Larger leaks may already be heard or you can find them with a leak detection spray. The system is filled with forming gas (nitrogen with a little hydrogen) in the workshop. A defective sealing ring, a worn line or a condenser that has been damaged by a stone chip are the most common causes.įinding these mostly very small leaks is often not easy. In addition to the normal loss, component defects are usually responsible for the escape of the refrigerant gas on VW Passat. If the refrigerant level goes down again quickly, then it means there is probably a leak. Just have it refilled and you can drive with pleasant temperatures again. If you don’t have the system serviced regularly on your Passat, the refrigerant level will eventually get so low that the system loses its cooling capacity. A loss of up to 15% of the refrigerant per year is normal due to the design. Insufficient amount of refrigerant is still the main cause of a non-functioning AC system.

If this is the case, the only option is to replace the broken part. In this way, it can be determined whether the loss of refrigerant is due to a defective condenser. A leaking condenser can lead to a loss of refrigerant and reduced cooling performance of the system. In order to find leaks in the air conditioning system, a leak search is carried out in the workshop using forming gas – even the smallest leaks can be detected. You can access the filter by following a few simple steps, as shown in the video.Ī clogged or leaking condenser can also be the reason for air-conditioning not working properly on your Passat. You don’t necessarily have to visit a workshop to clean or replace the pollen filter on your Passat. Video: Replacing cabin air filter in VW Passat As a rule, there is no avoiding a change. Therefore, the filter performance will not increase significantly even after cleaning. Unfortunately, this procedure does not allow you to get into the deeper layers of the filter. This can be done, for example, with a vacuum cleaner or a compressed air system, removing at least a large part of the visible dirt particles.

Instead of changing it directly, it is often recommended to first clean the pollen filter. Start by inspecting the condition of the cabin air filter on your Passat. If you drive your vehicle in dusty or polluted environment, the filter can get dirty much sooner than manufacturer’s recommendation. There is no prescribed time for changing cabin air filter, but most manufacturers recommend a change after 10,000-20,000 miles. It also puts unnecessary strain on the entire AC system which negatively impacts your Passat’s fuel consumption. A dirty filter causes the overall ventilation of the interior to deteriorate resulting in reduced cooling, heating and air flow. The pollen filter, also known as the cabin filter or microfilter, is a central component of the ventilation system in your VW Passat.

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