[GTO]

Originally Posted by rosh_aveo1.4

Hey GTO. What was the cost of the cooling oil? Afraid I have the same issue.

Sorry buddy, my brother handles the Sunny and hence I don't have records of it on hand. I'm guessing the part cost would be in the 4 - 5k range. Just go to the a/c mechanic you were talking about in the post above this one.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by GTO

My poor Sunny had gone swimming in the Mumbai floods. Sharing the 1st estimate (still have to check & bargain) so one gets an idea of the kind of work to be done after a car is parked in a flood.

I'd like to say that the car is the same, but no, it simply isn't. Drove the Sunny over the weekend. Even after a year and many attempts (parking in the sun, leaving doors & windows open, detailing by 3M etc.), there is still a faint smell of the flood water in the cabin.

Flood damage destroys a car. In terms of driving, that 'smoothness' is gone. The steering, pedals etc. just don't feel the same anymore. Things aren't so bad that the car needs to be sold, but there's definitely a 20% compromise in the driving experience. Laymen like my brother won't notice this compromise; BHPians would.

[GTO]

The Sunny's air-conditioner has stopped cooling again . This is the FOURTH time the air-con has had a problem in <60,000 km.

Equally, I might add, there have been no other major issues with the car. Mechanically & electronically, she is sorted. But this air-con remains a nuisance. I once drove to Pune (for the Vitara Brezza drive) with a malfunctioning a/c. It was a rather uncomfortable 300 km trip.

Will be sent to Sunil Shanbagh shortly.

Trivia: None of my other cars have had 4 failures in the time that the Sunny did. Not the 22-year old Jeep, nor the complex 530d.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Sunny's air-conditioner has stopped cooling again

Check if the heater circuit flap is struck. Faced it twice

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Check if the heater circuit flap is struck. Faced it twice

+1.

I faced it once on my Micra. And an another time, a leak in the a/c pipe, after which the a/c was never cooler as when it was new. Seems a/c is the only weak link in an otherwise reliable product.

[GTO]

Cruised around in the Sunny after the longest time yesterday. Had some meets in areas with impossible parking, so took a driver along.

Got to say, this is one heck of a family / beater car. She is very tight @ 60,000 km & super-duper comfortable. Love the car, hate the company that makes it:

[satish_appasani]

GTO, Nissan Sunny XV is my family's beater car too. Bought in 2012 as my personal car and have about 62000 KMs. I used it until 2017 and gave it to my father. Mostly driven by my parents driver. They use this more than their 2017 Hyundai Elantra petrol SX(O). Luckily I didn't have many issues with service. Fortune Nissan in Hyderabad provided good service for the first five years. The dealer in my hometown is also decent.

[GTO]

While the Sunny is otherwise a robust workhorse, the damn air-con is its Achilles' heel. It has again stopped cooling! IIRC, this is the FIFTH time that the cooling has stopped. I also see some Micra owners complaining about the air-con, and there was a recent thread on the Kicks a/c.

Nissan's air-conditioners either have a design problem or a vendor one (poor quality parts).

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by GTO

Nissan's air-conditioners either have a design problem or a vendor one (poor quality parts).

Which all components have failed in the HVAC specifically,
(the last 3-4 times in your experience)?

In my Armada Grand or a couple of friend's 540's I have come across a few AC mechanics in Bangalore who have put together some really reliable Aircon systems (no heating - note, its a pain for retro fitters) and they are working till date, 7+ years.

To begin the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) study, it has to be among the compressor, plumbing (LP & HP sides), blower unit & evap, electrical wiring, condenser and thermostat. Each of these items are from not more than 3-5 choice of manufacturers, namely Sanden, Beru, Denso, mahle, subros to begin with.

My point being, we can definitely arrive at a permanent fix with a dab of juggad, with the help of a local Car AC expert.

PS
My guess work in the order of "design limitation for failure" is...

1) Thermostat - use and throw part, if this fails, compressor wont turn on.

2) Compressor - rarely seizes up due to lack of oil, or clutch will seize or fail, easy to rebuild or even upgrade to one size bigger.

3) Electrical - If the high end cars "automatic" climate control system fails, then its mostly a replace job, else replace with a lower trims old-school rotary knobs if available. Other part of electrical is the relays and clutch wiring which seldom fail, and can be replaced easily.

4) Blower - basic plastic box with a 12V fan, nothing much to fail other than the metal connectors for flaps for ducting routing (face, legs, windscreen, etc)

5) Plumbing - either works or gets a puncture, just replace it, includes drier

6) Condenser - either works or gets a puncture, just replace it

7) Evaparator - either works or gets a puncture, just replace it

[GTO]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Which all components have failed in the HVAC specifically,
(the last 3-4 times in your experience)?

That's a great post! Thank you. With my C220, I had seen that the quality of after-market parts was better than OEM. The after-market stuff actually lasted longer. Guess too much cost cutting by Mercedes.

Off the back of my head, here are the things that have failed so far in the Sunny = compressor, condenser, evaporator.

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by GTO

Off the back of my head, here are the things that have failed so far in the Sunny = compressor, condenser, evaporator.

Thats pretty much the top 90% critical components of the Aircon system. Must be surely a bad batch off the production line or choosing substandard vendor or vendor parts on the sunny, shame on the Japanese giant.

Now to go deeper into this study, have you changed any one component more than once, if not - means you are eliminating the factory lemons one at a time, which is indeed a shame but will eventually take your Aircon to a reliable state.

What were the specific repairs done each time? Repair or replace? Could you list them out please? And what was the verdict each time from the person who handled that part? Did he mention its blocked, ruptured, seized, etc?

Sorry, lot of vague questions, but will only help to eventually make a fail safe system.

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Weird. I never faced any issue like this. Once I did change the cooling coil but did it from my trusted ac mechanic. Been good ever since. Ran 68k and 8 years already.

[GTO]

Drove the Sunny after a long, long time and I must say that it is holding up very well for a 9.5 year old beater car. We literally use it really rough now and anyone who wants to borrow a car in the group takes the Sunny. In the last 2 months itself, it's been to Pune (bro's friend needed it) and then a buddy of mine kept it for 5 days while his Innova was in the shop. It's a damn workhorse that just keeps working. I think we will change it after 2 - 3 years for another beater car. 12 years is good service from a beater.

[mentalmaxout]

Totally agree. My car will complete 9 years in August.. next car want to buy an suv.. First ever in life. Leaning towards a used kodiaq or a new Safari.. to satisfy both- good mileage and mainly City driving + the mid life crisis itch.

But every time i think to change, i look at the Sunny and feel it can easily cross another 2 years.

Btw my Sunny clocked 1.1 lakh kms. How about yours gto?

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by mentalmaxout

How about yours gto?

61k+, taken from above image