Finally got under my car to look at my air con pump and took a quick snap of this. The ID of the pump is SD7V16.

Is this the infamous clutch nut failure? The threads look fine so if I can fix it in situ without de pressurizing the whole air con system that would be great. Saving some money would be nice as well. I've seen the clutch assembly on Ebay for £100 or whole pumps for less than that. I did a search for SD7V16 and found pumps for citroens etc for about £30 so I'm curious as to whether i can strip the clutch off one of those and use it? That is if it is the same.

Any advice at this stage would be great. I'm quite handy with tools but have a lot to learn about cars yet. Air con systems just boggle my mind!

Yes looks the same as mine did the other week, luckily I found mine sat on the undertray even had the nut sat with it! I just lined up the wider spline, slipped it back on and fitted a nylock nut instead, no need to de-gas or re-gas. Was a bit awkard to tighten the nut up but otherwise pretty straightforward although I did have the advantage of it being sat on a 2 post ramp.

Edited 31 March, 201214 yr by BIGMIKE1

That is indeed missing the clutch!

Excellent stuff. Thanks guys.

I was faffing about taking the engine cover off and looking down trying to figure out where it was. Got underneath and instantly spotted the air con pump. My engine doesnt have any tray underneath it, only the back part of the bumper so i doubt ill be finding the clutch there!

I think I will just get a second hand replacement pump and use the clutch from that. Threads all looked fine so am hoping a nylock nut/threadlocked nut will work out okay.

My engine doesnt have any tray underneath it, only the back part of the bumper so i doubt ill be finding the clutch there!

Unless it fell off during a high speed reverse....

I found my alternator pulley on my tray one day - granted I did know it had broken off though.

Handy things the full-sized engine tray

Edited 1 April, 201214 yr by mbames

I'm pretty sure that I have a clutch plate and nut on an old compressor that I can send you. I will check tomorrow.

That would be fantastic rwbaldwin. How much do you want for it?

That would be fantastic rwbaldwin. How much do you want for it?

Found it!

It's yours FOC. PM me your name and address and I'll mail them out to you (clutch plate, washer and nut).

Now there is an offer you can't refuse! I'm sur eit should have a price though, like £5 contribution to a good charity etc.....

Yep, thanks mate

As chris says if you want something donated to brisky/charity just name em

Mine decided to depart company from the end of the splined shaft and took out the alternator and drive belt as it pinballed it way around before coming to rest in the undertray. Missus was driving along a winding country road at the time and suddenly found she had a dash full of warning lights and no power steering. When i got a closer look the lockiing nut looked to have long since come undone and gone missing allowing the A/C clutch to slide about the shaft and had worn the spline down until it was free enough to fly off. i got things fixed but the splines were too worn to refit the clutch so I now have no AC. I would advise any one with an octy to periodically check the state of the locking nut when you have go under the car eg when giving it an oil change. IMHO its a Bloomin stupid design to have a high speed spinning disc held on with something that wouldn't look out of place in a mecanno set if you ask me..

Is there anyone who could guide me on how to look for if mine is missing, when i turn on the AC and press the buttons to check the AC clutch speed i get a readout of 0, So i was told by skoda i would need a whole new AC fitting and regas etc.... costing ££££'s

If mine is the same and just needs a replacement clutch i could get a doner one and fit it?

I cant take any pictures as I'm at work and also dont have ramps to get the car on to take good pictures but ill try explain.

Basically, stick you head underneath the front bumper next to the drivers side wheel.

If you look up at where the cambelt* runs through you will see it loops around a couple of different parts (alternator and air con pump i think)

If yours looks like the picture i posted above then the clutch has fallen off.

I wasn't sure what i was looking for but the minute i saw it i knew what it was based on peoples descriptions!

*it is the cambelt im thinking about isnt it?

I will have a look this afternoon after work, just want to make sure im looking in the right place before i go buying spares

If the plate is there, then check the connector that sits in a bracket above the starter motor. There are four wires - two for the a/c clutch and two for the alternator signals. The wires go brittle and break. Also check that the radiator fans run when you turn on the a/c.

Finally got under my car to look at my air con pump and took a quick snap of this. The ID of the pump is SD7V16.

Is this the infamous clutch nut failure? The threads look fine so if I can fix it in situ without de pressurizing the whole air con system that would be great. Saving some money would be nice as well. I've seen the clutch assembly on Ebay for £100 or whole pumps for less than that. I did a search for SD7V16 and found pumps for citroens etc for about £30 so I'm curious as to whether i can strip the clutch off one of those and use it? That is if it is the same.

Any advice at this stage would be great. I'm quite handy with tools but have a lot to learn about cars yet. Air con systems just boggle my mind!

Can anyone clarify if the pump is a SD7V16 and off another car, can it still be used as a doner for the clutch????

My pump had a big blue sticker on with that number. I took a picture but accidently deleted it...

*it is the cambelt im thinking about isnt it?

Aux drive belt, the cambelt is pretty close by though.

Edited 3 April, 201214 yr by mbames

learn something new every day

Right, got car on ramp today, all connections seem ok, clutch is present, stuck for ideas now, and checked, when i turn AC on no fan kicks in :think:

If the plate is there, then check the connector that sits in a bracket above the starter motor. There are four wires - two for the a/c clutch and two for the alternator signals. The wires go brittle and break. Also check that the radiator fans run when you turn on the a/c.

Right i have checked, no rad fans when i turn AC on, the AC fuse appears normal, will still change for spare when i get chance, wire appear normal and clutch still attached, test readout is 0 rpm and the system is fully gassed..... any ideas???? is there a relay or something that could be dead

Right i have checked, no rad fans when i turn AC on...

The fans and a/c clutch are controlled by the fan control unit. It is either faulty or isn't getting the signal from the climatronic unit.

The fans and a/c clutch are controlled by the fan control unit. It is either faulty or isn't getting the signal from the climatronic unit.

Ahhh, can anyone inform he how i can check/fix this.... Found the location, and am i right in assuming this may be why the aircon wont start, does it rely on the fan control unit?

Just to clarify, i can use the normal heat/cool features (ECON) i think its called, and i all my setting work, i.e. windscreen, footwell, dash, recirculate etc. the olny thing that doesnt start is the air con, as said before fans dont kick in and there is no engine rev change

Edited 4 April, 201214 yr by DSS199

Check that the fuses on top of the battery are OK.

The fan control unit is fed by two of the fuses on top of the battery - the third of the bolt down fuse links and the green fuse nearest to them.

Check that the fuses on top of the battery are OK.

The fan control unit is fed by two of the fuses on top of the battery - the third of the bolt down fuse links and the green fuse nearest to them.

the fuses on top of the battery are ok, after a visual inspection