[ShanG]

Well -- I'm not an AC expert but based on i20 experience:

• Hyundai i20 AC is definitely not powerful enough for its size.
• Added to it, the design of the vents seem to have gone terribly wrong.
  • You just can't set the 2 vents on either side of the steering wheel to blow directly on driver.
  • Usually we feel the AC effect when the air blows on you directly -- unless the entire enclosure has adequately cooled down & you don't need the air to blow directly on you.
• If the car is loaded with 4 / 5 passengers, it takes sometime for the back-seat passengers to feel the ac effect - especially in hot climate.
• This could be the cumulative effect of under-powered AC and absense of vents for the back-seat passengers.

Fortunately most of the time, I'm the only person in the car - so:

1. I try to close the vents on the front-passenger side (Ofcourse gets beaten up for this whenever my wife & family come along )
2. I set the other 2 vents (on either side of the steering wheel) toward me as much as possible.
3. Once I turn ON the AUTO AC, I leave the air to get swapped with some fresh-air for few minutes and then turn ON the "internal circulation" mode -- and use the AC only in this mode then on.
4. When required, I use my hands on the steering wheel to also steer the air from my AC vents towards my body (as already pointed out by others in this thread).

This way its atleast adequate though not as good as one would like it to be.

• Wish Hyundai listening to this and doing something about it.
• Can they do something about this (for cars already sold, apart from future models)?

I have not tried the AC filter cleaning method suggested in this thread - but how often is it supposed to be cleaned?

Can someone post a DIY with pictures of how the AC filter removal, cleaning & refitting to be done?

- ShanG
------------------------------
1991 Geo Metro (Sold)
2009 Hyundai i20 Asta

[AbhiJ]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

@AbhiJ: Did you try to contact Hyundai India regarding the AC issue? If yes, What was their response?

I had sent the car to the service centre. They checked it and said its performing "normally". Since I had gotten a temp reading of 3.x degree C myself, so did not argue with them too much.

Frankly, A/C performance for my car improved significantly the moment I stopped using the Auto mode and cleaned the cabin filter..

[.anshuman]

^^ I am very surprised to hear that, I use my Elantra's AC on Auto mode most of the times(Except when outside temp drops too much and activates fresh air mode). I have never had issues with the Auto mode, the Auto mode in Elantra is more intuitive than Punto and Fortuner.

Today was a hot very hot day here, i kept my Car's AC on 24degrees Auto mode all day long without any issues.

[darksoul]

Originally Posted by ShanG

I have not tried the AC filter cleaning method suggested in this thread

If that's the case, why don't you take the car to your service center and ask them to do it. It's takes 15 minutes and they won't even charge you anything.

Folks: before going on a rant on how annoying you think the AC effectiveness is, please first try out the solutions in this thread.

[SumitB]

I am considering to get the 1.2 Asta for my wife. Even though the city I live in does not require the ac to be used, but we still use it in our other vehicles in circulation mode as we are very very allergic to air pollution. I am scheduled to take a test drive for the vehicle tomorrow and if this is the case with the ac, I will first get Hyundai to clarify by sending a link to this thread before I make the purchase. Lets see how they respond if a prospective customer is apprehensive about his purchase based on reports of a faulty ac.

EDIT:
Just mailed Hyundai, lets see how they respond:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am in the process of finalizing the i20 1.2 Asta. Have requested for a test drive which is scheduled to take place tomorrow at Shillong. However, when I was trying to gather user reviews about the vehicle, I came across a forum discussion on Team-BHP (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/79494-weak-hyundai-i20-air-conditioner-edit-test-results-pg-4-a.html) which lists reports from lots of owners of the i20 (both CRDi and the 1.2 petrol) about the AC on the vehicle being very weak. This now has put me in two minds. If the AC on a vehicle has issues, I for one will not buy it. More so, if the company is pricing the vehicle as a "premium" vehicle, I would definitely reconsider my decision unless I am a 100% sure that the components will work as designed. Please note that we already have a Hyundai vehicle in the family (Santro - 2004 Nov. purchase) and in dealing with the only local dealer and service centre, we have realised that they are completely incompetent and if there is indeed a problem with the AC, we are not too sure how such incompetent Service Centre personnel will handle it. That is why, while speaking with the representative yesterday for scheduling the Test Drive, I made it very clear that if I go ahead with the purchase, I will be doing so through a dealer at Guwahati.

I would therefore, request you to kindly look into the issue and inform me if indeed these reports about the AC having issues are true and what Hyundai is doing to rectify the issue.

Thanking You.

Yours faithfully,
Sumit Bajoria
Shillong
Phone: +91 xxxxx xxxxx

[drasitkhanna]

I hope they "upgrade" the AC somehow because the present one is SIMPLY TOO WEAK. It does not malfunction , it is just not powerful enough. That's it.

[extreme_torque]

Sat in my friend's brand new i20 yesterday in the evening and the A/C was just fine. But with that airflow I doubt if it work as well in the 45 degrees + Delhi summers. The car in question is an i20 Magna with automatic climate control.

[tsk13]

Only few cars have the AC problem, not all. Please don't stereotype the entire range of i20's suffering from AC problems like the genuine one of AbhiJ. In severe summers, don't expect i20's AC to do an ANHC miracle but it's able to keep comfortable, which I suppose wasn't the case with AbhiJ's car initially.

[kage9091]

Originally Posted by agm

Does anyone got any idea if Hyundai have got a better ac in i20?

Imo i20 got one of the worst ac in this segment , i was sweating with blower at speed 3 while the outside temperature was 38 degrees.have seen many complain about the same in my friends circle as well as few in the family, wonder what will happen when the temp will go to 45*C?

Wish it had a better engine ,current 1.2 80bhp aint good enough for this car .

I had the same experience with the i20 magna petrol. The AC issue was the biggest problem apart from the small 1.2L engine. I chucked my plan to consider buying the i20.

I bought a Figo TDCi which probably has the most powerful AC minus the Climate Control. I have to keep playing with the the fan speed and cooling dials in my Figo.

But the best thing is, I can drive in 40 degrees plus temperatures without sweating! Very important in times of global warming (it's sad to see the world melt slowly.)

[.anshuman]

I was talking to my service advisor at Hyundai about the i20's AC, he accepted the AC is weak and most users complain about the same at the time of service, But he said they can't do anything unless Hyundai does some design modification.

[rbp]

Originally Posted by tsk13

Only few cars have the AC problem, not all. Please don't stereotype the entire range of i20's suffering from AC problems like the genuine one of AbhiJ. In severe summers, don't expect i20's AC to do an ANHC miracle but it's able to keep comfortable, which I suppose wasn't the case with AbhiJ's car initially.

Well, most i20's have the AC cooling issue, everytime I switch on the AC in hot and humid climate, it hurts, I have paid 8.5 lakhs for a so called premium car and this damm thing cant even cool the cabin, the other day I sat in the rear seat, with the AC blasting at full speed, just one word, it is horrible at the back.

[rangaraj]

Originally Posted by rbp

Well, most i20's have the AC cooling issue, everytime I switch on the AC in hot and humid climate, it hurts, I have paid 8.5 lakhs for a so called premium car and this damm thing cant even cool the cabin, the other day I sat in the rear seat, with the AC blasting at full speed, just one word, it is horrible at the back.

Is this a problem with the petrol versions or even for the diesel ones?

[rbp]

Originally Posted by rangaraj

Is this a problem with the petrol versions or even for the diesel ones?

It is the same for all, can we have a poll for all i20 customers with the following options

1) Not satisfied.
2) Satisfied
3) Dont bother

[drasitkhanna]

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[GTO]

Originally Posted by rbp

It is the same for all, can we have a poll for all i20 customers with the following options

1) Not satisfied.
2) Satisfied
3) Dont bother

Excellent suggestion. Public poll added with options that give out a clearer picture.