Could a squeaky ac compressor be caused by no gas?

[c.morewood]

I have 2 squeaky ac compressors. On one I've just put a new bearing in. It still squeaks just as bad. Could it be caused by no aircon gas in the system? Any other ideas? I've refitted a short belt to remove the compressor from the serpentine belt circuit and silence has returned.

[Zelandeth]

It shouldn't make any difference - if there's no gas in the system it should be off on the low pressure switch which will mean that the compressor clutch will not engage. If it's not adjusted properly so the clutch is too tight and the compressor is therefore running with no gas (and therefore oil) in the system, then yes that could be an issue.

No gas *should* mean no compressor drive though so it should just be freewheeling.

[xantia_v6]

First question, is the squeak there when the clutch is engaged, disengaged or both?

[c.morewood]

Disengaged.. frankly i cant remember when it was last engaged.. probably about 3 years ago.
I put on a short belt after the squeaking became too much and then last week the short belt failed forcing me into putting on the longer belt as I needed the car.. but I also put on another compressor I got a few months ago from AllanMc.
Surprisingly it squeaked , but not as loudly.. so I then went down the road of buying a puller kit ( which is available if anyone wants to use it) and a new bearing.. fitted yesterday.. but still the loud squeak.. so its back to the silence of the short belt.
I'm wondering, in view of Zealandeth's reply if it could be the "other" bearing within the compressor?

[KennyW]

Chris,

What type of AC compressor sanders or Delphi because it will probable a bearing and they can be replaced.

Kenny

[c.morewood]

They're both Delphi Kenny, and both with the same squeak.. just one louder than the other..

I had to laugh yesterday.. after I'd put the short belt on and got cleaned up I went to work, unusually without the radio on. Driving through the village, I thought I could hear the squeaking, my heart sank Sh**t I thought it must be one of the tensiones pulleys and not the compressor...
I opened the window to listen more clearly.. and I heard .. the birds in the tree next to the car making a fuss because there was a cat sitting at the bottom of the tree!!

[white exec]

Belt squeak round the compressor pulley, rather than compressor innards sqeaking, possibly? - as it seems to be sqeaking even when disengaged. A quick squirt of WD (or even water) on to the belt will identify whether it's belt related.
Compressor, or something else, misaligned?

[Gibbo2286]

Are you sure it's the ac compressor, I know you have removed it from use and the squeal has gone but it could still be a tensioner or pulley squeal that disappears because the load has been moved to a different point.

[c.morewood]

It may have been the belt itsself I suppose as I used a relatively new secondhand belt. I made sure all the grooves were cleaned out on the compressor and as much as I could on the belt. Its pretty difficult to missalign the compressor as the spacers only fit one way and 2 of the bolts are shaped, no I don't think its missaligned. But the belt could be a factor as it was common to both compressors Tho' I'm pretty sure I'd ruled that out 3 years ago before I went to the short belt. Yes, Gibbo I'm 99% sure its the compressor as the crank pulley, the tensioner and the eccentric roller have been replaced thet only leaves the alternator which is original, but the noise is too low to be the alternator.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[white exec]

Squirt the belt, while running squeakily. That will tell you a lot.

[Zelandeth]

As others have said, give it a squirt with some water when it's running, if it goes quiet you've eliminated the bearings etc - you may need to get both surfaces of the belt remember.

If the clutch isn't pulled in the compressor shouldn't make any noise as the input shaft won't be rotating, the bearings in the pulley itself (which have just failed on my car) are the only things involved there.

[myglaren]

^Not too sure about that - I had a squeal on the C5 and the mechanics wisdom was to squirt some belt wax on it. Went quiet for a while but turned out to be a buggered clutch on the alternator pulley.
Polish mechanic fitted a new pulley/freewheel/clutch but had to replace the dual mass crank pulley to as it had taken that with it from being left too long.

[lexi]

Can you give the number of the short belt in mm? I might do away with air con comp. in future.
I take it to be 110hdi 8v?

[c.morewood]

Yes it is lexi. 6PK1138 is what I put on.. its a tight fit.. but not as tight as the 1130 I had on previously:-0.
I'm away for a couple of weeks so will return to this issue at the end of the month.
Not much call for the a/c up here.. it just helps dry the car out when you have a load of wet passengers getting i on a cold day.
I did want to get it working so that the next trip South in the Summer would be a bit more comfortable.. assuming we have a summer...

[lexi]

Thanks Chris!