Octavia TDi Air con info

[DOA]

Hi there

1st post so please be nice . I have a couple of questions to ask about the air con system on TDi octavias. Firstly, I have been informed that the air con pump on my car is failing by my dad (cars at home, Im at uni) who has just got the car back from a service (major service, chrimbo rocks). Basically, the garage is telling him that I need a new pump as the bearings are going or that AND the power steering pump may both fail at the same time and he wants to charge me £800 for replacing the air con pump and belt (probably more if I let it do what he claims its gonna do). Now firstly, I know that if the air con pump fails it wont damage the power steering pump but that yeah, it probably will render the power steering useless if the belt goes at the same time. However, I have spent a few hours doing some looking around for info and worked out that, from an Im a poor student and want to do this as cheep as possible point of view, my best course of action is to bypass the air con pump altogether and fit the belt from a car that didnt come with air con.

However, looking on a russian site posted on here that has service manuals on it, I cant see how these belts would run due to the position of the power steering pump and the idlers (and I cant see the engine because its in dumfries and Im in preston). So, my questions are, is it possible to just bypass the air con pump by replacing the belt, or is it more involved than this, i.e by moving the power steering pump? Are any other parts needed to do this if its possible apart from a new belt? Did they even sell a non air con model over here?

I will be doing the work myself either way, even if I have to swap the air con pump for a second hand one but I want to save as much cash as possible when I get around to the job and have never seen the point of an air con system that I never use anyway.

Any help greatfully received .

Cheers

Mike

[KenONeill]

There were non air con Octys sold.

Short expn follows:-

I'm really not sure how bypassing the pump on a Climatronic car would work out though, not least because you use the air con whenever the outside temperature is over 6C, even if your preferred temperature is above ambient, because it doesn't just cool the air, it may also heat it and humidify it or dehumidify it.

The good news is that you might be able to fix the air pump by tightening up the pulley bolt. The bad news is that, if you can't, you'll need a replacement pump and a regas.

[midgebuster]

If it helps my air con pump went at 80k, they said the clutch had gone in it. I have now done 56k without it working, and no problems, dunno if this helps

Neil

[KenONeill]

Further to the above, if the aircon breaks, it will probably be the clutch, rather than the pump bearings, that go.

[cheezemonkhai]

It is about 1k from a main dealer or about £400 at an indy.

I know which option I'd take. While you are at it you might as well get the aux belt changed as that is £10. If a cam belt service is due any time soon you might also wish to get that, a water pump and tensioners done as they are getting at the same area so while it would increase the cost, the actual labour you would be paying would be reduced as such.