The air conditioner compressor provides circulation of the refrigerant in the system
The compressor shaft is mounted in the aluminum front housing cover on bearings and sealed on the drive pulley side with an oil seal
The compressor drive pulley is mounted on a double-row ball bearing and rotates continuously when the engine is running.
When the air conditioner is turned on, torque is transmitted from the pulley to the compressor shaft through a friction clutch with an electromagnetic drive.
If the system is in good working order, a click is heard when the air conditioner is turned on - this is the clutch pressure plate, under the action of the electromagnet, engaging with the drive pulley, and the compressor rotor begins to rotate.
However, the following compressor malfunctions may occur during air conditioner operation.
If, when the air conditioner is turned off, the clutch makes extraneous sounds during rotation, heats up, or a burning smell appears, then its bearing has probably begun to deteriorate.
In this case, it is necessary to replace the bearing. In some advanced cases, it may be necessary to replace the compressor clutch assembly or its components.
If you do not hear a click after turning on the air conditioner, the following problems may be occurring:
- - there is a refrigerant leak and the control system is blocking the compressor from turning on;
- - the pressure sensor in the system is out of order;
- - faults in the electrical circuits of the control system;
- - the winding of the clutch solenoid coil has burned out;
- - the engine control unit has blocked the compressor from turning on for some reason (high engine coolant temperature, high engine speed).
If the clutch rotates easily and freely, but when you turn on the air conditioner, extraneous noises are clearly heard or even the engine stalls, then most likely the compressor has jammed.
The internal pump part of the compressor cannot be repaired. In this case, the compressor will have to be replaced.
If a click is heard, the clutch easily rotates the compressor shaft, but there is no coolness in the cabin. In this case, it only seems that the compressor is working, but in reality it is not pumping anything.
Only an experienced specialist with special control and diagnostic equipment can establish the truth.
The most accurate way to determine the cause of the malfunction is after a complete diagnosis in a specialized service center for the repair of automotive air conditioners.
Removing the air conditioner compressor
Remove the auxiliary drive belt, see the article - How to replace the alternator belt of a Lada Largus car, K7M engine
Remove the power plant protection
If the car has a 1.6 engine, remove the fuel rail protection
Before disconnecting the air conditioning system pipes, discharge the system as described in the article - Bleeding and filling the air conditioning system of the Lada Largus with refrigerant
When the system is discharged, the refrigerant must be released through the valves of the low 1 and high 2 pressure pipes, closed with caps
To release the refrigerant, you need to press on the valve stems with a suitable tool
If it is necessary to replace the valve, then with a key similar to the metal cap of the wheel valve, unscrew the valve from the tube nipple
After that, use a 10 mm head to unscrew the two bolts
And disconnect the high and low pressure pipes from the compressor cover
Close the compressor and pipe openings with suitable plugs
On a car with a 1.6 engine, disconnect the tip of wire 1 from the terminal of the electromagnetic clutch of the compressor and use a 10 head to unscrew bolt 2 securing the bracket of the high-pressure hose
The difference in removing the air conditioning compressor on a car with an engine 1.6 consists of a slightly different location of the electromagnetic clutch output
Using a 13 mm head, unscrew the four compressor mounting bolts
And remove the compressor
Installing the compressor
Align the holes in the compressor lugs 1 and in the bracket and install four bolts 2 for fastening compressor 1 into the holes. Tightening torque of the compressor fastening bolts is 21 Nm
Remove the plugs from compressor 3, and pipes 1 and 2. Before installing the pipes, you need to install new sealing rings.
Apply compressor oil to the sealing rings and connect the pipes to the compressor. The tightening torque of the pipe fastening bolts is 8 Nm
After this, install the auxiliary drive belt
Connect the electromagnetic clutch plug connector to the vehicle wiring harness
Perform a vacuum degassing of the air conditioning system and load 475±35 g of R134a refrigerant.
Check the system for tightness and check the functionality of the air conditioning system.
When buying a new compressor, you need to clarify how much oil is poured into the compressor so that when filling the air conditioner, you fill the required amount.