Hi
I have a 2002 A4 B6 3.0 Quatro. I found out my A/C Compressor need to be replace. Price I get from shops are $1700 - $2000. That is some money I dont haveat this time, but I couldn't reallydrive my car without A/C. Personaly I'm a handy man, I do my own oil change, do little repair here and there.Would this be little too much over my head or it's somethingnot toohard to perform? Any advice will be helpful for my future action. THANKS

 

Why does the compressor need to be replaced? If it has internal damage, the system has to be flushed and that cannot be done quite that easily.

 

From the shop people told me, my compressor couldn't hold up the pressure. They first filled up the fephon and turn on the a/c, first few minutes the air was blowing cold, but after that the compressor just shut off. Another thing I learn this morning by calling around for a compressor one of the guy say it might be the eletriconic valve contol locate under the compressor, because if it blow cold air then shutdown, the compressor sounds to him is fine.Not sure if that's true. Anyone here have any idea would be great. THANKS

 

changing the whole thingcould be rather difficult (w/ no experience) and would require special tools....
but changing only a sensor would def. be possible.... i guess we just need to pin poin the actual problem

 

OK, first there were three faults in the climate control system. The Potentiometer/actuator for temperature flap right open or short to plus. The second fault was for high pressure sensor signal outside specification. The third fault was for control module incorrect chassis number. And they got all three thingtaking care. The final description they say; "once we got the high pressure switch in and the a/c system charged the a/c was blowing cold for a few minutes then the a/c compressor began to lock up. We pulled the freon back out of the system and the compressor is working okay at this time. The compressor seems to run okay as long as it isn't building up pressure. A new a/c compressor, reciever drier, and restrictor tube are needed." The shop people didn't really tell me where the pin point problem is or maybe I didnt get it. If anyone out there know the right question to ask those guy please info me. THANK YOU

 

ouch... they want to replace everything because then they are covering there own ***'s..... of course it will work if you just replace everything but that's gonna cost an arm and a leg(we can't afford that[])....... i am leaning towards something simple like a sensor still..... the system blows cold air for a few minutes then the compressor turns off huh? this i belive is because the compressor builds pressure as soon as it starts blowing cold air.... and it will shut it's self off after a few minutes if the secondary cooling fan does not kick on in time(to protect itself from overheating).... so i am leaning towards either your secondary cooling fan/motor.... or..... more likely a cycling pressure switch.... should be cheap and a DIY fix....

 

thx jetspeed333

I will look into the secondary fan/motor. I think the shop have changed my pressure sensor, so I'm good with that part. Another thing I found out from another tech. He say it might be the a/c drier is too dirty and not letting enough air to go thro, if so that will build up the pressure for the a/c compressor. And if it is the a/c compressor broken he can just change a good used one with little of labor charge on top of the change of the a/c drier. That sounds to me more reasonble than the first shop I went to. I will keep a update on this problem in cast anyone run into the same problem as me.

P.S.The first shop was asking $1700 for the whole thing replace with parts and labor. The other shopis only charging $275 for the a/c drier & a/c compressor.A used a/c compressor is $250 a new a/c drier is $50, so I'm going to the second shop for the less money.