the test I did. the one at idle is about 2-3 minutes after "cold" starting in my fully shaded garage, thermostat set at 72°.
The second one is four minutes later on the hightway and doing 55mph.
The thermometer probe is in the center vents. The 121°/122° thing in the thermometer display is a setpoint and not a reading of any temperature.

If I can get these temps in this heat anyone should be able to get them. If you can't get thee to a warranty repair shop immediately.


----------



## kirk_augustin (Jul 21, 2012)

gerardrjj said:


> If the car's AC needs a charge then there's a leak that needs to be repaired. All modern sealed compressor systems are designed to not leak anything. Needing to put refrigerant in occasionally is not normal.


That is totally untrue.
The shaft has to pass through the freon seals in order to get to the belt driven pulley, so MUST leak.
In fact, modern freon R134a uses much more pressure than the old R12 did, so it leaks much faster now.
The solution car makers came up with to help reduce seal leakage, is to run the AC whenever you select defrost, even in the winter.
That prevented the seals from drying out and leaking quite so much.
But if you do not use defrost in the winter, then that summer you will definitely have to recharge the freon.


----------



## kirk_augustin (Jul 21, 2012)

*Check blend doors*

The first thing you always check with AC is whether there is pressure.
In the old days, you could just rely on the sight glass.
But these days they removed the sight glass and you have to put the dual gauge set on.
Then if you see pressure differential, the pump and freon are ok
The low side can be from 25 to 50 psi.
The high side can be from 135 to 335 psi.

If the pressure differential is ok, then the most likely next is the blend doors.
With CPU climate control, the hot water is never turned off.
Instead, the blend door to the hot air from the heater is shut.
But if the servo is broken or door binding, you will still get some heat when you don't want it.
You have to have someone switch the controls while you look under the dash, to see if the blend door function properly.


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

kirk_augustin said:


> That is totally untrue.
> The shaft has to pass through the freon seals in order to get to the belt driven pulley, so MUST leak.
> In fact, modern freon R134a uses much more pressure than the old R12 did, so it leaks much faster now.
> The solution car makers came up with to help reduce seal leakage, is to run the AC whenever you select defrost, even in the winter.
> ...


Let me re-phrase: if you have to re-add refrigierant to your AC on any humanly recognizable timescale then there is something broken.

The seals are remarkably good with modern engineering and for practical purposes don't leak. Yes they actually do, but the rate is so minnimal that most people would scrap a car after 10-15 years and never have added refrigerant. If you're adding R134 to a system every summer because pressures are low then something is broken.


----------



## EPilot (Jul 27, 1999)

So has anyone looked at the climate control settings with VCDS?


----------



## mikeindc (Apr 1, 2016)

I have a GOLD Station wagon and finding the same issue. The temp coming out is not quite cool enough. The biggest problem is that the fan is noisy (previous car was a BMW X3) so I don't keep the fan speed up much. I think the amount of glass contributes to the problem.


----------



## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Temp around here in NY are hitting 90+ and getting to be very humid. Haven't noticed any issue with the heater so from my experience with heater, check and see if the heater core is blocked/clogged.
> 
> I'll try the temperature test and see what's up. I'll post an update once I get a chance. Lately i've had to run the ac at the lowest temp with recirculate on just to keep the temp cold.


Any update on this issue for you? Did you take it to the dealer and have them scan codes or compare temp readings with other Tiguans on the lot? (See my story above)


----------



## Nfsroadsta2786 (May 5, 2019)

CTGeoff said:


> Any update on this issue for you? Did you take it to the dealer and have them scan codes or compare temp readings with other Tiguans on the lot? (See my story above)


I have a service appointment set for this coming Friday. This week has been busy so I have not gotten the chance to do the temperature test. I will try over the weekend. I might just grab a can of freon and add it to the system. Still debating about that though. Pretty sure it uses R134a, unless it has been updated to a new type of freon.


----------



## Nfsroadsta2786 (May 5, 2019)

gerardrjj said:


> Here's the pics from the test I did. the one at idle is about 2-3 minutes after "cold" starting in my fully shaded garage, thermostat set at 72°.
> The second one is four minutes later on the hightway and doing 55mph.
> The thermometer probe is in the center vents. The 121°/122° thing in the thermometer display is a setpoint and not a reading of any temperature.
> 
> If I can get these temps in this heat anyone should be able to get them. If you can't get thee to a warranty repair shop immediately.


What did you have the AC settings set at?
Was recirculate enabled or not?


----------



## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

gerardrjj said:


> Let me re-phrase: if you have to re-add refrigierant to your AC on any humanly recognizable timescale then there is something broken.
> 
> The seals are remarkably good with modern engineering and for practical purposes don't leak. Yes they actually do, but the rate is so minnimal that most people would scrap a car after 10-15 years and never have added refrigerant. If you're adding R134 to a system every summer because pressures are low then something is broken.


:thumbup: Thirteen years with a Mk4 GTI and never an issue with the AC.


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> What did you have the AC settings set at?
> Was recirculate enabled or not?


From my original post: The set point was 72°, Auto. There's no way to tell the recirculate setting or fan speed in auto mode, But I'm pretty sure the fan was still at full power and it had switched to full recirculate.


----------



## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> I have a service appointment set for this coming Friday. This week has been busy so I have not gotten the chance to do the temperature test. I will try over the weekend. I might just grab a can of freon and add it to the system. Still debating about that though. Pretty sure it uses R134a, unless it has been updated to a new type of freon.


Your car is way too new to need a refill... You need to take it to the dealer and have it fixed under warranty.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


----------



## Urano17 (Jul 7, 2018)

I've own my 2019 SE one year this month. I have put on 24k miles. Over the winter i can hear a whooshing sound come on when the defrosters was on or when i put it on auto. When selecting auto the AC light would also illuminate. Well its 90 out here in Missouri and i have no AC. I am out here for work and located a nearby dealer. They called me and saying its low. Looking on here and other forums it seems to be a common problem. I hope its not a leak and just a quality control issue when these things were produced.


----------



## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

Urano17 said:


> ......and saying its low. Looking on here and other forums it seems to be a common problem. I hope its not a leak and just a quality control issue when these things were produced.


So, can you list what make does not have occasional issues with the AC system needing service?


----------



## Jsuscavage (Sep 29, 2020)

*My 2020 Tiguan SE issues*

Today I just picked up a loner from my local Dealer Larry Miller here in Avondale AZ. It`s been back 3 times for not cooling down properly. They finally narrowed it down to needing a replacement updated compressor. It seems it was losing refrigerant very very slowly due to a problem with the 2020 model year compressors. I`ll keep you all posted on the repairs as it won`t be delivered until Thursday.

Best regards to all,

John Suscavage


----------



## Jsuscavage (Sep 29, 2020)

*AC fixed finally*

Picked up last Friday and so far so good. Nice to have a proper working system here in the valley of the Sun.

They replaced the compressor and all the associated under hood components. Did a complete system evacuation and recharge.

Thanks to all.

Respectfully,

John Suscavage


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue
> 
> 
> Nfsroadsta2786 said:
> ...


----------



## Nfsroadsta2786 (May 5, 2019)

I have noticed that. It happens on all cars, but I feel it more in the Tiggy. I think it just poorly designed. Adding clear ceramic tints would help significantly, as it would reflect the sun.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> I have noticed that. It happens on all cars, but I feel it more in the Tiggy. I think it just poorly designed. Adding clear ceramic tints would help significantly, as it would reflect the sun.


But then again it doesn’t explain why some people got it or, think it got fixed after a dealership visit, which is interesting, since not all of them got a compressor replaced. Probably the interior space is either a little too big for the system or the output is not well regulated.


----------



## Rstem623 (Jun 13, 2021)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...


I have a 2017 and SAME THING! I’ve had it a year, took back to the dealer where I bought it used last August and asked if they had put Freon in and he said yes, but in July and August, it’s impossible to stay cool in my car! It blows, but not as hrd as my much cheaper Nissan blew air; it’s cold if it’s 70° outside but if it’s 85° or above, forget it, you’re going to sweat and be miserable. For someone like me who makes many stops as a sales rep, it’s just miserable- pair that with the leather seats feeling about 150° every time you get back in it’s very uncomfortable and STAYS very uncomfortable. Frustrating when dealer says “It feels cool to ME!”
I don’t know what to do!


----------



## Rstem623 (Jun 13, 2021)

schagaphonic said:


> My SE has one of the best AC units I can remember.
> 
> Try this: After running with AC/MAX button engaged, place a digital thermometer in front of a center vent and let us know what you get after running several minutes. Do this test to confirm if you have a major AC problem or not.
> 
> After 5 min. of driving, my car reads _*41F*_ at the vent. Outside temperature on the hwy was 89F.


That’s UNBELIEVABLE! I’m still sweating profusely afyer driving 30 minutes with it on maxAC. 😢 Dealer says it feels fine to him. 🙄


----------



## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

Rstem623 said:


> That’s UNBELIEVABLE! I’m still sweating profusely afyer driving 30 minutes with it on maxAC.  Dealer says it feels fine to him.


Find a different dealership? Ask what the reading is at the vent? Feels cold shouldn’t even enter into the conversation. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

zackdawley said:


> Find a different dealership? Ask what the reading is at the vent? Feels cold shouldn’t even enter into the conversation.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't have the service guide but there are objective temperatures the system should reach within specified times.
If the dealer says "it feels fine" then have them show you the factory service manual that says "use your best judgement as to the performance of the climate control cooling system".
No. F* no. The specs are usually something like: at idle, in shade the system must reach x° or lower.


----------



## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

Any A/C system should read at least 30 degrees lower that the outside ambient air temp as measured at the center dash vents with the blower on high speed and recirc (max A/C) selected. That's after 5 minutes of running.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...





Nfsroadsta2786 said:


> Does anyone else have an issue with their AC?
> 
> I feel like it's not cold enough. I have compared the AC on my Tiggy to several other cars with Max AC setting and it just does not feel cold enough. On all the other cars, the air gets so cold it feels like you can freeze your fingers holding your hand to the vent.
> 
> ...


I got my 2019 Tiguan SE to the dealer, they said it was impossible (sic) to have a low charge, they checked the system, guess what, the charge was low, they did a refill, try a dealership, if they refuse to check, try another one, keep an eye on it afterwards


schagaphonic said:


> My SE has one of the best AC units I can remember.
> 
> Try this: After running with AC/MAX button engaged, place a digital thermometer in front of a center vent and let us know what you get after running several minutes. Do this test to confirm if you have a major AC problem or not.
> 
> After 5 min. of driving, my car reads _*41F*_ at the vent. Outside temperature on the hwy was 89F.


, could be a leak, two months later still cooling fine.


schagaphonic said:


> My SE has one of the best AC units I can remember.
> 
> Try this: After running with AC/MAX button engaged, place a digital thermometer in front of a center vent and let us know what you get after running several minutes. Do this test to confirm if you have a major AC problem or not.
> 
> After 5 min. of driving, my car reads _*41F*_ at the vent. Outside temperature on the hwy was 89F.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

gerardrjj said:


> I don't have the service guide but there are objective temperatures the system should reach within specified times.
> If the dealer says "it feels fine" then have them show you the factory service manual that says "use your best judgement as to the performance of the climate control cooling system".
> No. F* no. The specs are usually something like: at idle, in shade the system must reach x° or lower.


It could take a little bit if the car is outside with sun but, it should be cold after a little while, not hours later, mine was with low charge even though they did say that was “impossible” for a car two years old.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

phlegm said:


> Our 2019 is fine, and in fact it may be colder than our other vehicles.
> 
> Maybe just a leak check and/or recharge required?


All cars don’t have the same issue, yours is how all should behave.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

smg64ct203 said:


> It does heat up fast, but I have to take it out of the auto mode to get warm. We have. 2018 outback that takes a long to to heat up but will blow you out of there once it’s hot.
> 
> I’m in Connecticut and when it’s in the upper 80’s and humid the ac struggles to keep me cool. We have a 2005 Impreza for our third car and on hot days I drive that, gets much colder.


Try using the recirculating mode , it helps get the car colder in summer, warmer in winter.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

gerardrjj said:


> If the car's AC needs a charge then there's a leak that needs to be repaired. All modern sealed compressor systems are designed to not leak anything. Needing to put refrigerant in occasionally is not normal.


Mine, a 2019 Tiguan SE required a recharge, though no leak was found by the dealer, I’m keeping an eye on it, we’ll see what happens summer 2022.


zackdawley said:


> Is your pollen filter clogged? I can sit and idle the engine and get it too cold to stand in 90 degree weather... Pollen filter not getting changed is the only thing other than system damage I can think of.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


that shouldn’t be an issue, my 2019 Tiguan SE had the filter replaced, and still wasn’t cooling, a recharge was needed, no leak found yet after two months.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

jwvetere said:


> *Agree w. OP*
> 
> This past Friday (yesterday, 5JUL) was the hottest day of the year thus far (in DC-metro area) - low to mid 90's in the afternoon. I took a 10 mile highway drive around 5:00PM - hot, sunny weather, with pano-shade closed - and my car did not cool off before I reached my destination. It was so bad that I even opened my window on the highway once or twice, because I felt like there was still hot air in the car and I needed additional circulation to cool me off. (This was probably a 20 minute drive.) I set the AC to Max/Auto - and I just did not cool off. Note: I was in my cool, air conditioned house before entering the car for the drive - it's not like I was out working in the sun all day, and just didn't cool off personally.
> 
> ...


Air conditioning not cooling properly is an issue worth the trip to the dealership, is covered under warranty, I was procrastinating but when finally took it, there was an issue, the charge was low, even though they said it was not possible for a car that new, they did the check, the charge was low, now my 2019 Tiguan SE is cooling perfectly, even in hot Maryland (90s)weather under the sun.


----------



## Bert62 (Feb 9, 2021)

mlsstl said:


> The AC on our 2018 SEL-P is excellent. tt cools the car quickly and had no problem keeping the interior comfortable. Once the car has cooled off a bit, dependng on whether direct sunlight is shining on me or not, I keep the thermostat at somewhere between 72 and 76 and the fan speed at 3 or 4. Weather in our area this summer has been in the low to mid 90s, very high humidity and plenty of sun.


All 2018,19,20,21 Tiguan models for North America have the same engine 2.0 turbo 184hp 221lb and air conditioning system, the only difference is on amenities, that’s it.


----------



## natacolem (Sep 17, 2021)

Yes, I had a problem with my aircon. It was worse for me, it didn't blow cold, and it was summer. I didn't know how I would endure such a hot summer without a conditioner. Something has worn out in the ventilation system for both you and me, and you need an exchange of parts. There are many videos on YouTube on how to fix it on my own, but I couldn't. It's too complicated. If you are good at this field, you can try. I chose the easier way to turn to some specialists in the area. I asked for help from a company because I know they have advanced workers. They quickly fixed my problem, and so far, I have not had any issues with AC. 






*__*
the link: https://www.spartamech.co.uk/air-conditioning/


----------



## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

kirk_augustin said:


> That is totally untrue.
> The shaft has to pass through the freon seals in order to get to the belt driven pulley, so MUST leak.
> In fact, modern freon R134a uses much more pressure than the old R12 did, so it leaks much faster now.
> The solution car makers came up with to help reduce seal leakage, is to run the AC whenever you select defrost, even in the winter.
> ...


That is not why the compressor is used during the defrost cycle. Dry, hot air will absorb the moisture on the windows much faster that damp hot air. The A/C is turned on to pull the moisture out of the air by passing it over the cold, evaporation coils, then the cold, dry air is run through the heater coil to make it hot, dry air. When it hits the windshield, the condensate is evaporated immediately. I've had cars over 15 years old with 250,000 miles and the A/C worked as good as day one.


----------



## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

I really need to remember to go back in and change my AC to stop operating in hot climate mode… it gets far too cold. Two minutes at 100f and she’s cool and starts hurting your hands if it’s blowing straight at you. 

Ceramic tints on all the glass helps, but there were zero issues even before that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

