Aircon

[Zaw]

Dear All,

I have a 2001 Ford Galaxy 2.3. I've had a lot of trouble with the starter motor this week which failed twice. The Kwik Fit garage found the problem to be the aircon which had seized. The aircon compressor was replaced but, due to a leak, it cannot be used. My question is that when I turn on the heating the aircon comes on straight away. Not a major problem if the aircon does not mess with the atarter motor but it does. Is there a way to disable the aircon? Maybe at the switch?

 

Thanks for any help and I hope I am making sense. I have 4 children, 3 of them very young and I really cannot another breakdown after the repairs this week.

 

 

 

[insanitybeard]

If the compressor (and possibly clutch pulley) has been changed, then regardless of whether the air con works or not, there should be no further issues with the starter motor trying to turn the engine over against the resistance of the seized compressor (which is presumably why the starter gave up in the first place). If there is a leak and therefore insufficient gas pressure in the air con system, the control electrics should disable the system anyway, to prevent potential damage. If you are still worried, you can disconnect the electrical multiplug which goes into the compressor, this will prevent the clutch from 'switching in' the compressor, so it will not work in any circumstances.

[chromedome]

You should be able to switch the a/c off on the dashboard. If you have climate control just set it to ECON mode. If manual a/c just push the a/c knob in so it doesn't light up.

[Zaw]

Thanks ever so much 'Insanitybeard' that's ever so helpful. Yes, the compressor has been changed, it was not turning and this caused it to break twice. I had thought that now that it is not seazing there should not be any issues, it is a new compressor, but am completely paranoid now about it. I can, of course, 'chromedone' simply turn it off at the dashboard but with a car full of kids might forget.

 

Is it easy to find and disconnect the electrical multiplug which goes into the compressor?

 

Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.

 

[insanitybeard]

If you can locate the compressor (the pulley driving it is below and forward of the crankshaft pulley), the connector should actually be directly on the compressor itself just inside of the drive pulley, it should only have a couple of wires going into it.