Technical Panda Air Conditioning

[jj58panda]

Hi I've got a multijet on 58 plate, done about 7.5k now. Is the air con on panda's not very good generally? I've switched it on a few times over winter so I didn't leave it til I needed it, and just used it at the weekend when the sun had been on the car a few hours. It seems feeble! I've been in older cars where the air con makes a big difference and is very cold at the vents but my panda just seems to make the air a bit cold. Noticeable but certainly not very powerful. Is that how they are or might it not be working properly? NO point in taking it to dealer if they are just not very good and that is normal panda air con! Thanks

 

[ScoobyChris]

Can't speak for the air con, but the climate control is capable of delivering uncomfortably cold air. If the air doesn't feel chilled then it might be that the system is low on gas so I'd definitely get the dealer to have a look at it....

Chris

 

[b1g1an]

As Chris says, it sounds like it's low on gas and it loses gas because you don't use it enough. When it's not running the seals dry and let the gas out. Use it all the time and it'll stay nice and healthy.

If it was just for cooling they'd call it 'air cool' not 'air con', it takes the moisture out of the air which in winter means the windows don't steam up and it feels warmer and more comfortable. You control the temperature with the temperature dial not the a/c button.

 

[jj58panda]

As Chris says, it sounds like it's low on gas and it loses gas because you don't use it enough. When it's not running the seals dry and let the gas out. Use it all the time and it'll stay nice and healthy.

If it was just for cooling they'd call it 'air cool' not 'air con', it takes the moisture out of the air which in winter means the windows don't steam up and it feels warmer and more comfortable. You control the temperature with the temperature dial not the a/c button.

Hi thanks for that. Its booked in for this Friday. I have religiously put it on every week for any excuse but I found that it never worked well enough to remove any misting up and when I first tried it in early October last year it didn't seem very good but I just thought maybe its not warm enough weather to tell, a bit like you can't tell how good a light is until it gets dark! Hope they do find something rather than say 'oh yeah thats what they are like' or some usual garage phrase, a bit like the indicators! Cheers

 

[ScoobyChris]

I've heard stories in the past of new cars being delivered to customers with no or insufficient gas in the system so it wouldn't surprise me if this was the case. Not sure about the Panda's air con compressor but a lot of new ones tend to be clutchless which means they're always running (even when switched off) and so you don't have to worry about the gas not being circulated.

Chris

 

[trackdayqueen]

I had an MJ with air con and it was certainly capable of making you feel a bit too cold if you left it blasting out for too long.

I now have a 100hp with climate control which is lovely as you never have to touch anything.

But I would lay money on it being the same system in terms of mechanicals and the air con on both works very well I find. You really need it on a car with such a large glass area, especially so in the summer. Sounds like you need a regas/find the leak.

 

[trackdayqueen]

Not sure about the Panda's air con compressor but a lot of new ones tend to be clutchless which means they're always running (even when switched off) and so you don't have to worry about the gas not being circulated.

Chris

Would be interesting to know about that because if that's the case may as well run the climate permanently.

I do use it, but generally through the winter when I just want to be warm i'll run it without the aircon on and just stick it on auto when I want to demist etc.

 

[b1g1an]

It'll 'feel' warmer with the air con on as the air is drier.

 

[Ingvarr]

It'll 'feel' warmer with the air con on as the air is drier.

Actually its exactly the opposite. You feel warmer when air is humid, because sweat does not evaporate, and you feel cooler when air is drier because sweat evaporates more readily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_humidity#Comfort

And car air cons are not reversible, so they only cool, they dont heat.

 

[babbo umbro]

trackdayqueen "Would be interesting to know about that because if that's the case may as well run the climate permanently.

I do use it, but generally through the winter when I just want to be warm i'll run it without the aircon on and just stick it on auto when I want to demist etc."

Haven't had any summer with mine yet - but use the air con as you do - and the output of chilled air seemed ample when the sun heated the car up in a car park a day or two back. Fairly sure the compressor's not going continually as the handbook says you should select it once a month in the winter to circulate the gas, as it does for my wife's MJ.

 

[Cian]

Was able to freeze my passenger today when cooling the car down; definitely sounds like a specific problem with yours.

 

[Ingvarr]

as the handbook says you should select it once a month in the winter to circulate the gas, as it does for my wife's MJ.

More important, its not only to circulate the gas, but to keep the drainage unclogged.
A lot of people dont pay this the proper attention, drainage clogs, and then they get water leaks into interior - very nasty.

Its absolutely imperative that you make conditioner run for significant time at least monthly, its not an option to neglect.

 

[HP]

I've heard stories in the past of new cars being delivered to customers with no or insufficient gas in the system so it wouldn't surprise me if this was the case. Not sure about the Panda's air con compressor but a lot of new ones tend to be clutchless which means they're always running (even when switched off) and so you don't have to worry about the gas not being circulated.

Chris

Start up from cold, after 2-3 seconds the loud CLICK from under the bonnet is the compressor clutch kicking in.

Personally I can't see the need to leave the climate control off, it doesn't seem to hammer my mpg as I'm getting similar figures to others.

 

[ScoobyChris]

Start up from cold, after 2-3 seconds the loud CLICK from under the bonnet is the compressor clutch kicking in.

Personally I can't see the need to leave the climate control off, it doesn't seem to hammer my mpg as I'm getting similar figures to others.

Thanks for clarifying that, HP. I've not heard the click but then I don't think I've ever started the car with my head under the bonnet

Mine stays on all the time and I've not noticed any impact on mpg either - I suspect that the unit is clever enough to only engage it when it's needed anyhow which I guess most of the time is not very often....

Chris

 

[trackdayqueen]

Thanks for clarifying that, HP. I've not heard the click but then I don't think I've ever started the car with my head under the bonnet

Mine stays on all the time and I've not noticed any impact on mpg either - I suspect that the unit is clever enough to only engage it when it's needed anyhow which I guess most of the time is not very often....

Chris

I was having a think about this last night (as you do) and you can definately hear/feel the clutch kick the compressor on and off. Obviously you only reall notice whilst the car is idling.

I generally put climate on auto whenever the temp indicator flashes. I suspect that i'll probably leave it on most of the time in the summer. As I got my car in September i've only really just had an opportunity this week to use it. I just love the climate control though it really is light years ahead from manual air con as I had in the MJ.

 

[ScoobyChris]

I must not be that sensitive Only time I notice it is in the winter when the compressor switches itself off at 4/5 degrees C and all the windows start to mist up

Chris

 

[Cian]

Climate control? Bah, no need for that, much more comfortable adjusting the vents and temp yourself...


..or so I keep convincing myself due to Fiat Ireland's surreal basic spec

 

[b1g1an]

Actually its exactly the opposite. You feel warmer when air is humid, because sweat does not evaporate, and you feel cooler when air is drier because sweat evaporates more readily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_humidity#Comfort

And car air cons are not reversible, so they only cool, they dont heat.

Actually...no, in winter when it's cold you'll feel colder in a damp car than in a dry one and the air con dries the air and the heater warms it.

Your example is talking about already warm environments not a cold car have cold wet air blown into it.

 

[Ingvarr]

Air con dries air by lowering temperature below dew point, so water vapour condenses on the air con plates inside the car.
It does this by cooling the air.

So lets say, ok, its winter, and its 5 degree outside.
Dew point is 2 degrees.

To dry air, aircon will need to lower air temperature to 2 degrees and lower.

So instead of outside air at 5 degress, you will get air at 2 degrees or lower, albeit dry indeed.

How exactly this will make it "warmer"?

 

[udtrev]

Climate control? Bah, no need for that, much more comfortable adjusting the vents and temp yourself...


..or so I keep convincing myself due to Fiat Ireland's surreal basic spec

I have a 2005 Dynamic, I have the same 'manual climate control' as you :bang:


Trev