AC Compressor Replacement?

[senez]

Hi all, just got my 2015 back from the body shop after a fight with some raccoons. That's mostly irrelevant, but the fellas mentioned the AC compressor was acting up, likely failed. Plenty of refrigerant in the system, though I had been noticing some noise coming from it the last few months. It had been blowing cold no issues.

No A/C the entire way home until about a mile or so away, I could feel it blowing cold.

Are they correct in that the entire compressor is shot and needs to be replaced or is there something else that maybe I can tackle? The guy told me his cost on just the compressor was around $700, so if that's the case, this'll be costly. At least Winter is coming.

 

[06bluebeetletdi]

Some passat compressors have rcv (refrigerant control valve) like the jetta/golf/beetle/wagons. Try searching in the jetta forum.

 

[senez]

Yeah I did some digging after the initial post and it looks like the RCV may be the issue instead of the compressor itself. I still don't have the tools to do it myself but would be curious what a shop would charge for something like that...

 

[AaronB]

I changed the RCV myself held in with a snap ring. $10 tool if that. Go to a shop have them suck the system out. You change the part and then go back and have them fill. Cheapest way.

 

[senez]

I changed the RCV myself held in with a snap ring. $10 tool if that. Go to a shop have them suck the system out. You change the part and then go back and have them fill. Cheapest way.

So you still removed the serpentine belt and unbolted the compressor to get to it, right? Or was it accessible without all that fuss?

 

[oilhammer]

They are super easy to get at from below.

 

[senez]

They are super easy to get at from below.

The RCV, you mean? I know the compressor is pretty accessible, but is it possible to replace the RCV without pulling the compressor off?

 

[oilhammer]

Yes, it is very easy.

 

[senez]

Great, thanks!

 

[pedroYUL]

but you'll lose all the vacuum the moment you pull the RCV out, right?
In that case I would bring the car back to the shop to pull vac/refill asap.

 

[oilhammer]

You do not want a vacuum on the system to change the RCV. You won't be able to get it out.

This issue is common, and a complete super easy thing to deal with. I really do not understand the repeated threads over and over and over year after year after year about the RCV.

Yes, you need a refrigerant machine to do one. I realize most DIYrs won't have one. Just have any shop that services A/C systems swap the RCV. It is a plug and a snap ring. Easy peasy. Takes longer to lift the car up on a rack and take the shield off than it does to actually swap the valve. This isn't anything special. Lots of cars use them. On some Volkswagen models, I take the roll mount loose from the transmission (down low, right out in the open, 10 seconds) and roll the eng/trans up in the back, to bring the front down (where the compressor is) to make it a bit easier to access the RCV. Again, not rocket science. Any shop should be able to do this job quite easily.