Audi Q5 AC service checklist, what do you ask for before the summer?

[mitchellhayes]

Every year around this time I tell myself I will sort out the AC before it gets really bad, and this year I actually want to do it properly. I have a 2016 Audi Q5 with about 90,000 kilometers, and so far the AC has been fine, cold and quiet with no strange smells. The problem is that I do not really know what a good maintenance visit should include. Last year I just went to a quick place, they added a little gas, and I paid and left without any paper. This time I would like to do it the right way and keep a small record in the glove box. My friend who owns an A4 says he changes the cabin filter every six months because of the dust, and another friend says that is too often and a waste of money. I could not tell who was right, so one evening I read about it online and opened a page about Audi cars on a Sharjah website to understand which parts of the system need regular care, like the condenser at the front, the drain pipe, the filter and the pressure levels. It explained that prevention is much cheaper than waiting for the compressor to give up, and that cleaning the front fins from sand makes a real difference in this climate. A colleague then told me to look for Audi AC maintenance in Industrial Area 6 and to ask for a written list of what they checked, so I can compare it next year. I like that habit, but I want to be sure I am not paying for things I do not need. So here are my questions. What should a basic yearly AC service on an Audi include, only a gas check, or also a leak test, a filter change and a vent temperature reading? How cold should the vents measure on a healthy system in hot weather? Is it worth cleaning the condenser every year because of dust and sand? And how long does a normal maintenance visit take, and what is a fair price range? If you keep a routine for your Audi AC, please tell me what you do and how it has worked for you. Thanks a lot.