2019 VW e-Golf SEL A/C problem - repair experience

[ElectricTerrapin]

As luck will have it, our brand new, 6 week old, VW e-Golf SEL has an a/c problem. Sometimes it went on as normal, sometimes it took 30 minutes to start working.

That is unfortunate, but what I am really perplexed about is the repair experience. The car is of course under warranty. We brought it in on Tuesday, but we were told that they can't look at it until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I get a message that there is only one e-Golf technician that is currently working on another car, hence it will take longer. On Thursday, I get a phone call that it will take even longer b/c VW has to approve the repair. They apparently know what part needs to be replaced, but they need the nod from VW. What I found really bizarre is that the service representative made the argument that this process requires approval from VW Germany! I couldn't even get a firm commitment for a repair on Friday, so I have put in a request for a loaner.

If you have had any repair experience with VW, please chime in on the following:
I kind of assumed that the a/c in the e-Golf is not very different from that of the normal Golf. I am apparently mistaken. Does anyone know what the difference is? I was told that the e-Golf has to discharged before it can be worked on. From a car repair point of view, this would be a big design flaw.

Has anyone else had an a/c problem with the second generation e-Golf? What was the issue and what was your repair experience?

Another thing that I would get some insight on is that approval process. In my experience, a car that is under warranty will get that approval pretty quickly. Is that different for VW? Is it different for VW e-Golfs, i.e., does it require approval from Germany? If so, why?

Thanks!

 

[msvphoto]

As luck will have it, our brand new, 6 week old, VW e-Golf SEL has an a/c problem. Sometimes it went on as normal, sometimes it took 30 minutes to start working.

That is unfortunate, but what I am really perplexed about is the repair experience. The car is of course under warranty. We brought it in on Tuesday, but we were told that they can't look at it until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I get a message that there is only one e-Golf technician that is currently working on another car, hence it will take longer. On Thursday, I get a phone call that it will take even longer b/c VW has to approve the repair. They apparently know what part needs to be replaced, but they need the nod from VW. What I found really bizarre is that the service representative made the argument that this process requires approval from VW Germany! I couldn't even get a firm commitment for a repair on Friday, so I have put in a request for a loaner.

If you have had any repair experience with VW, please chime in on the following:
I kind of assumed that the a/c in the e-Golf is not very different from that of the normal Golf. I am apparently mistaken. Does anyone know what the difference is? I was told that the e-Golf has to discharged before it can be worked on. From a car repair point of view, this would be a big design flaw.

Has anyone else had an a/c problem with the second generation e-Golf? What was the issue and what was your repair experience?

Another thing that I would get some insight on is that approval process. In my experience, a car that is under warranty will get that approval pretty quickly. Is that different for VW? Is it different for VW e-Golfs, i.e., does it require approval from Germany? If so, why?

Thanks!

I don't have any first hand experience of your failure and I am sorry to hear the bad news.

I have wonder if the service writer is being completely honest. It may be a case of putting paying customers before warranty as another forum member has recently suggested is common practice at a VW dealer he frequents. Was this the selling dealer you bought the car from? If they are known to be "good" you might have a quick chat with the GM since you only bought the car a few weeks ago.

On the SEL the HVAC system uses a heat pump. Heat pumps are essentially air conditioners that run both ways with a reversing valve. Run the refrigerant gas one way it cools, reverse the gas flow it heats. At least that is my simplistic understanding. So, something is wrong with your heat pump system. Yes, it is a unique system only found in SEL trim eGolfs so that is where some hand holding for the techs come in. I doubt it is the car's drive battery that needs discharging. I am guessing it is the refrigerant gas (R134a most likely) that needs to be "discharged" and the service writer was slightly confused. When our 2015 was in for repair right after we bought it I checked in on the car with CarNet a few times (nice to see if it is in the shop or the storage lot behind the dealer) and they never discharged the battery to work on it.

Any tech could theoretically work on it, but from an employee safety perspective the dealership probably only allows the eGolf trained tech to work on the car due to the high voltage present (admittedly bottled up in well insulated wires and connectors but one can't be too careful with high voltage with big current capacity).

I hope they give you a loaner (they should but it probably needs gas) and you have your car back soon!

 

[miimura]

Call VW Customer Service and complain about the time to repair and ask for a e-Golf specialist to expedite your case.
1-800-822-8987
If they can't get it fixed this week, ask for compensation, especially if you didn't get a loaner vehicle.

 

[JoulesThief]

Follow mimura's advice. VW Customer Care is your best bet.

July and August, and into September, at least where I live, VW dealerships and techs are flat out swamped and overloaded with repair work. Perhaps it just seems that many of their systems fail under the high heat or high humidity of summer time, but I've noticed this probably the last 5-6 years in owning VW's. YMMV, these are just my observations.

That, combined with techs wanting to go on vacation too, exacerbates the situation. Miserable time to be a shop foreman for VW.