Hi all,

 

quick question to those that have handled this item prior to fitting. I was clearing the garage out today, and came across a spare air con compressor that came off of my son's Seat Leon.

 

Are they supposed to spin over very easily if you turn the main shaft, or is there a moderate amount of resistance?. I am talking about just the compressor on it's own, without any pipes attached, and I am aware that the clutch has to engage to stop pulley freewheel hence the comment about turning the main shaft.

 

I just want to know if it is worth keeping as a spare or if it is skip fodder.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Phil

The pressure in the hvac circuit is between the compressor pump and the condenser/expansion valve so with no refrigerant there is no resistance, On some vag pumps there is no clutch per se, it's done by altering the duty cycle via a proportioning Valve at the pump head. It's not a good idea to spin the pump with no refrigerant because it also acts as a lubricant for the internal seals.

I wasn't spinning the pump, but I did try to turn the shaft just to make sure it wasn't seized solid, which was when i noticed a small amount of drag in the pump. For the moment I've sealed the outlets from atmosphere and stored it pending answers on here.

I'm sure it will be fine, there is very little to go wrong inside the compressor pump, most aircon faults are electrical related or caused by leaks at the refrigerant unions.

Thanks TeflonTom, one less item in the skip then.