Aircon clutch squeals like a pig sometimes??

[Curly]

Hi there,

i am currently in the Czech Republic, and it is really hot, and my aircon clutch has started to squeel like a slipping belt.

obviously i would like to use it rather than boil alive even with the windows open, so is there anything i can do to fix it?

it is intermitent.. and started to do it on the hottest day? can the heat make it harder to pump the gas round the system or are there any pressure valves, or other valves i could check?

its an 800 mile drive home in a weeks time too!!

Please help!!

Thankyou in advance!!

CURLY

[Swanie]

Mine squeaked as well I found it was the pump belt slipping under load. Undo the tensioner and adjust the belt, but don't forget to do up the tensioner bolt again.

I can't remember what size bolts they are I think it was a 12mm for the tensioner and 10mm for the adjuster, but could be wrong.

Swanie

[Curly]

hi there, thanks for the info, but i dont think its the belt as it is really tight, and if i look at it as its squealing i can see the clutch part juddering and the pulley behind looks like its still spinning.

it stopped for a day or two when it cooled down a bit,, but started again yesterday when it was very hot again.

so i'm still wondering if it can be down to the heat some how?

Cheers,

CURLY

[Tallyman]

Mine was having the same problem. Even though the belt looked tight it wasn't tight enough and would slip under load. It is probably because you have an original belt fitted which is quite thin, enough that even when tightened it's actually sitting too deep in the pulley grooves and is probably running on the bottom instead of on the sides of the pulley wheel.

Try loosening the bolt on the front of the tensioner pulley, then tighten the adjuster bolt on the top of the metal fitting it's fixed to, then re-tighten the pulley bolt. That cured mine for a short time but if the adjuster is already fairly near the top of its travel then it's time to renew the belt. I had to do that to mine to effect a permanent cure.

The belts from Roughtrax have a slightly wider cross section and should not slip so easily and should never get too far down so that they wont run against the sides of the pulleys.

[Swanie]

When I had my air-con re gassed the guy I used told me at idle with air-con on and fan on full blast the pump was pulling nearly 15bar so it is a hell of a lot higher at speed and higher revs.
Try adjustment if it does not work try replacing the ac belt it is a cheap means of elimination before you go and spend some dosh on a new ac pump.

Swanie

[KERRSURF]

the magnetic clutches are silly money, nearly £200 new, get a belt first.