Could It Now Be The Compressor? Opinions?

[markie]

Wonder if anyone can help or advise? About a month ago, the aircon packed up. Just had a new condensor and pipe fitted to make the aircon work. Condensor was leaking and pipe corroded. Thought this had cured it.

 

To cut a long story short, got car back yesterday, seemed to be working o.k.,this morning the air con seemed fine on a 15 minute run, but by this afternoon when it was warmer, it was just blowing hottish air again.

 

The compressor and fan is turning. The inlet and outlet pipes have no significant temperature difference, one is a little hotter than the other, but nothing major. Should one be a lot hotter than the other?

 

Do you think this lends itself to the compressor being knackered or on its way out? Must admit, when I first got the car a few years ago, you could sense an immediate drop in revs and a audible click when compressor engaged, but this not really apparent now, but, as stated above, the compressor and fan do appear to be 'working', i.e. moving round and are not making any weird noises like they are broken.

 

Have read on here that the compressor can still turn round but be knackered.

 

Any ideas, before I contact the air con mechanic again to tell him the bad news ? Do not want to buy a new compressor if it could be something else?

 

If it is the compressor, any recommendations for where to purchase?

 

Thanks...

Edited July 28, 2009 by markie

[Biscuit]

Hi Markie

yes one pipe should be considerably hotter than the other

but i would check the compressor for compression

to do this leave the engine turned OFF and turn the inner of the compressor

if you can turn it freely you have a leak elsewhere

hope this helps

 

Biscuit

[markie]

Thanks for quick reply.

 

I have just been out and am able to turn the inner of the compressor - I was able to turn it, with a reasonable force, neither easy nor hard. Does this seem right?

 

Weird though, the air con is now working again, there is also a noticeable temperature difference between the pipes, right hand pipe hot; left one cold.

 

Why does it now appear to be working again???

Edited July 28, 2009 by markie

[Biscuit]

if you can turn it with one finger there cant be much compression

on mine it goes almost solid after a couple of turns!

[markie]

Just been out again ! You can turn it with one finger if you push hard, but its easier when gripping it ! It certainly does not go really hard / impossible to turn. I was turning it for at least 30 seconds, and could have gone on longer, but fingers started hurting !

[big blue]

Hi Markie,

 

I have a MK1 2000 Diesel manual single aircon, and i can rotate the centre of the aircon pully by hand, it feels like i am pushing some liquid out of the way but it dose not go hard.

 

Also one of my pipes gets VERY hot while the other one gets a fraction cooler.

 

When i have connected a pressure refill thing to the low pressure port the gauge is in the 'danger over filled' section untill the aircon kickes in then it goes down to the normal section (boarder line between under pressure and normal) but goes straight back to 'danger' when the engine stops.

 

That is when mine wants to work - regardless of switch position my turns on when the engine has got warm enough - but i think (hope) thats a stuck relay some where.

 

Big Blue.

[marinabrid]

hi all

these aerosol refills for the aircon do seem to flucuate with the gauge that is on some of them,

what exacltly is normal ?

is it when the engine is running at a certain speed or tickover , ive tried a couple and one said normakl the other overfilled!

[markie]

Just an update to this, as have been away.

 

Took it back to air con repair man, to have the compressor diagnosed as faulty and recommended changing the expansion valve as well . Hope to have this sorted early next week. Will update then.

[markie]

Well, new compressor and expansion valve on and it seems to be working well (so far).

 

Bank balance,

Edited August 13, 2009 by markie

[Smilge]

All the time I reckon Markie if the cc is turned on .... remember the air con also drys the air in winter although the temp is set to warm.

[spongebob_antspants]

One thing I have noticed - the compressor is on if the heater is turned on and heat turned up (is this normal)? I have climate control. Should the compressor only be on if the A/C is on, i.e. at a low temperature setting or all the time if the climate control unit is turned on ? :unsure:

I believe that the compressor is only turned OFF if you select the ECON mode on the climate control, otherwise it will be on all the time, regardless of the temperature setting on the cc.

[markie]

Thanks for that info - put my mind at rest - as was wondering whether it still wasn't working right with it being on all the time !

[MrT]

It should not run continuously under all conditions, the climate control will tell it when it needs to run and it can run with the heating on and the screen demist button on the climate control specifically does this. You should normally leave it in AUTO and adjust the temperature to suit. If the AUTO goes from the display when you change a setting too far, it is no longer in AUTO mode.

 

I would check that it does turn off when set to ECON and if it does, it is unlikely that anything is wrong.

[markie]

MrT, thank you for your input.

 

I have just checked and it does turn off in econ mode.

[markie]

Just a final update to this thread - air con is still working well, just in time for Autumn :lol:

[gregers]

:lol: :lol: dont forget you can/should use the aircon in the winter months aswell,it clears the front screen a lot quicker plus keeps the aircon system in working order.i:e seals can dry out through lack of use.