I tried the lowest possible temperature and the highest fan speed to recheck if the AC is functioning, the result was absolutely no cooling.
BHPian vsrikkanth recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
KIA Carnival AC stops working immediately after 40000 kms service @JSP Kia, Hosur Road:
I am writing this to document the ordeal I’m going through after the 40,000 kms routine service at JSP KIA- Hosur Road , Bangalore .
The car was taken in for service on 16-07-2022. During the service, one of the service advisors (service head) informed me that a service campaign to replace 2 hose pipes for the engine coolant is due and compulsory as per instructions from Kia. When I asked why the hose pipes need replacement, I was informed that the stock hose pipes are subject to heating which may result in the pipes getting cut- leaking coolant . I therefore agreed reluctantly since I was worried about components in the engine bay being disturbed during the process . The service was completed and the car handed over by 4.30 PM . Given the Bangalore weather and intermittent rains, I did not switch on the AC . I hardly used the car for the next few days after service and those short trips was also made without switching on the AC.
Fast forward to Saturday , we started early morning 3.30 AM to Hyderabad and by about 8 am when I thought I will need AC, I noticed that the blower was functioning but there was no cooling. I tried the lowest possible temperature and the highest fan speed to recheck if the AC is functioning, the result was absolutely no cooling. Shocked by this, I called up service advisor Raja at JSP KIA – Hosur Road, Bangalore to check if he noticed any problem with the AC. He confirmed that the AC was functioning fine and denied all possibilities of wrong doings/human error by technicians at the service centre. I reached Hyderabad without AC and took the car for inspection to Kia Aautomotive in Gachbowli, Hyderabad.
Upon inspection, one gentleman (possibly the service head) was quick to conclude that my front bumper damage may have caused the rubbing between the condenser and the copper tubing. I told him that the front bumper damage happened more than 2 years ago and it is not logical / believable that the condenser which took the impact before 2 years did not fail for more than 24 months . As an evidence to my claim, I told him that he is free to check the service records at all service centres where my Kia Carvival was serviced since they will have pictures / records of damages when the vehicle was checked in and out. Then MR.Naresh accepted the possibility of technicians accidentally causing damage to the condenser while replacing the hose pipes .
Post this conversation, I shared pictures of the condenser with the service advisor at JSP Kia Bangalore. He too accepted the possibility of human error but he insisted on physical inspection of the car once I’m back to Bangalore. Therefore , I was forced to drive overnight with my wife and 2 children without AC from Hyderabad to Bangalore. I took the car for inspection today and he denied even the remotest of chances that the condenser could have been damaged due to lapses by the technicians . According to him, this is due to the impact that happened before 2 years and he believes that the perfectly fine AC which went bad immediately after service is purely a coincidence for which JSP Kia will not assume any responsibility. I am attaching the photo of the condenser as well as the front bumper for reference of the distinguished Team BHP members. It would be an under statement for me to say that the logic presented by the service advisor is plain ridiculous! Now I request opinions/thoughts/advice from Team BHP members on what is the best way forward . I’m told that the condenser replacement will set me back by atleast 25,000/- not including gas refilling.
Some of the unanswered questions in my mind:
- If the condenser was impacted along with the front bumper before 2 years, would it really take this long for the AC to fail ?
- If the condenser was indeed impacted before 2 years , how come none of the service centres across Hyderabad/Bangalore/Chennai catch this issue?
- 3. If JSP KIA, Bangalore is trying to hide the lapses of technicians behind a long existing bumper damage , how do I escalate this ?
- Is aluminum welding reliable if KIA hangs me out to dry with this issue ?
Update:
It was a wrong diagnosis. Apparently my right wheel landed in the crater and the damage was under the area around skid plate. That kind of twisted the condenser clamp and the copper piping rubbed against the condenser causing the damage and leak. Another ASS was able to diagnose this and explain the reason to my satisfaction. They even showed the area of impact. The old ASS who performed the routine service never checked the AC and upon raising a complaint they have probably lied that the AC worked fine when the vehicle was in their custody.
It happened before the routine service due to infamous Bangalore roads. It was a blind turn and I did not see the deep crater coming. Any car except Thar would have suffered some damage. The old ASS should have caught it if they had done their checks properly. Kia mandates 42 point check which includes AC too but am sure they won’t check unless customer reports any issue. But it was a coincidence that the AC failed immediately after the service. The only fault of ASS is not running all checks and lying that the AC was functioning properly when they gave delivery. Given the climate in Bangalore, you will never notice AC issues immediately.
Keyword: Kia Carnival AC stops working immediately after service: Mystery solved