New Beetle aircon not working?

[lilcrash]

ok so my aircon hasnt worked since i bought the car, if i hook power stright to the compressor it works perfectly so its in the wiring somewhere just not sure where to check next, here is some attempted repairs.

- burnt out fuse has been bypassed with an inline fuse(was done before i bought it, ive left it in and added the missing 30a fuse)
- aircon button is broken i removed the switch cover and pressed the switch with a little screwdriver, the light is on in the button now.
- checked for blown fuses in the fuse box. nothing burnt out.

where do i check next, is there any common issues?

[cube_3]

Are the two fans by the radiator running when the car has been on a drive i.e. the engine is hot?
I have a similar issue with my golf MK4 and after lots of research and investigating have narrowed it down to the fan control unit or its related sensors. Since my compressor is not getting its 12Volt signal and the fans are not running it looks like it is the fan control unit. The unit is called the j293 in documentation and its part number is 1J0 919 506K. It drives the compressor clutch and the radiator fans and takes input from various sensors. In the golf the Unit is underneath the battery i.e. it is bolted to the battery tray that the battery sits on.

[lilcrash]

i didnt think that the fans did work until yesterday, when we stopped as i was walking away from the car i heard the fans going, but thats the first time in a few weeks ive heard them work.

[Manaz]

i didnt think that the fans did work until yesterday, when we stopped as i was walking away from the car i heard the fans going, but thats the first time in a few weeks ive heard them work.

The A/C won't run without those fans running. If they're playing up (they're prone to it, the heat affects them, they'll work sometimes but not others), that could be the reason your A/C doesn't work.

[lilcrash]

i think i might see if i can find a new aircon switch panel and see what happens if that doesnt work il buy a new fan control module, just out of curiosity is there a way to bypass the gas pressure switch to see if its just not got enough gas in it?

[Golf Loon]

It will be the mini fuse box on top of the battery.
Squeeze the connector where it comes off the unit, and the fans and ac will probably start. Either change the whole subsidary fusebox, or run 3 inline fuses, bypassing the dodgyness.
This is common on all Mk4s and New Beetles.

[lilcrash]

Is it true that the AC will only work when it's set to recycle?

[Manaz]

Is it true that the AC will only work when it's set to recycle?

No.

(Garbage added because the forum software doesn't recognise "no" as being a sufficiently long post).

[lilcrash]

Ok Kewl. Just wanted to check

[cube_3]

Just a word of warning on the fan control module: make sure you get the correct version. There are a couple of versions but I think the new beetle is the same as the MK4 Golf and is part: 1J0 919 506K. In the USA I have seen a few sites selling them for around $100. I contacted the local dealer and they wanted $376!!!!! talk about extorsion! Anyway I sourced it on ebay. There are various places selling OEM from $10 to $40. I paid $25 delivered. I'll let you know if its any good when I get it.