Climate Control issues?????

[M13LE U]

Hi i'm plannin on gettin a 1.8T in the summer, and after doind some reading on the site, i read somewhere that climatronic is quite prone to problems. I kinda had my heart set on gettin a car with climatronic because i really prefer the way it looks. i think its reall tidy. what kinda problems do the have, what seems to go wrong with them. is it a n easy cheap fix like just replacing the unit at the front, or is it usually more complex than that. thanks in advance for any responses.

[Chris 'N' Jen]

I know i havent had mine for long but as yet we have had no problems. We do however have a slightly sticky botton which is annoying at times but its livable with. 

[Ivor Mk4 Turbo]

I think the main problem with it is a faulty switch or relay which stops an engine fan coming on, IIRC.  It doesn't effect all cars, though.  VW used to sort it out under warranty, but not sure they still would now??

[M13LE U]

it isn't that expensive to replace a relay switch for the fans is it? ive read that climatronic is more prone to the compressor failing too. does anyone know how true this is?

[ub7rm]

I believe the fans control system is horrendously expensive to sort out if it goes wrong, if your competent with a soldering iron / car electrics there are some repair kits that save on the cost.

regarding the compressor issue this is possible due to the fact that with climate control the compressor is switched on and off all the time as opposed to the conventional air con system where you only put it on if your feeling too hot or need the windows demisted so I guess it will be prone to a bit more wear and tear than on the conventional dial control system.  Personally I keep mine on ECON mode almost all the time (save for about 15 mins a month to keep the seals wet  )