My first TDI. A 2000 Jetta

[fatmobile]

I haven't read all of the 73 page topic you linked to.
Hopefully I'll find an easier way to learn about the switches.

I have been watching videos and he probably has one of those machines that weighs how much he takes out and knows how much he is putting back in.
The machine they use is pretty amazing. Looks like it would make the job easy and guess-free.
Kinda worth the $70 he is asking and maybe a little more.

My trick will be to figure out how much oil to put in.

First time building a car with AC so there is a slight learning curve.
Glad I found these problems and am getting the AC fixed before I sell it.
Doesn't look like a bunch of labor for me, it should all swap out pretty easy.
But all the parts are going to be pretty spendy.
It'll be nice to see both fans working and it blowing cold air.

 

[P2B]

I haven't read all of the 73 page topic you linked to.
Hopefully I'll find an easier way to learn about the switches.

The information you need is in the documents linked in the first post. The good news is there aren't any switches to learn about

But all the parts are going to be pretty spendy.
It'll be nice to see both fans working and it blowing cold air.

Good chance all it needs is working fans, a proper refrigerant charge by weight, maybe a clutch coil. The spendy bits are probably fine.

 

[fatmobile]

So the 5-piece kit came with 4 pieces.
The oil was missing. They are refunding me $20.
I guess it's supposed to be PAG 46 or SP-10?
The guy doing the evacuation says he can add the oil.

 

[BobnOH]

Would worry that he didn't know that.

 

[P2B]

Most new compressors are pre-filled.

 

[fatmobile]

Right, this new compressor had 4.5 ounces of oil in it. Enough for the whole system.
I drained all of the oil from the old compressor.

Wasn't much came out. about .75 ounces.
That's with holding it pully up to drain from the ports then removing the drain port on the side and draining from there.
So that's what I put back in the new one.
I put 1/2 ounce in the drier.

When he evacuated the system, he said there was 7.3 ounces of freon in it.

The new drier was built opposite of the old one.
IN was printed on the top of the old one. The welded cap was on the bottom.
IN was printed near the welded end on the new one. IN goes on top.

Just figured out the clunking up front is caused by a bad ball joint.
I found one in the hoard and installed it then found out the left and right ball joints are different.
Looks like the driver's side ball joint is bad too so I'll have to figure out if I put the correct new ball joint in the passenger side.

It also has a whining sound that goes with the speed of the engine and is gone with the serpentine belt removed.
I think it's the serpentine belt tensioner.
I put a new one in at the beginning of this build. Wish they made it so I could just replace the tensioner pully instead of the whole thing.

 

[P2B]

When he evacuated the system, he said there was 7.3 ounces of freon in it.

So not even a third of a full charge. The original compressor was probably fine.

It also has a whining sound that goes with the speed of the engine and is gone with the serpentine belt removed.
I think it's the serpentine belt tensioner.
I put a new one in at the beginning of this build. Wish they made it so I could just replace the tensioner pully instead of the whole thing.

More likely the alternator pulley.

 

[fatmobile]

Oh so that's about a 1/3 of the total it's supposed to have. Thanks.
When he said remember that 7.3, I think he kinda looked at me like this is going to cost ya when I refill it.

The old compressor is probably good other than the splines on the shaft were shot so bad the clutch was all jiggly.
I think if it would have engaged, the splines would have just striped off the clutch.

I think the alternator pully spins nice, does the ratchet thing.
I think I installed this used alternator just a few thousand miles ago. It felt good then.
The tensioner feels like it spins too easy. Kinda jiggles. Doesn't grind when I spin it by hand though.

My buddy might have a Robinair AC machine that he bought at an auction.
Doesn't know how it works, another friend is a certified AC tech.
Might try to buy it and figure out how it works.

 

[P2B]

I think the alternator pully spins nice, does the ratchet thing.

Ratcheting is bad, it should freewheel smoothly.

 

[wonneber]

Oh so that's about a 1/3 of the total it's supposed to have. Thanks.
When he said remember that 7.3, I think he kinda looked at me like this is going to cost ya when I refill it.

The old compressor is probably good other than the splines on the shaft were shot so bad the clutch was all jiggly.
I think if it would have engaged, the splines would have just striped off the clutch.

I think the alternator pully spins nice, does the ratchet thing.
I think I installed this used alternator just a few thousand miles ago. It felt good then.
The tensioner feels like it spins too easy. Kinda jiggles. Doesn't grind when I spin it by hand though.

My buddy might have a Robinair AC machine that he bought at an auction.
Doesn't know how it works, another friend is a certified AC tech.
Might try to buy it and figure out how it works.

I would think you could purchase the manual from Robinair.

 

[P2B]

I would think you could purchase the manual from Robinair.

..or download it for free

Literature & Manuals | Robinair

www.robinair.com

 

[fatmobile]

I could probably figure it out myself.
Well it's something that he is certified to do.
I don't have a problem sharing it with him, letting him make some money using the machine.
And he doesn't seem to mind inspecting it and teaching me how to use it.
It's a win win.

Then I can haves me an AC guy.
To send friends too. You know.
"I got an AC guy. He'll treat you right, tell him Craig sent ya."

So my buddy Bill is going to bring it over.
Alan will help me put a vacuum on the system to see if there are any leaks from the new parts I put on.
And see how well the machine works, then we'll see how much Bill wants for it.
He says it stands about 3ft tall and he paid $125 for it at a govt auction.
Has a couple tanks that came with it.
Robinair is a pretty common brand.

I also ended up with an AC vacuum pump Robinair.
Cleaned it up and got the coupler that was missing.
Got some new oil for it.

So either way, I'm going to pull a vacuum on this system, check for leaks, then take it back to the shop for him to add AC.
He said $70 to evacuate and fill (plus freon and stuff) and I agreed to that.
My other 3, MK4s, I will probably be able to test and fill by myself.
It shouldn't take long to pay for itself in savings.

 

[jokila]

Oh so that's about a 1/3 of the total it's supposed to have. Thanks.
When he said remember that 7.3, I think he kinda looked at me like this is going to cost ya when I refill it.

The old compressor is probably good other than the splines on the shaft were shot so bad the clutch was all jiggly.
I think if it would have engaged, the splines would have just striped off the clutch.

I think the alternator pully spins nice, does the ratchet thing.
I think I installed this used alternator just a few thousand miles ago. It felt good then.
The tensioner feels like it spins too easy. Kinda jiggles. Doesn't grind when I spin it by hand though.

My buddy might have a Robinair AC machine that he bought at an auction.
Doesn't know how it works, another friend is a certified AC tech.
Might try to buy it and figure out how it works.

You need about 26.5 ounces. or 750 grams of freon. Than is barely two small cans of Freon. How much could that cost, $20?

 

[fatmobile]

Right it isn't going to be enough to matter.
I think it's the combination of
me wanting to just have him evacuate it and do the install myself
and I guess I look like a cheap ass.
That had him giving me that look.

A 12 ounce can at harbor freight was around $16.
$70 to evacuate and fill seems pretty fair.
I should get out of there for under $150 and chill all the way home.
Midas wanted $100 to evacuate and another hundy to refill.

It was getting 42 MPG with the driving into town and around.
With half the tank used for that, I took a couple hundred mile highway trip (big headwind one way) and got 47 MPG on fillup.
So I might be getting 50 MPG highway. Might have to do an all highway road trip and check it.

No oil leaks at all now. No drips on the ground. It's dry.
Need to check the oil for how many miles per quart it uses. I know it's not much.

 

[wonneber]

Right it isn't going to be enough to matter.
I think it's the combination of
me wanting to just have him evacuate it and do the install myself
and I guess I look like a cheap ass.
That had him giving me that look.

A 12 ounce can at harbor freight was around $16.
$70 to evacuate and fill seems pretty fair.
I should get out of there for under $150 and chill all the way home.
Midas wanted $100 to evacuate and another hundy to refill.

It was getting 42 MPG with the driving into town and around.
With half the tank used for that, I took a couple hundred mile highway trip (big headwind one way) and got 47 MPG on fillup.
So I might be getting 50 MPG highway. Might have to do an all highway road trip and check it.

No oil leaks at all now. No drips on the ground. It's dry.
Need to check the oil for how many miles per quart it uses. I know it's not much.

If I understand the VW AC system you do <NOT> charge the system by pressure gauge, you charge it by weight.
At least that was how the system was charged in my 2003 JSW .
Dryer needs to be changed also.

 

[fatmobile]

Yep, I changed the drier even though the system hadn't been opened and was still holding pressure.

The modern machines evacuate the system and weigh how much refrigerant (R134 in this case) there is in the system.
He weighed 7.3 ounces when he evacuated it.

 

[fatmobile]

Oops I guess .73 ounces was in it.
$81 to evacuate and fill, I just gave him $90.
My first car with working AC.
He filled it, I pushed the button with it running and nothing happened. No switch light came on.
No fans, nothing.
When I went to drive away, hit it again and it lit up, everything worked fine, both fans came on and cold air out of the vents.

It must draw some power because I could feel the engine pick up when I turned it off.
Next: 2 ball joints and some e-brake cables.
Then try to sell it.
Probably have to up the price to 4000$ after this expense.

 

[jokila]

My estimation is you lose about 10% on mpg with AC on.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

My estimation is you lose about 10% on mpg with AC on.

Short trips when you're trying to cool the car down, maybe, but I think the loss is negligible on longer drives.

 

[wonneber]

Short trips when you're trying to cool the car down, maybe, but I think the loss is negligible on longer drives.

When it's over 70 (F) inside the car I DONT care about MPG

 

[dieseldonato]

Short trips when you're trying to cool the car down, maybe, but I think the loss is negligible on longer drives.

I drop 2-3 mpg when the ac is running, doesn't matter if it's back and forth to work, or the 2.5 ish hour trip to my in-laws place, which is roughly an hour and half of highway driving. Can feel the car is a bit sluggish under 2k rpm as well. Nothing horrible, but its noticeable.

 

[jokila]

Short trips when you're trying to cool the car down, maybe, but I think the loss is negligible on longer drives.

That's not how the AC performance works. It's variable to fan speed though. With only 90hp, these engines feel the work.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Maybe, but on road trips over the years I see little or no difference between A/C on or off on FE. Of course my car makes a lot more than 90 HP.

 

[dieseldonato]

So does mine, closer to 180hp if burpods calculations/tuning is correct, you still feel the drag from the ac.

 

[fatmobile]

There has been a clunk in the front for some time.
Swapped in the new control arm bushings and sway bar links long ago.
It was the ball joints.
Pulled a new ball joint from the hoard and put it on the passenger side.
Went to buy a pair of them, it was then I realized the left and right ball joints are different.
They didn't do that on the MK1 or MK2 so probably not the MK3.
50/50 chance I put the wrong one on. Of course I put a left joint on the right side.
Everything is where it belongs now.
Can't wait to drive over the tracks.

Now it's ass is in the air waiting for e-brake cables.

I was thinking I swapped a new serpentine belt tensioner on when I started this project.
But that was the MK2 with the ALH.
One of the problems with working on so many of the same engines.
Pretty sure that's what's being whiney so I have one on order.

 

[Prairieview]

After working on this junker so much, I am wondering why your main aim here is to sell it. To me, with rising fuel prices, it makes no sense.

You need to buy your own air cond. vacuum machine no matter how much you love Bob or Bill or whatever his name is. I can't remotely imagine paying anyone to do this stuff. But, that is just me. Damn hard to break that old independent mountain man perspective I have.

 

[fatmobile]

Swapped in the new tensioner and it still whines.
The old one didn't feel much different than the new one.
I should have listened to P2B.
The new serpentine tensioner hops. Which is a sign of a bad alternator pully.
Didn't notice it on the old tensioner.
I have a NOS pully. Might try changing just that first.
The whine is just around idle and a little above. Might just be the jumpy tensioner noise caused by the pully.

When I had the belt off, I could spin the alternator and the internals would keep spinning while I was holding the pully.
But I had to hold the pully hard. Probably hasn't completely lost it's ratcheting action but is more grabby than the MK3 alternator I checked today.
Need to get myself calibrated to what it should feel like.
The bearings didn't feel grindy, everything spun smooth.

I do have another bad alternator.
Took it out of this Jetta and the used one I swapped in is giving problems now. ha
I'll have to look back in this post and see what was wrong with it.
It would be great to fix that and have a good, spare alternator I could just swap in.
Time to learn how to rebuild an alternator.
Ordered some parts from Mozambiquer.
MK4 VE
The pully is fighting me. I think I've just been tooo gentle with it.

I think prarie had a post, looks like it was deleted.
I have him on ignore, super easy to do on this forum.
Click on the name and the ignore option pops right up.
It shows he posted something, gives a link to open it.
Didn't waste my time.
Doesn't look like I missed anything.

 

[J_dude]

I think prarie had a post, looks like it was deleted.

No it’s still there. Post #146, from Jun 19.

 

[fatmobile]

It doesn't show up for me.
Jumps from 145 to 147.

 

[P2B]

Didn't waste my time.
Doesn't look like I missed anything.

You don't know what you missed