Polo 6R - How to clean the AC evaporator/cooling coil

Here’s a detailed video showing how to easily clean your car’s AC evaporator or cooling coil. The cooling coil aids in chilling the cabin when you turn on the AC and must be kept clean from time to time. A clogged cooling coil will result in reduced cooling performance and formation of frost.
The DIY is easy, can be done at home without any complicated tools and can be wrapped up in an hour. If your car’s cooling performance has come down over time, a choked cooling coil can be one of the reasons. Check it out and do let me know if you have any comments.

[@gkautomotive]

Your Polo was a bible for DIY installation. The amount of effort you put in penning down the steps was immense. Sad to hear that you had to part from it. Waiting for videos on the new car.😄

[@GaneshBalan]

Thanks a lot for the feedback man. Really appreciate it. 🙂👍🏻 I learnt a lot with the car and made it a point to share it with the world so others benefit it too. On the Jazz I’ve just added the OE auto-dimming mirror, new Yokohama tires in 195 width and the OE underbody shield. I haven’t started doing any videos with the Jazz but will definitely start some time. It’s a discontinued car today! 😆

[@jnanankurmahanta8426]

​@@GaneshBalan Did the OE Auto dimming mirror cost around 6000?

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Jnanankur, IIRC it was close to 12k back then from Aliexpress.

[@ChavezDIY]

Be careful if you have a Honda or Acura, some of them have the ECU located right under the HVAC ducts in the back of the center console. When that foam turned into liquid, the liquid leaked down and onto my ECU. The liquid went inside the ECU box and onto the motherboard and rendered my car inoperable. I had to pull out my ECU, dry it out, and carefully clean off the corrosion that was forming. Its working good now, but I still have to seal the ECU board to prevent moisture from corroding the board.

[@GaneshBalan]

Thanks for the heads-up Chavez! Did you mean the BCM? Because ECUs are usually located in the engine bay.

[@ChavezDIY]

@@GaneshBalan The Toyota and Acura/Hondas that I owned have the ECU/PCM/ECM (main engine computer) inside under the dash. I'm not familiar with other manufacturers but I have heard that some other manufacturers place it in the engine bay.

[@ReDmi-lc6re]

As soon as I saw the video I was very happy to see you still have the polo... I went through your ownership thread right away just to see if you have updated any in your ownership thread. Really really sad to see you parted ways with your polo. When I bought my polo tsi I used to drool at all the things you did to your car. Back then I was in 2nd year college. No money yknw. So these days I buy something every now and then for the polo with reference to your thread. Many thanks bro! Hope to see your Jazz soon :-)

[@GaneshBalan]

Thanks for the feedback bro. Appreciate it. 🙂 The departure was very painful but as they say not all good things last forever. I had a great time with the car and I cherish those moments. Wishing you a great time with your Polo TSI. Enjoy her man. 🙂👍🏻

[@antonymathew]

thanks for the good video .. the ways you helped me are as below 1. exposure to the world of obd tools 2. DIY basics to watchout for automotive related works 3. Product familiarization , tech jargons , 4. The indian VW space love.

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Antony. Thanks a lot for the feedback bro. 🙂 I’m glad the videos helped in some way. I’ll badly miss the Polo, the addiction to performance of that lovely engine and the mod-ability with VW cars.

[@MrMotivation247]

Excellent video, thanks

[@fkae7]

Ganesh bhai! Awesome man! This is the one I have been seeking for when I had the thought of how to increase the cooling on my car. Will work on asap. ❤ But, did you videotape this earlier?😊

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi, indeed I had recorded this some time back. Never had the mojo to edit and release it after I sold the car. Just lost all the motivation. But I thought I should do it since I’ve invested time and efforts in it. As regards ineffective cooling, while this is one, you should also check for other issues such as low refrigerant gas in the system, a dirty and clogged condenser coil etc. Do get the system thoroughly checked from a competent AC mechanic.

[@unicorntemple]

Sad to read about how you had to let it go. Even I had to part ways with my 8 year old 1.5 TDI at the end of last year 😢

[@GaneshBalan]

Sorry to hear that man. Trust the car was sold without any issues like I had on mine. What happened with my car was a freak incident - wasn’t expected since the car was serviced proactively on time. What did you upgrade to?

[@unicorntemple]

@@GaneshBalan I gave up after a couple of failed injectors that left me and family stranded. The answer from vw was the lack of extended warranty and rsa. Which irritated me. Sold for a decent price. The logical upgrade was taigun but didn’t even take a TD. Went with Hyryder G hybrid which i don’t consider an upgrade. I still miss polo

[@GaneshBalan]

Sorry to hear that man. No doubt the Polo is a lovely hatchback. No other car can match up to it in terms of performance - be it in TDI or TSI guise. Glad you got a great crossover from a supremely reliable manufacturer. Wishing you loads of happiness and fuss-free ownership with the Hyryder. 🙂👍🏻

[@unicorntemple]

@@GaneshBalan thank you 😊

[@denzilmathew6043]

❤ Lovely video and very well explained and very interesting. Thanks

[@GaneshBalan]

Thank you Denzil. Appreciate the feedback. 🙂

[@amitgore]

Gannu Sir -- liked your attention to detail to put masking tape so save it from foam and or anything else.

[@GaneshBalan]

Hey thanks man. Just a precautionary step to avoid the foam getting into the switches and messing with the electricals.

[@anirudhn1360]

This is a great guide, Gannu. Thanks. I'll do this soon on my vento tdi as well. Couple of questions- Did you notice any sticky residue left back in the AC after this treatment? How did your AC improve after this was done?

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Anirudh, nope no sticky residues. The concentrate inside the can is a non-sticky type. The throw of air was smelling very pleasant as if the car just rolled out of the showroom. If your car is over 6-8 years old and if you haven’t done this before, do try it out. 🙂 You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

[@anirudhn1360]

Thanks for the clarification! Just ordered the foam and will do it soon :)

[@GaneshBalan]

@anirudhn1360 Good to hear. 🙂 Let me know how it went. 👍🏻

[@gaganudiyana]

Sad to hear that you had to part away with your Polo. Looking forward for a detailed closure to the thread

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Gagan, absolutely I will be making a detailed post on the whole turnout of events leading up to the sale of the car. Stay tuned. 👍🏻

[@Imjoe159]

👍🏻

[@GaneshBalan]

Thank you Jorly. 🙂

[@wonderwalls3565]

I get some dusting smell only when I turn on the heater. should I do this? Its a BMW 120i. I dont know if heater is part of HVAC system.

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi, the heater is part of the coolant system. When the engine achieves operating temperature and the coolant temperature reaches approx 90’C, if you turn on the heater of the HVAC system, the hot coolant circulates through the vents.

[@LongLiveCrypto]

You need to use the drain hole and spray the foam up though it in order to actually clean the system.

[@GaneshBalan]

As long as the spout of the foam can reaches the evaporator coil and covers the coil with the foam, it works from the other side as well. Some folks access the coil from the cabin filter and spray the foam.

[@anilverma-un5bf]

Exactly I was wondering why to fill through vents, the dirt gets accumulated on other side of the Evaporator Coil which is far side of the vents as air gets thrown from other side. Filling through Drain Pipe makes sense and logical.

[@GaneshBalan]

👍🏻

[@AK-sv4kb]

Another wonderful video :) Can you also make a video on cleaning the condenser and provide some tips to maintain the AC in good condition? My compressor suddenly stopped working and the service center guys said the wiring is all good its the compressor that's gone. That has to be replaced with filter dryer element of the condenser and the total damage to wallet of approx 30k . An independent AC specialist said its mostly the control valve in the compressor that goes out so it could be fine by just changing that. Going to try that soon. But will I have to replace the condenser filter dryer element too or can that be skipped. Your advise would be helpful.

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi, I no longer have the Polo with me since I sold it. Had covered 9 years and 1.8 lakh km. I too had replaced the control valve on the compressor. If I remember correctly, I was charged some 6k for the whole thing including labour and refilling the R134A gas. You don’t have to touch the dryer element at all. Do try and let me know.

[@AK-sv4kb]

@@GaneshBalan Oh! That's good news. Hope its just the control valve. Getting a bit tired of back to back repairs with the gt tdi :| But trying to keep it in shape and keep it going. Your videos are like a manual for me :) Yes will let you know if this works out Thanks again.

[@AK-sv4kb]

And yes Ganesh I have read the heart breaking story on team bhp. The way you kept it, I just assumed it will last long enough to be a fully function retro car in 2050. But hey I think you are one of the very few people who has explored the full potential and beyond of this car in those 1.8L kms. Made it a GT TDI + . And also it's found a new owner so it's still on the roads. The legend lives on. And Honda Jazz would be my pick next as well . Anything Japanese would give peace of mind compared to this very lovable ticking time bomb.

[@AK-sv4kb]

@@GaneshBalan Hey it worked fine. AC is working as usual now. The coil was burnt. AC has stopped working along with this g31 sensor . Maybe it shorted. Also the bearing was changed. Total cost for this was 7500. However today I did something very stupid. There is a long sad story and reason as to why I was doing which I would not bore you with 😄but long story short, I broke the Battery negative to body chassis bolt :| Unfortunately while cleaning and putting it back I over tightened the the bolt and it just stripped off :| I think this has to be welded back. Do you think I can connect the battery negative wire to any other grounding point temporarily ? The service centre is like 100 kms away :/ Any suggestions besides me calling the towing guy lol

[@GaneshBalan]

@AK-sv4kb Dude! 😲 Yeah you can connect it to another point which is near the diesel filter. There’s a grounding bolt there. Ideally it should be closest to the battery but this is fine. Use a very thick cable.

[@easternprestige]

Just the video I needed. Thanks mate. I so badly wanted to clean the ac vents of my Taigun GT. Will follow this

[@GaneshBalan]

Hey so soon? I mean it just be 1-2 years since you must have got the Taigun. Do you stay and drive in a very dusty area? I understand that the new Skoda and VW cars have a low AC performance but have you got the recent update from VW/Skoda? Do check with your authorised service centre.

[@easternprestige]

@@GaneshBalan It’s been 15 months since I have got the car buddy. There is some bad odour every time I turn on the AC. Also on long drives this unpleasant smell kinda makes us uncomfortable. I mostly keep the recirculation mode off since I prefer fresh air. Only in heavy traffic I turn it on. Also We have never used any car perfumes or anything. I park my car under a shed. But yes it’s a dusty area.

[@GaneshBalan]

Then do try cleaning this using a cooling coil foam cleaner spray. It will make a difference. Additionally, change the cabin air filter after you do this cleaning. 👍🏻

[@easternprestige]

@@GaneshBalan Sure thing buddy. Thank you👍

[@Desmondhughe]

Hey Ganesh - did you ever clean the EGR and anti-shudder valve for your car? Is it worth getting done?

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi, no I could not. I wanted to but the aftermarket FNG where I used to give the Polo here in Chennai would always dissuade me by saying it is hard to access the EGR unlike the Marutis and it wont yield any tangible benefits (which I would disagree with). If your diesel Polo or Vento is over 6-8 years old, it will be worthwhile getting it cleaned. Lot of soot deposits.

[@Desmondhughe]

@@GaneshBalan thanks. Appreciate your taking time to respond. My car is 7 years and done about 80k, so wondering if I should have it done. I know you have done quite a lot of kms in your car so wanted to check. One other thing, the bilstein shock absorbers you fitted, were they B6, how was your experience with them?

[@joseantoniodominguezroco1818]

Great video Gannu!!

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Jose! Thanks a lot bro. Long time, trust you’re doing great.

[@danielmcalpine3416]

nice. very helpful. thankyou. 1 Question. Would it be better to put the filter cover back on without the filter when spraying the foam in?

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi thanks. Removing the cabin air filter cover lets you see how much the foam has penetrated within the system. That’s all.

[@danielmcalpine3416]

@@GaneshBalan makes sense. thanks

[@zelowatch30]

Will this work on GMC cars?

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi, this procedure is standard and works on all cars. Just check where the evaporator drain pipe on your car is. It would most likely be in front of the firewall. If you turn on the AC for some time, you’ll see the water dripping below your car. The spot above that is where rhetorical evaporator drain pipe is situated.

[@vinayakswami1972]

I can’t believe this….why u sold such a beautiful car? What issues u faced?

[@GaneshBalan]

I’ve elaborated it under the comments section of another video Vinayak. Let me find that and share it with you. It’s a long story!

[@vinayakswami1972]

@@GaneshBalanpls share 😢

[@pakderws6485]

A question Sir: when you insert the hose from the filter hole, does it go to the right or left side of the car to reach the evaporator?

[@GaneshBalan]

Back of the evaporator coil.

[@Zeek800]

Depends on the vehicle. Essentially you aim it towards where the airflow is coming from ( indicated on the cabin air filter and sometimes on the cover. Alternately run the system on “ outside air “ and insert a piece of tissue firmly held in your hand, into the area that the filter used to be in. You’ll be able to tell which direction the air is coming from.

[@jishnuk.s588]

Old video or brought that polo back?

[@jnanankurmahanta8426]

Old video, I guess.

[@GaneshBalan]

Thanks guys. It is indeed an old video but I didn’t have the heart to share the clips I had recorded. There are a few more in the pipeline - simple ones.

[@santhoshrcms]

Whats your new ride 🤔

[@GaneshBalan]

Hi Santosh, the Honda Jazz VX CVT.