[V8] Losing faith, or A/C compressor hunt...the saga continues

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, the hunt continues. The used a/c compressor we thought we had from Force 5 ended up not materializing after all.  They are now hunting, too, but in the end, I suspect I’ll find a used compressor elsewhere, tie the car back together and bring it home.  It may or may not work well, but if it isn’t working I’ll drive the car without when I can, and park it when I can’t.

THEN, I’ll start doing some research into alternative a/c systems.  As has been pointed out there are places advertising on line that do conversions and new installations for cars that are either too old to have A/C or have other problems. I really like the idea of changing to a modern compressor IF it can be done for relatively low dollars in comparison to buying a nos Audi compressor for large dollars.  The IDEA of spending eleven or twelve large for a compressor that ought to cost three hundred bucks at the most, is offensive, so I intend to buy some time to figure out what else to do.

I have made a commitment to my V8.  It cost $6500 five years ago, and has cost me relatively little...and zero for failure of bits and pieces.  The money I have spent was all spent for regular maintenance items that would need to be done on any car that is approaching 100,000 miles.  Last summer the a/c drier was replaced and the system converted to new stuff.  The system worked extremely well right up to the point that I noticed white smoke coming from beneath the hood.  That smoke was the clutch frying and along with it the front plasticy parts of the compressor...technically, I think the compressor bearing failed but either way, the only fix is to replace the compressor. We tried to get the bearing and just run with the a/c off for now, but the bearing sent was not the right one, so it appears that in at least one parts house I could name,  no one is doing their job properly any more.

The biggest problem is that no matter who you are speaking with...audi dealer or monkeyladpartsguy...they mostly were born after the V8 production stopped, have never seen one, and can’t imagine what it is that you are talking about.  Once you get through to them that it is an V8 and not an A6-V8, or A8 or a BMW, then they fumble around until they find some part number that might work. Of course Audi didn’t make it easy back in the day because they used several different compressors with different parts numbers and even suffixes on the parts themselves, I think just to confuse us stubborn people who see no good reason for fork over more than I paid for my first house to buy something new with four rings on the grille.

My compressor has holes in the top.  The most commonly available used compressors appear to have holes in the side. The two t ypes are not exchangable.  Since Audi used that lovely great long accessory belt, you gotta replace the compressor with something that will mate with the belt....so that’s just the way it is.

Now, if I was driving fifty miles per day each way to work in LA style traffic, this would be serious.  Of course, if I was doing that I’d already have been driven around the bend and have bought something made in Japan that gets fifty miles per gallon and I wouldn’t be concerned with Audi parts at all.  But I live in Maine and often don’t drive at all on any given day, so the V8 can be a main driver AND indulgence at the same time.  And I see no reason why the car won’t soldier on in great shape for another 100k, once I get past this little hump.

The comments made about me not being a DIYer are correct.  I have done ALL the automotive wrenching I care to do, long in the past.  The mechanic I use I’ve been using for all my vehicles for fifteen years.  It’s a small shop by urban standards, I suppose...three lifts and three mechanics plus John.  But he’s got all the equipment, computer gizzies and spends a small fortune annually on computer updates and SASEtraining programs, so I know he is “current.”  More importantly, he likes the same kinds of cars that I do, and that counts for a whole lot.  I once stopped in to a shop where the first thing the guy said to me was, “I’ve never liked Audis.....”.  I didn’t stand there very long.

Meanwhile I am planning on the next big deal for my wife’s 100CS Quattro Avant. That car has passed 180,000 miles and we all know what that means.  That car had a new thermostat not long ago as a part of a heater core replacement, and I know the condition of the timing belt, but that job will get done probably in October or November when the car gets its next oil change.  Of more worry is a leaking transfer case seal which requires checking the transfer case oil level about every fifteen hundred miles.  I do NOT want to do that job right away because it is a whole lot of labor for a teeny cheap little part.  But eventually it will be done as slowly we seek out and eliminate all the little leaks these cars all seem to love to develop as miles accrue.

Speaking of the Avant, I have John’s loaner car right now.  It is a 2000 Volvo V70 wagon (I think the year is right, although it might be older).  200,000 plus miles. Everything works on the car...it just has a lot of miles....good loaner actually. But on Thursday we drove to Bangor which is 100 miles round trip, and of course, we took the Audi wagon.  considering the cars have similar mileage totals, I can emphatically state the Volvo is NO way close to the Audi on any basis, except perhaps for interior room.  It’s a nice enough station wagon, I suppose, but it is definitely a whole league below the Audi.

Roger