5 Warning Signs Your Audi AC Compressor is Going Bad

Air conditioning systems help luxury cars like Audi and also other cars to provide the passengers most comfortable driving experience. Especially during summer seasons or any hot weather, the air conditioning systems provide you relief from heat by cooling the cabin by cool air. Air conditioning system consists of some units which perform different function but take part in cooling process. If any of them go bad, then the whole air conditioning system may stop working. In this article, you will know about AC compressor failure and its signs.

AC compressor in Audi

A compressor is called as heart of AC system. Because it is a very important component of air conditioning system. Without the compressor, the refrigerant would never get heated and flow throughout the whole AC system. A compressor acts like a pump as it pressurizes the refrigerant fluid and transport it through a pipe.

A compressor has two ports named as suction and discharge. Through suction, the refrigerant enters into the compressor and comes out at discharge port. During this process, the refrigerant is compressed to form a highly compressed gas. This gas is then transported to the condenser. The temperature of the medium remains high in the condenser. In the condenser, the highly compressed gas is condensed into a liquid by the help of the condenser fan. The refrigerant is cooled, but still under high pressure. The refrigerant is then separated from moisture and other impurities at the drier and then it flows to the expansion valve which regulates the amount of refrigerant into the evaporator. The evaporator makes the refrigerant absorb energy and convert it into lowly compressed gas. Refrigerant absorbs heat energy from the cabin air, so the air becomes cooler and refrigerant becomes hot. This cooler air is released from the AC vents which makes the passengers feel comfort.

The compressor receives low pressurized gas and compresses it. The compressed gas is very hot but it becomes cooler when it comes to the condenser coils.

Common signs of AC compressor becoming bad

No cool air

The first symptom you would get due to faulty AC compressor is that you would get no cool air from the AC in the cabin. Instead, the air flow from the vents you get is hot. As the refrigerant flow to the evaporator is not regulated by the compressor if it is faulty, there would be hotter air in the cabin and would make you feel very uncomfortable during hot weather.

Loud noises

When you turn on the AC, you may get to hear certain unusual and loud sounds from the compressor itself. This is due to malfunctioning of internal sealed bearing in the compressor. There are failures of various internal parts of a compressor which causes failure of the bearing too. Failing or seizing of the internal bearing leads to production of loud sounds when compressor is running. If the compressor is not fixed early, then the noises would become worse and lead to permanent failure of AC.

Circuit breaker is tripped

You can check your MCB or the circuit breaker provided for your AC if it is tripped then your AC would not work at all. That component is there to protect the electrical components from various electrical hazards, it would get automatically off if there is any short circuit or sparks.

Compressor clutch is faulty

There is a clutch provided for the compressor to engage the pulley by using engine power. If the clutch is damaged then the pulley would not be engaged and the compressor would not work.

What to do?

If your AC is not working properly and gives some unusual symptoms then better check the ac compressor if it is really faulty or not. There can be faults in the wiring and the suction lines. The circuit breaker might have got tripped. Check if there is any leakage of refrigerant. So these components are to be checked. If the compressor is really faulty then the only thing you need to do is to replace it. The replacement of the compressor or the wires are better to be done by the professionals.

Conclusion

Malfunctioning of the compressor would not only spoil your mood but can also affect your health too. Delaying the repair can lead to costlier repairs afterwards. So it would be better to diagnose earlier and have a very good driving experience.

Bimmer Performance is a leading luxury automotive service and repair facility that is known for its experience in looking after high-end European cars like Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, Mini, Porsche, and Volkswagen.