Air-Conditioner Compressor (grindy, unpleasant) noise

[BarnaBK]

Please see the video I linked, its just 20 seconds, I recorded the noise that comes in when I turn Air-con on, and dissappears when off.

https://youtu.be/1Ggszni81mE

Its very loud and bad from outside, especially when the car is in movement and engine revs higher. The higher the rev, the higher and faster tempo the noise is.

Also, I know it's normal to loose some power when a/c is on, but I can feel a bigger power loss than I would expect. My car has around 400nm torque, I dont think I should actually feel the power loss with this sort of power.

I know there is a clutch for the a/c compressor which separates/connects it to the accessory (serpentine) belt. Could that be faulty?

Is this normal at all? I had this noise ever since I bought the car, so Im not sure if other b6's has the same, I guess not. Other cars don't.

[old guy]

Audi uses a swash plate instead of a clutch. Clicky click®

[Turbo510]

The compressor should be silent whether running or not. Mine failed on me earlier this year, actually locked up. Being a job involving more work than I wanted, had a trusted shop do it. New compressor, orifice tube, evacuation and reload with R134a and refridgerant oil, set me back $1,200. But cold air again!

[BarnaBK]

Thanks old guy, will look into it.

Thanks Turbo510, and wow thats a fortune. My air is cold, it works as it should, its just very noisy (the compressor). Did you had this kind of problem before it seized?

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Audizine mobile app

[Turbo510]

Oddly it didn't make any noise until one day I tried to run AC and no cooled air came out. I took a look at the compressor, and saw that the drive plate on the front of the pulley was completely missing except for a piece of the hub,. I figured that I had goofed up the installation when replacing the pulley bearing some months earlier (had enjoyed a whole bottle of wine in the garage, so wasn't sure the job was done right). But when I had the new pulley in hand to install, I found the compressor jammed. With force, something inside released, but made a clunk when rotating the shaft back and forth. At that point I gave up, and being very hot at the time, took it to the shop our company uses for vehicle maintenance.

[Kevin C]

The pulley bearing at the front of the compressor can also make a good amount of noise if its going out.

[BarnaBK]

The pulley bearing at the front of the compressor can also make a good amount of noise if its going out.

Is that something easy to replace you think?

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Audizine mobile app

[Turbo510]

I replaced mine, maybe a year before the compressor finally crapped out. The thing had 200,000 miles, so I wasn't too surprised. To change the bearing, which is less than $10, you have to get the front end in service position, or even swiveled out of the way, and use a special Sankyo tool on an impact wrench. The drive plate then unscrews off the compressor shaft, then with a circlip removed, the pulley can be tapped off. The bearing is pressed into the pulley, but can be tapped out, and the new one tapped back in, using a tubular object so the force is only on the outer race. The pulley is a brittle thermoplastic, and I wasn't careful enough to protect the pulley edges from chipping. Didn't affect the function, but looked like I didn't care.

[g huns]

Mine did this after sitting for a month or so. AC worked all summer, parked it for awhile, suddenly it made the WORST sounds I've ever heard come out of a car.

It sounded soooooo bad I was afraid to get my head over it to look around and see what was up. Then the serpentine came flying off in pieces.

I'm probably going to be getting of rid the car soon and I didn't want to drop a grand on a new compressor so I searched around here and found the part number for a shorter belt to bypass it.

[BarnaBK]

I replaced mine, maybe a year before the compressor finally crapped out. The thing had 200,000 miles, so I wasn't too surprised. To change the bearing, which is less than $10, you have to get the front end in service position, or even swiveled out of the way, and use a special Sankyo tool on an impact wrench. The drive plate then unscrews off the compressor shaft, then with a circlip removed, the pulley can be tapped off. The bearing is pressed into the pulley, but can be tapped out, and the new one tapped back in, using a tubular object so the force is only on the outer race. The pulley is a brittle thermoplastic, and I wasn't careful enough to protect the pulley edges from chipping. Didn't affect the function, but looked like I didn't care.

Thanks for sharing the details dude, I appreciate it.

You dont necessarily have to remove the bumper, you could drop the compressor down on a gearbox stand. Up to this point I was considering to get just the pulley replaced, but I found that its allmost the same amount of work needed, as replacing the whole compressor + regas. I wont do it myself, I will let a garage to do it for me. They quoted £180 labour. The compressor is £500 at the shop, or I could get one off ebay for £250, which its allright.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Audizine mobile app

[BarnaBK]

Mine did this after sitting for a month or so. AC worked all summer, parked it for awhile, suddenly it made the WORST sounds I've ever heard come out of a car.

It sounded soooooo bad I was afraid to get my head over it to look around and see what was up. Then the serpentine came flying off in pieces.

I'm probably going to be getting of rid the car soon and I didn't want to drop a grand on a new compressor so I searched around here and found the part number for a shorter belt to bypass it.

Thanks for sharing.

I could just turn it to ECON mode, as that way makes no sound, but I need the air-con, as where I live is 6months cold, around 10-15 degrees Celsius, and rain all year. As soon as its wet outside I get steemed up windows which is very annoying. I need the dry air from air-con.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Audizine mobile app

[jj94tt]

I could just turn it to ECON mode, as that way makes no sound

If this is true - it's not a bearing issue... but rather compressor internal. :/

[Kevin C]

Sounds like you need a new compressor. How does your feel with the belt off if you turn it by hand? That will let you check out the front bearing. If it's not the front bearing the only way to know for sure how bad the damage is, is to pull it and inspect the oil for debris. If its been turning out metal you need to flush the system and most likely replace the condenser ( the dryer also gets replaced).

[BarnaBK]

I took the belt off and tried, pulley feels fine. Looks like new compressor needed.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Audizine mobile app

[BarnaBK]

Does anyone knows if all these part numbers in the picture are actually the same part, and if they are cross compatible?

My car is from end of 2004 (8E), engine 1.8t code BFB, so part number for compressor should be 8E0260805BF.

I found that a lot of other engine type B6's use the same compressor like 1.9tdi, 2.0fsi, 3.0 etc., even B7's up to 2008 use the same part.

I found a lot of good deals online, but they are not exactly with 8E0260805"BF"-in the end, but 8E0260805 is matching, just different two letters, like the ones in the picture.

Would that be compatible?

I have a feeling that Audi used this compressor for many years in allmost all the models, but a confirmation would be amazing.
IMG_20191109_081103.jpeg

[Corydms7]

Mine makes the exact same noise. I’ve been trying to find if that’s normal. I know some a/c compressors are noisey when it engages. Mine has been doing it for a little while, but hasn’t gotten worse. A/c is still cold every day to.

[Turbo510]

The compressor should be silent, so if noisy, something is wrong. In my case, the first problem was the pulley bearing failing, to the point that some of the balls were missing. You might consider buying the shorter serp belt (sorry I don't remember the length) so in the event you have catastrophic bearing failure, you can continue to drive the car. Sometime after changing the bearing in mine, something inside the compressor broke, and that was that.

[john_gonzo]

You might consider buying the shorter serp belt (sorry I don't remember the length) so in the event you have catastrophic bearing failure, you can continue to drive the car.

Info for shorter belts here, 3.0 and 1.8: Bypassing-3-0-A-C-compressor-pulley-with-shorter-serpentine-belt