Air-conditioning failure

A problem that has just cropped up with my Zafira is that the air-conditioning sometimes doesn’t come on. I had it regassed last summer and it has worked perfectly up to now. I gave it regular runs through the winter to lubricate the seals, but now it sometimes won’t even switch on. Normally, when you turn it on, you see the revs drop as the extra load is put on the engine, but sometimes this doesn’t happen. When it does come on, it works fine, with chilled air coming out.

I have checked the fuses – there are three: two in the boot and one under the bonnet – but they look OK. What are your thoughts on the matter? Ken Chadwick Given the fact that the airconditioning does work intermittently, the most likely cause is the operation of the control panel switch. Vauxhall did issue a workshop bulletin that acknowledged that some owners had complained of intermittent operation of the airconditioning system, but the outcome was inconclusive, with the bulletin maintaining that no faults had been found. It may be worth removing the heater control panel and checking that the connecting plug is clean and correctly in position. It may be worth trying a replacement heater control panel – they are available on ebay for around £20.