climate control?

[jubjub]

Is it at all feesible to change from air-con to climate control? Anyone know if any of the components are the same? Or is it a complete non-starter?

[Sidspud]

Its not at all easy.

All the air vents have little motors to open and shut them, but if your keen then keep your eye on eBay (both UK and Germany). Every now and again you'll find all the bits you'd need.

I think someone posted on here that climate control was an option on other 80s and/or Coupes, so you might even be able to get all the bits from a scrappy.

Can someone confirm?

[s2avant]

This could get you started:

Ebay Auction - Climate control unit

I know a chap who is converting a MkIV Golf from A/C to climate control. It's a big job to undertake (dashboard out, etc) but if you can get all the bits and have the time and patience to sit down and work out the wiring, then fitting it all it shouldn't be too hard

Ben

[DaveS]

I asked Martyn of VAGparts this question a while back after I bought my RS2. I thin he just sucked his teeth...

From what I remember I think its very difficult because of the conversion from LHD to RHD.

Has anyone ever successfully converted an RHD car ?

[S2central.net]

I asked Martyn of VAGparts this question a while back after I bought my RS2. I thin he just sucked his teeth...

From what I remember I think its very difficult because of the conversion from LHD to RHD.

Has anyone ever successfully converted an RHD car ?

I'm going to have a proper look at doing this in the future. Would need to source all the parts from an LHD Audi 80 model with climate control and then see how much pain and effort would be required to graft the conversion onto an RHD car. What a rip that this extra was only available in LHD countries...

Biggest part of the cost I suspect will be the compressor as I think it needs to be certain type with the intelligence to talk to the climate control module (E87).

I suspect the cost and effort (converting looms) will be substantial on this.


Paul

[Stick Insect]

I'm going to have a proper look at doing this in the future. Would need to source all the parts from an LHD Audi 80 model with climate control and then see how much pain and effort would be required to graft the conversion onto an RHD car. What a rip that this extra was only available in LHD countries...

Biggest part of the cost I suspect will be the compressor as I think it needs to be certain type with the intelligence to talk to the climate control module (E87).

I suspect the cost and effort (converting looms) will be substantial on this.


Paul

Paul I have only seen climate in the brochures but I have heard of it on RHD cars. Was climate only an option on LHD cars

I know that modern A/C compressors are more efficient and vary the compression rate rather than switching on and off and resting!.
David

[S2central.net]

To clarify further - it was on ly an option on LHD five cylinder cars. I think there is a RHD variant that *might* have been available on RHD V6 engined 80 models. More research required...

[GlynRS2]

I have been looking into this one too.
I managed to get a couple of the climate control dash units (out of 95/6 A6's I think) just as the rain started yesterday at Inters. £10 for the pair. These are the same as the ones fitted to the LHD RS2s that I have seen. Don't know if they work but I have a spare.
I have seen the wiring loom & accuators a couple of times on Ebay.de for not a lot of euros. However, if the RHD 95/6 A6's had the same control units they may be worth investigating down at the local breakers as a possible source of parts.
Fitting would be a dash off job & a bit of a pain. I know a guy who has retro fitted climate control units out of Passats & Mk 4 Golfs into Corrados, so I might have a word with him.

It would be a lot of effort just for the sake of not having to turn the temperature knob & press the a/c switch though!!

[S2central.net]

Good find Glyn - I so couldn't be bothered rooting about in those boxes of rubbish for anything useful. I might buy one of those spare controller heads off you though. Please advise part numbers - I can test them both on the wife's A4 if they are of the same generation.

The main reason I want climate control on mine (versus manual aircon) is that the climate control system comes with heaps of built in diagnostic capability for fault finding and health checks on the a/c system. The manual version has none of that on the RHD S2.

I agree its a lot of effort, but it would solve one major niggle huh !!!

Paul

[GlynRS2]

I will dig them out of the boot of my car and have a look at them later. Certainly if they are both working, you can have one. The part number for the LHD RS2 climate control control unit is 8A0 820 043 G 5WK.

Looking on the parts catalogue there does appear to be quite a lot of extra bits & bobs associated with having climate control over standard a/c. Aswell as the dash unit there seems to a seperate ECU for the blower temperature sensor (part # 443 820 504). The dash wiring harness adaptor, part # 8A0 971 569 C; and the wiring harness for the blower, part # 8A0 971 547 M. The compressor itself is the same as far as I can tell. You then just need all the vacuum acuators for all the flaps etc!!!!
I agree the diagnostics would be helpful though.

[GlynRS2]

The part # for the 2 climate control units I picked up at Inters is 8LO 820 043 D. These are from 1998/9 A4s - the manufacturing dates are Dec 98 & Mar 99. The same unit is used in the A3. These are subtly different to the RS2 lhd ones, but the size etc. is the same. So it may be worth getting a system & wiring loom etc from one of these cars & seeing if it can be grafted in. Looking on the parts catalogue the air distrubution housing & blower even look similar in dimensions. Certainly A4s/A3s with electronic climate control should be plentiful at the breakers.

Paul, if you need any spare centre console switches & blanks for your wife's A4 I have several.