Noisy Compressor

[davsop]

I own a 1998 C2 996.
I've been told by a local opc that my air conditioning compressor is very noisy. I would be interested if anybody else has had this problem and is it a difficult job replacing the compressor?
Many thanks.

 

[Ian W]

Is it the compressor that is making the noise? My independent tells me that the whining sound is often caused by the idler pullies that the belt wraps around not the compressor itself. When you turn the aircon on, it loads up the belt and the pullies - apparently it's the bearings on the pullies that can make the racket under load.

A couple of replacement idlers are much cheaper than a compressor - best of luck!

Ian W

 

[hothatch2002]

Had the same problem with my car. You need it re-gassing. I was convinced that the noise from my car was a classic bearing noise, but I was then very well informed by Sutton Coldfield OPC that when the gas pressure drops (but not low enough to activate the low pressure switch), bubbles can form in the liquid which cause resonance when they pass through the vanes of the compressor - and it is this noise which often travels down the pipes and sounds as if it is coming from behind the dashboard.

So the moral of the storey is - if you can't find obvious leaks in the system, always go for a re-gas and see what happens. It cured my car and now the air is really really cold rather than just cold!!

 

[davsop]

Thanks both for the info.

 

[MikeO]

Where is the compressor and other bits of the system? I too have a weird whine behind the dashboard when the air con is working, is it in there or is it the pipes I can hear? Also I don't think the revs rise so much at idle when the a/c cuts in these days. Still getting reasonably cold air.

Would you take it to any old a/c specialist or one who knows Porsches?