OEM Refrigerator for 5 seater Phaeton (retrofittable)

[PanEuropean]

Most forum members are aware that VW has been offering a refrigerator for the 4 seat Phaetons since 2004. This is a rather large coolbox, you can see photos of it on this thread: Retrofitting a refrigerator to a Phaeton.

VW is now offering a refrigerator for the 5 seat Phaetons as a factory installed accessory. This refrigerator is a bit smaller (interior volume) than the 4 seater model, and takes up considerably less trunk space. It can be retrofitted to any existing 5 seat Phaeton. Here are some photos.

Michael

NOTE: This is a 5 seater - it just looks like a 4 seater because of the two colour leather used.

Here are the parts used, in case anyone wants to order the parts for a retrofit.

[Phat Cat]

Michael:

Very cool, indeed! Not outragrously expensive either. In your expert opinion, how difficult would the installation be?

[Viergang Fuchs]

Paging OEMPL.us to the thread.

OEMPL.us, to the thread.

What can your, um, secret sources get me one for?

[Phat Cat]

Quote, originally posted by Viergang Fuchs »

Paging OEMPL.us to the thread What can your, um, secret sources get me one for?

I'm also interested.

[W126C]

Michael,
I know there are not any stupid questions, but how does the refrigerator work in the Phaeton. Do you have to turn it on when you get in the car, will it start up when you start the car, will it run while the car is shut off (short periods), what keeps things from getting SKUNKIE and just how long will it take to cool beverages down? Also, how much noise does it make.

I love the idea, but I'm not sure how practical it would really be. I must be getting old or something.

Regards,
Brent

[PanEuropean]

Quote, originally posted by Phat Cat »

...how difficult would the installation be?

I kind of suspect it would be 'plug and play'. It looks like the fold-down armrest is unchanged from the non-refrigerator cars, and that is the part that will make retrofits of 4 seat fridges difficult.

You would need to supply it with fused power from the main power supply box - that should not be too difficult to do.

Michael

[PanEuropean]

Quote, originally posted by W126C »

...but how does the refrigerator work in the Phaeton. Do you have to turn it on when you get in the car, will it start up when you start the car, will it run while the car is shut off (short periods), what keeps things from getting SKUNKIE and just how long will it take to cool beverages down? Also, how much noise does it make.

Hi Brent:

The fridges (both 4 and 5 seat) only work when the ignition is on. So, the idea is that you put a cold beverage in there, and the fridge will keep it cold for the balance of the journey. They make no noise at all that is audible inside the cabin, because all the mechanicals are in the trunk.

I suppose that if you are not using the fridge for a long period of time you could put a bag of desiccant in there - or, just leave the door open. The compartment volume is not very big, and there are no exposed cooling coils, so I don't think there would be any problems with off-smells developing if it is not used.

Michael

[OEMplus.com]

I'm working on it...

[DCubed]

looks exactly like the Audi Exclusive fridge option we have for the A8, it works pretty good, and suprisingly the fridge cars move rather quickly, but then there is the business of our 140K W12 in inventory, anyone wanna help me out with that one?

[OEMplus.com]

Okay, holding your breath? We can offer these for $1795. I am not sure where Michael got that price, but it is lower than my wholesale price.

[Phat Cat]

$1795 certainly borders on the outrageous. Oh well, it seemed too good to be true...

[PanEuropean]

Quote, originally posted by OEMpl.us »

...I am not sure where Michael got that price...

From a VW dealer in Germany. But, I got that price about 4 months ago, so, it is possible that VW may have adjusted it since then.

Michael

[W126C]

Sounds like it's going to be an Igloo cooler and a bag of ice for me.

You might be a "redneck and/or soccer mom," if your favorite beverages are iced down in a cooler in the back seat.

Well on the bright side, my cooler does match my gun rack.

Regards,
Brent

[GripperDon]

I am soooo happy with my Walmart unit installation for 1/20 of the price.

[sethdallob]

Did we ever determine if the 4-seat version would or would not fit in a 5-seat? I saw the other thread, but it doesn't look like it was ever followed up on. I'm about to get my bonus from work, and was thinking about ordering one. The 4-seat model looks significantly more attractive and useful than the 5-seat version. There was some notation on the 4-seat refrigerator thread about a different size opening, but I wonder if that could be retrofitted or worked-around.

[PanEuropean]

I'm still waiting for the fridge from the UK car to arrive here in Canada so I can try retrofitting it to my 5 seater. As soon as it arrives, I will report back to everyone.

Tony - howzit going?

Michael

[sethdallob]

What's the ETA?

[PanEuropean]

Ask Tony.

[jlturpin]

I looks like it has a MSRP of 1695 and can be bought online through a VW delaer for 1475. Way too rich for my blood.

[reneestreg]

Quote, originally posted by jlturpin »

I looks like it has a MSRP of 1695 and can be bought online through a VW delaer for 1475. Way too rich for my blood.

Not even close to the price of a good bottle of wine.

[PowerDubs]

Any chance of rehosting these pics?

[pskoru]

This is very interesting topic could you please rehost the pictures

[Jim Morris]

I just came across a refrigerator for the 4-seater Audi A8L W12. A friend of mine hates the lost trunk space in his Audi and he wants to get rid of it. Any change that it'll fit in my 5-seat V10? Probably not but I'm going to try anyway

[W126C]

Hi Jim,
There are two different refrigerators for the 4-seater and the bench seat. The size and trim from the 4-seater frig will not allow it to adapt to the bench seat. The bench seat center arm rest area in narrower.
Regards,
Brent

[Jim Morris]

I'm happy to announce that the refridgerator from the A8L 4-seater somehow does fit in my Phaeton 5-seater. Apparently, the dimensions of the center arm rest area in the A8L are close enough to the 5-seater Phaeton that it's almost like the fridge and the Phaeton were made for each other. I could even use the supplied screws to fasten the fridge to the arm rest wall.

So far the good news. The bad news is that the fridge doesn't do anything. I've seen it functional in my friend's A8L so I know it isn't faulty. I hooked it up to the 'ignition switched' 12V in my trunk (I don't know what the correct term is, it's the 12V suppy that's only active when the ignition is switched on) but the fridge doesn't respond in any way. The interior light doesn't come on either.

I know not many of you have a OEM fridge in your Phaeton as it's a particularly expensive option, but does anyone have any pointers as to where I should look for the problem? Maybe the fridge needs extra power somehow? I just spliced the red and brown wires coming from the fridge into the existing positive/negative running to my Alpine black box.

Anyone have any ideas? Much appreciated!

[Jim Morris]

More good news, I've managed to get the fridge to function There was a fuse in an impossible location which was blown, after replacing it the refridgerator happily purred to life.

I've made a few pictures to show you how it looks after the A8L's fridge is installed in a Phaeton 5-seater.

Clicking on the images makes them larger.

[adamkodish]

Very nice, but where do I put my golf clubs?

Adam

[Jim Morris]

Well, the picture doesn't show it clearly, but the bottom half of the fridge is actually pretty deep. I can put a standard can of Coke in front of the Spa bottle and still close the door.

I've just measured it, the bottom half is 35cm deep.

[madreg98]

Beautiful job. Is the Audi refrig less expensive than the OEM for the Phaeton?

[Jim Morris]

I don't know, actually, I didn't buy the refrigerator from VW. A friend of mine was a bit impatient when he ordered his A8L, and it took him too long to go through the whole option list. So he drew a new checkbox at the bottom, wrote Everything next to it, and checked that box instead. I know this because I was with him when he ordered it

So he didn't choose the refrigerator in particular, and apparently his mistress complained that she couldn't fit all her Louis Vuitton travel bags in the trunk, and his wife insisted that she couldn't get all the groceries in. So he had it removed and it has been collecting dust in his basement ever since. When I asked about it, he almost threw it at me. Space was getting tight in all 17 rooms in his basement, apparently. So that's how I acquired this rare item for free

The A8L's trunk is a lot smaller than my Phaeton's, mostly because the added legroom for the rear passengers also eats out of the trunk space. In my Phaeton, there is still plenty of room with the refrigerator installed. There is even room for a suitcase on either side of the unit.

The part number is 4E0 088 400 B. I've only found one website that lists a price for it (http://www.worldimpex.com/parts/genuine-part-kit_261350.html) and there it runs for $1472 with their discount. The original price on that site, however, is the same as the one OEMPl.us quotes somewhere higher up on this thread. So the units are probably priced about the same, since it is basically the same unit.


Modified by Jim Morris at 9:54 PM 8-21-2009

[zenmoused]

Wow, I think your friend is my new hero. I have to remember the custom checkbox idea for my next car purchase.

Brian

[PanEuropean]

Photos re-hosted.

Michael