Chirp/Screech from A/C Pulley |  |  |
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| Chirp/Screech from A/C Pulley SRG - 9 years ago |
My 2001 base Boxster (70k miles) developed a noise over the weekend. There is a chirping nosie that seems to get worse as the motor warms. Eventually the chirping becomes a constant screech. It's worst at idle and will stop if the engine is reved or if put under load.
I removed both engine covers and the noise seems to be comming from the air conditioners compressor pulley/clutch. The serpentine belt was replaced not long ago. It appears to be fine and at the correct tension. I turnd the A/C off for the 20 min. drive home and did not get the sound.
Looking around breifly I found a reman. compressor unit (w/ pulley/clutch) at Pelican for $500. You can also get a new Porsche pully/clutch from Pelican for $900. Ebay has lots of used ($100 and up) and reman./aftrermarket compressors ($300).
Best options? Replace entire compressor? With which one?
I removed both engine covers and the noise seems to be comming from the air conditioners compressor pulley/clutch. The serpentine belt was replaced not long ago. It appears to be fine and at the correct tension. I turnd the A/C off for the 20 min. drive home and did not get the sound.
Looking around breifly I found a reman. compressor unit (w/ pulley/clutch) at Pelican for $500. You can also get a new Porsche pully/clutch from Pelican for $900. Ebay has lots of used ($100 and up) and reman./aftrermarket compressors ($300).
Best options? Replace entire compressor? With which one?
| You want to be sure the noise is coming from theA/C compressor and its pulley... MarcW - 9 years ago |
and clutch system.
My info is noise from the A/C compressor and its hardware is rare. Most often it is a nearby idler roller bearing. I've had two go out on my 996, one next to the power steering pump which had me at one time thinking the power steering pump was bad.
If the A/C compressor is bad and it has to be replaced ideally the best compromise on cost is to have your car's A/C compressor rebuilt which to me means that your unit is disassembled and all worn parts are replaced with new ones and the unit reassembled and tested and given a warranty.
If that rebuild service is not available you can try the vanilla rebuilt compressor route but be sure there's as much warranty as you can get and be prepared for the new (rebuilt) one doesn't last and at the best you have to remove the failed unit and replace it with yet another rebuilt unit and at worst the rebuilt unit goes out and you do not get a free (or even pro-rated) replacement for one reason or another.
If you want to go new, there are the online sources of new and OE (?) compressors. Suncoast or Pelican come to mind.
The A/C compressor on the Boxster is probably the same on an Audi or VW model of car, maybe several. If you can find out which one you can comparison shop and probably buy the right one from an Audi or VW dealer for less than you would pay for one from a Porsche dealer. You want to make sure the compressor and its pulley and clutch or whatever is the same so it is just a bolt in replacement.
Sometimes you can show up at the Audi/VW dealer parts counter and the parts guy can refer you to the right Audi/VW unit that is a replacement.
Last there is the Porsche dealer parts department. You can sometimes get a discount. Just today I received a card in the mail from a bay area Porsche dealer offering big discounts on parts costing over $300 and not including tires. Dealers also give a discount to PCA club members, which can cut the price of a unit some.
My info is noise from the A/C compressor and its hardware is rare. Most often it is a nearby idler roller bearing. I've had two go out on my 996, one next to the power steering pump which had me at one time thinking the power steering pump was bad.
If the A/C compressor is bad and it has to be replaced ideally the best compromise on cost is to have your car's A/C compressor rebuilt which to me means that your unit is disassembled and all worn parts are replaced with new ones and the unit reassembled and tested and given a warranty.
If that rebuild service is not available you can try the vanilla rebuilt compressor route but be sure there's as much warranty as you can get and be prepared for the new (rebuilt) one doesn't last and at the best you have to remove the failed unit and replace it with yet another rebuilt unit and at worst the rebuilt unit goes out and you do not get a free (or even pro-rated) replacement for one reason or another.
If you want to go new, there are the online sources of new and OE (?) compressors. Suncoast or Pelican come to mind.
The A/C compressor on the Boxster is probably the same on an Audi or VW model of car, maybe several. If you can find out which one you can comparison shop and probably buy the right one from an Audi or VW dealer for less than you would pay for one from a Porsche dealer. You want to make sure the compressor and its pulley and clutch or whatever is the same so it is just a bolt in replacement.
Sometimes you can show up at the Audi/VW dealer parts counter and the parts guy can refer you to the right Audi/VW unit that is a replacement.
Last there is the Porsche dealer parts department. You can sometimes get a discount. Just today I received a card in the mail from a bay area Porsche dealer offering big discounts on parts costing over $300 and not including tires. Dealers also give a discount to PCA club members, which can cut the price of a unit some.
| Re: Chirp/Screech from A/C Pulley SRG - 9 years ago |
Dianostic error/Promlem fixed:
The chirping and screeching was not the AC pulley at all or any other pulley or part of the belt system. Sure sounded like that kind of thing though.
The actual noisemaker was the Air/Oil Seperator. This has now been replaced and all symtoms are gone. A couple of tips for anyone replacing the AOS - Get the "preloaded" hose clamp for the lower hose. If your car is 6 or 8 years old, get a replacement upper hose - it's easy to break the origional when removing or installing it (the old plastic is brittle). Last tip - get someone else, who had done this before, to help or better yet, do it for you while you hand them tools and/or beer.
The chirping and screeching was not the AC pulley at all or any other pulley or part of the belt system. Sure sounded like that kind of thing though.
The actual noisemaker was the Air/Oil Seperator. This has now been replaced and all symtoms are gone. A couple of tips for anyone replacing the AOS - Get the "preloaded" hose clamp for the lower hose. If your car is 6 or 8 years old, get a replacement upper hose - it's easy to break the origional when removing or installing it (the old plastic is brittle). Last tip - get someone else, who had done this before, to help or better yet, do it for you while you hand them tools and/or beer.
| A bad AOS can make noise though it is not a common symptom. Your case just highlights that one... MarcW - 9 years ago |
can't assume the noise is coming from where one thinks. I've been fooled enough times so I'm speaking from direct experience.
Anyhow, you did good by id'ing the true source of the noise rather than wrench first and regret later. Once the source of the noise has been correctly and accurately pinpointed often what then is wrong is very clear.
Anyhow, you did good by id'ing the true source of the noise rather than wrench first and regret later. Once the source of the noise has been correctly and accurately pinpointed often what then is wrong is very clear.
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