GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: ianmb on 05 July 2026, 08:51
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Car is a year old ,air con has suddenly stopped working.The first thing the dealership said was I bet a stone has gone through a pipe.
Looking at the front of the car I can not see how a stone could get through.
Wondering if anyone had a similar fault.
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Ian; I’m assuming your car’s a mk8.5 GTI?
I can remember commenting on the forum when I first saw pictures of the mk8.5 GTI of how the lower grille design leaves the air con condenser (located immediately behind the lower grille) quite susceptible to damage from stones and other projectile road debris because of the large size of the honeycomb shaped holes in the grille. Associated pipe work attached to the condenser would be equally susceptible to damage. I dare say the a/c condenser and pipe work would be even more susceptible to damage on the mk8.5 Golf R as the lower grille holes are larger than they are on the GTI.
(https://i.postimg.cc/63vkGHzz/IMG-0809.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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If the failure was total and sudden, I’d agree with condenser damage. Good luck for a quick fix given the current weather🤞
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oddly i had the a couple of years ago with my mk8, but a soft reset of the infotainments sorted it out, i blamed buggy software
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Thank you for the reply’s turned out a stone had gone through the condenser,£850 worse off ,poor design for the front of car being so open.
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Had the same on my 7.5 and the holes are much larger on the 8 / 8.5.... stealer money making scheme.
Ended up putting a black mesh cover over the condenser, not that pretty but very practicable and can see where a number of stones would have hit the rad!!
In the Mk 6 days there was an option to have a mesh screen fitted inside the bumper for countries with poor roads... Uk defo qualifies now but of course option no longer available. :cry:
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oddly i had the a couple of years ago with my mk8, but a soft reset of the infotainments sorted it out, i blamed buggy software
happens all the time with the wife's mk8, air con suddenly stops working, you need to restart the car and/or the infotainment to kick start the air con again, sometimes that fails and you just have to be patient until it feels like turning on again :undecided: