![]() The AC compressor pressurises the system to push the refrigerant throughout. When the temperature gets steamy outside, the air conditioning system keeps your car’s interior comfortable by circulating refrigerant throughout the AC system. After replacing the parts and having the refrigerant refilled, the AC seems to work like new.How much does an AC compressor replacement cost? This is a fairly involved process as it requires work both under the hood and inside the cabin. In our case we replaced the compressor assembly (which also comes with a new clutch), expansion valve, and drier/desiccator. Since the cost of the drain/refill service is considerable (couple hundred bucks), it's worth it to just completely overhaul your AC system with new parts after the refrigerant is drained. ![]() It turns out that you can DIY a compressor replacement, but you have to take it to a shop to drain the refrigerant first, drive it home, replace the components, and then take it back to the shop to refill the refrigerant. We took it to the shop and they said the entire compressor needed to be replaced - we still don't know if it was just the thermal sensor or if the compressor assembly itself was damaged in some way (lubrication leak, worn cylinders, faulty valves, etc). Sadly this still did NOT solve the problem. So, I spliced the wires from the new clutch assembly into the old thermal sensor while leaving the compressor assembly in place. The thermal sensor is located on the other side of the compressor and there is no way to replace it without removing the compressor, which you can't remove without having the refrigerant professionally evacuated at a shop. I ended up buying a new clutch assembly and installing it as my first serious attempt to solve the problem. If you have other questions on 2008 Mazda3 (or just want to compare notes) my email is available on my profile. I need to pick up another set of gauges before I test it again. I haven't really turned the A/C on since the repair for more than a few minutes. I'm still not totally happy with my A/C performance on this car. I ended up using five or six tie straps (and spinning the whole thing clockwise, not CCW as in the video) How to Replace Mazda 3 Serpentine and AC Drive Belts, by Oliver Porter Published on Oliver is my hero. I struggled for hours until I saw this video. ![]() Oh, and replacing that belt is a wicked hard task. I had to cut and resolder the electrical connector (hint: make the new one EXACTLY the same length as the old) The kit did NOT include a temp sensor. ![]() The kit includes a new coil and pulley and clutch plate and bearings. With that said, the clutch replacement parts were pretty reasonable. In your case, it sounds like the thermal switch is opening, perhaps prematurely (or perhaps because of other causes of excessive heat.) The thermal switch is located on the end of the compressor. In my case the A/C clutch magnetic coil was burned out. You set that via small washer spacers beneath the clutch plate as its installed. I'm hoping in your case the clutch air gap was just too big. I have the exact same car (make and model and year) and I just went thru this drill. Is this the likely source of my problem? Why would it only be an issue when the car is hot (thermal expansion?) Can I just dremel off the rust or do I need to replace the entire clutch assembly? According to this source, this corrosion can cause the clutch plate to slip when it is supposed to be engaging the compressor pulley. I removed the clutch plate and inspected the inside surface:Īha! The surface of the clutch plate appears to be heavily corroded. I removed the front right wheel and the wheel well trim: My next step (inspired by the Haynes manual) was to inspect the compressor belt and compressor clutch. Am I correct in assuming that this is a normal behavior? I did not add any additional refrigerant so I assume that this has something to do with the pressure feedback switches that internally control the pressure of the refrigerant. I do notice that when the compressor cycles off, or is refusing to run at all, the pressure gauge shoots up into the red "overcharged" zone. When I can actually get the compressor running, it shows a normal refrigerant pressure. I already checked the pressure on the low refrigerant line using one of those refrigerant recharge kits with the built-in pressure gauge. If I let the car cool back down and start it up again, I can once again get cold air. It's able to produce cold air while I'm idling from a cold start, but it seems like the compressor refuses to turn back on once the car has been warmed up (even during a hot idle). The AC on my 2008 Mazda3 fails to cool the car after I've been driving it for more than 10 minutes or so.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |