Technical Service Bulletin
Topic
Market
area
Brand
Transaction
No.
Level
Status
Release
date

HVAC refrigerant leakage suspected or reports of a damp/musty smell within the cabin - Diagnosis guidelines
Australia E04 Bentley rest Asia and Australia (6E04),China 723 Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive CO (6723),China 796 VW Import
Comp. Ltd (Vico), Beijing (6796),Germany E02 Bentley rest Europe (6E02),Japan E03 Bentley Japan (6E03),Korea, (South) E08
Bentley South Korea (6E08),United Arab Emirates E06 Bentley Middle East and Africa (6E06),United Kingdom E01 Bentley UK
(6E01),United States E05 Bentley USA and rest America (6E05)
Bentley
2069806/6
EH
Released for publishing
Jun 26, 2025

New customer code
Object of complaint
climate control -> heating, cooling -> automatic climate control mode (AUTO)
climate control -> heating, cooling -> manual climate control mode
climate control -> cooling

Complaint type
Position
functionality -> cannot be activated
functionality -> no function
component, automotive fluids

New workshop code
Object of complaint
Complaint type
Position
climate control -> cooling -> evaporator leaks -> not watertight
front
climate control -> cooling -> evaporator leaks -> connection leaks front

Vehicle data
All Models
Sales types
Type
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***
***

MY
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

Brand Designation Engine code Gearbox code
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*
E
*
*

Documents
Document name
master.xml
attachment2069806.pdf
hvacword.doc

Final drive code
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Technical Service Bulletin
HVAC refrigerant leakage suspected or reports of a damp/musty smell within the cabin - Diagnosis guidelines

Transaction No.: 2069806/6
Release date: Jun 26, 2025

Condition
HVAC not cooling / HVAC cooling less than expected / HVAC refrigerant leakage confirmed
Or
The customer reports a damp/musty smell within the cabin Note: For this scenario please see the pre requisites below

•

Should no HVAC leak be evident and a damp/musty smell has been reported/identified the operative should first confirm
that water is not leaking into the cabin please refer to all VIN applicable TPI’s

•

Should there be no water leaks evident, the operative should check the HVAC and body drains for blockages, in the
event the drains are blocked the drains must be unblocked, once this has been completed the operative should confirm
if the damp/musty smell is still evident

Hint: Should the damp/musty smell still be evident after the drains have been cleaned and/or water leaks have been repaired, the operative
should consider the smell could be related to accumulation of algae, fungus and/or mold on and around the evaporator, in this scenario the
operative must raise a DISS query requesting permission to clean the HVAC system
NOTICE
In the event that HVAC cleaning products are required, these MUST be sourced locally. Before using the cleaner the
operative must inform the customer of the product which will be used, a neutral fragrance cleaner should be used as the
customer may not like the smell of the cleaner should a fragranced product be used.
Please ensure all supporting information is included within the DISS query when requesting permission to clean the HVAC system including clear
photographs and/or videos showing the reported issue, should the required information not be supplied the warranty claim could be cancelled
The retailer can conduct the cleaning process or a local HVAC specialist may be used to conduct the cleaning process, however this would
require permission via DISS before being conducted
CAUTION
Do Not replace the evaporator for this issue, if the issue is still evident after the HVAC system has been cleaned, the
operative must raise a new DISS query or respond via the existing query
NOTICE
In the event that no HVAC leaks/issues were found and the damp/musty smell was evident resulting in the requirement to
clean the HVAC system, this would not be covered by warranty and must be paid by the customer as this related to a
maintenance issue and not a HVAC functionality issue

Technical Background
CAUTION
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES INSTALL TRACER ADDITIVES INTO THE HVAC SYSTEM

Before conducting any work on the HVAC system the operative MUST refer to the following within Rep.Gr 87
•

Refrigeration system - Safety and general information

It has been observed that some HVAC components have been incorrectly diagnosed and replaced, after the components were returned for
inspection no faults were found
CAUTION
The leaks in these scenarios were repaired after component replacement however as the parts were not at fault the actual
fix of the leak would have been resolved by replacing O-rings only

NOTICE
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Before proceeding the operative should check to confirm there are no VIN applicable
HVAC/refrigerant leak related TPI’s
Workshop diagnosis based on the customer complaint could be as follows:
•

HVAC is not cooling or the HVAC is not effective due to leakage of the refrigerant

•

Refrigerant recovered from the system shows a low volume or no refrigerant at all

•

Leakage is suspected from the compressor as no other leakage source was found

NOTICE
please refer to the examples shown below (Figures 1,2 and 3) of leaks found on the HVAC compressor

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4
In the event the HVAC sniffer tool traces a HVAC leak from any of the outlets (Figure 4)
Or
A complaint is received that refrigerant is evident within the cabin.
NOTICE
The operative MUST first ensure that a leak is not evident within the plenum chamber or around the centre console
(Figures 5 and 6) as refrigerant could be leaking into the plenum chamber/cabin, and recirculated back into the cabin which

could lead to misdiagnosis and/or incorrect part replacement.

Figure 5

Figure 6

In the event that leakage is suspected from the thermal expansion valve (TXV) the thermal expansion valve can be replaced
when the HVAC unit is fitted within the car
•

The operative must first refer to the attached flow chart before proceeding with any diagnosis or parts replacement

TIP: The attached document is for assistance in diagnosing the HVAC leak for issue relating to damp/musty smells within the
cabin please refer to the Customer statement/Workshop findings section of this TPI
•

Before conducting any work on the HVAC system the operative MUST refer to the following within Rep.Gr 87

•

Refrigeration system - Safety and general information

•

Refrigerant oil - Special instructions

•

Refrigeration system - To discharge and charge

IMPORTANT TIP: When a HVAC line/connection has been opened the operative MUST always cap/bung the applicable port
using a suitable cap/bung
CAUTION
In the event the evaporator or compressor is suspected to be at fault the operative must raise a Technical DISS query
before conducting any further work ensuring the following is attached.

– Photograph and video of the refrigerant quantity and the actual leakage location

CAUTION
DO NOT replace the dryer if the evaporator is being replaced unless it is advised in via a technical DISS query. This is to
protect the HVAC parts from moisture & foreign elements getting into the system. Always refer to the procedure that has
been provided in ElsaPro.
Or
In the event the evaporator or compressor is not suspected as being at fault and the issue can be successfully diagnosed and repaired, please
raise a non-technical DISS query stating the issue which was evident and how the issue was resolved

Revision History – TPI 2069806/6
Technical background modification – Caution warning added to specify correct part replacement to protect the system from moisture and foreign
elements.

Production Solution
-

Service
Refer to the Technical background section

Warranty
Time to conduct the initial checks within the Measure section
Warranty Type
110 or 910
Damage Service Number 87 01
Damage Code
00 50
Labour operation code
87 01 01 20
Time
50 TU

In the event that any parts are required to be replaced please refer to the warranty accounting instructions with Elsa pro this
is due to the numerous vehicle specification and symptom scenarios
NOTICE
In the event that no HVAC leaks/issues were found and the damp/musty smell was evident resulting in the requirement to
clean the HVAC system, this would not be covered by warranty and must be paid by the customer as this related to a
maintenance issue and not a HVAC functionality issue
NOTICE
Please ensure all supporting information is included within the DISS query including clear photographs and/or videos
showing the reported issue, should the required information not be supplied the warranty claim in some cases could be
cancelled
NOTICE
All HVAC related claims will be checked by the Warranty team, any claims which are not deemed as applicable will be
cancelled
– In the event that parts are replaced parts without the required attachments or the parts are found to be not at fault
warranty claims will be liable for rejection

Required Parts and Tools
Refer to the ETKA parts catalogue for any additional parts requirements
NOTICE
In the event that HVAC cleaning products are required, these MUST be sourced locally. Before using the cleaner the
operative must inform the customer of the product which will be used, a neutral fragrance cleaner should be used as the
customer may not like the smell of the cleaner should a fragranced product be used