90Q - A/C compressor belt necessary?

[Kneale Brownson]

When the A/C clutch froze up on my 4kq, I just cut off the belt to stop the
smoking/squealing.


At 02:44 PM 8/27/2006 -0500, Thom Jones wrote:
>Hi all.
>Weird question:
>I've got a bad a/c clutch bearing which, as you know, makes a lot of noise.
>And will eventually fail and probably toast something else before the belt
>shreds.
>The a/c doesn't work in the first place (probably just needs a recharge)
>and, since it is almost September anyway, I most likely won't need it for
>quite a few months. (even though I found a replacement clutch assembly for
>$280).
>There is one belt that runs the a/c compressor.
>Question is:  can I just remove the belt to disengage the compressor without
>causing another failure that relies on it?  Knowing Audi engineering, there
>probably is something else connected to that system that I don't want to
>lose.
air filter underneath the fuel sending system and behind
>the headlamp assembly?