Altea Aircon

[Paul_Treg]

Hi Guys,
I need some help with the aircon on my Altea 1.9tdi (2010), a few weeks ago it stopped blowing cold air, had it pressure checked and found all ok, so ATS recommended changing the pressure switch, new one fitted and re-gassed and still no cold air.
I can't hear the pump kicking in, so I've had the undertray off and checked the voltage at the compressor, 10v aircon off and 13v aircon on, so signal seems to be going to the clutch. While under the car I have noticed the bolt on the a/c clutch pulley is not screwed all the way in, seems to be about 3mm of thread visible, is this normal...?
I have tried screwing it in further but the internals of the pump just turn and I get nowhere....

Any help would be great

Thanks
Paul_Treg

 

[Viking]

New compressor needed, along with new drier and a new pressure valve after flushing the system. The shaft breaks inside the compressor and while trying to turn it chews metal filings off the two ends of the shaft and distributes them round the system.

 

[Paul_Treg]

Thanks Viking,
Thats cheered me up......I did check for mechanial failure, pump turns smoothly, no end float in pulley or centre screw. The pump isnt even trying to engage and neither are the fans, is there a control relay for the aircon, I cannot see a fuse listed in the handbook.

Thanks
Paul_Treg

 

[Viking]

Compressor is engaged and working all the time, and the system is always working (when it's not broke). So you won't here it trying to engage.

 

[Paul_Treg]

Hi Viking,
The centre bolt (M6 T30 Torx) is not turning with compressor, but it is free to turn with the pump, is there a way of locking the pump so I can tighten this up, its a Delpi 5N0 type pump. The pulley is not driving anything, not even the end of the possibly broken shaft.....

Thanks
Paul

 

[Viking]

The compressor shaft is held onto the pulley with the bolt. When the shaft breaks the bolt comes loose and the shaft falls away from the back end of the pump. You can't tighten it up because the shaft has broken inside the compressor. You can't lock the compressor to tighten the bolt because the shaft is broken. The pulley turns freely because the shaft isn't held onto the pulley by the bolt because the bolt can't hold the shaft which has snapped inside the compressor.

Feel free to carry on trying to tighten the bolt however, and even if you do manage to tighten the bolt and clamp the shaft back on to the rear of the pulley,you'll have gained nothing because the shaft is broken and doesn't turn the compressor anyway.

If you can turn the bolt easily then you have no compression which would indicate that the shaft has snapped and the compressor isn't turning when you turn the bolt, which has come loose because the shaft has snapped.

I can try and think up a few new ways to say the compressor is buggered if you wish?

 

[Paul_Treg]

Hi Viking,
Yeah I get the message, just didn't want to accept another expensive fix on my Altea, the list in the first 9 months of ownership is :

Clutch / Flywheel
Rear Springs
Rear Shocks
Clutch Slave Cylinder
Clutch Master Cylinder
Handbrake cables
Aircon pressure sensor
and now compressor.........all in under 80k miles car

Thanks
Paul_Treg

 

[Tell]

Tried pulling the a/c fuse under the dash. Mine just needs a reboot when it packs up. Probably not your problem. Ignition off pull that 20amp compressor fuse and put back in. Turn Ignition and it works. Saved me forking out for a repair. Think my issue and it's happened on two of these 20amp fuses is that the fuse heats up, warps the plastic on the fuse. Poor connection leads to cut out which you get back by pulling the fuse. But the better fix is to change the fuse. It's only triggered in hot spells or cold spells when working hard. As the fuse gets more deformed it happens most of the time. Saying this I seem to be the only Altea owner who has experienced this issue . You could be the second....

 

[Paul_Treg]

AC now fully working, pump changed out for an older Sanders type from a 2007 Audi A3 instead of the Delphi unit.
The old unit was stripped earlier today, got as far as taking the pulley damper plate off, problem was front screw came loose and mullered the splines in the front damper plate, the main shaft is fine, everthing else looks as it should, pump turn smoothly and I can hear each port popping as it turns, so a dose of chemical metal and some loctite will give me a spare unit for future disasters .

Thanks
Paul_Treg