[act1292]

My '96 S320 has started making a fairly loud whirring noise just recently. I took off the serpentine belt and spun it with my hand and it definitely doesn't roll smooth. The bearings don't seem to have any play but it isn't spinning as freely as I expect.

Since the car is off I would expect that the clutch would be disengaged. Would there be any way the clutch would get stuck engaged? I haven't used the air conditioning lately. I have used the heat but I always turned on the EC mode to keep the air conditioner from running.

Any thoughts? Will I require a new compressor?

 

[jal1224]

Take off the clutch. If the clutch facings aren't too worn or portions missing, you can replace the bearing. It should turn smoothly and quietly. You can find bearings on eBay. If the bearing locked up, or the facings are coming apart, you'll have to replace the clutch or the whole compressor. Clutches are hard to find, and sometimes are almost as expensive as a whole new Denso compressor from Rock Auto.

Below is a picture of a clutch with portions of the clutch facing missing. It also has a bad bearing.

Jon

 

[act1292]

Yeah - I took another look - this time using a flashlight and confirmed it must be the clutch bearings as the center part was not turning and turning the belt spool still felt lumpy - not smooth. I'll be heading out shortly and try to remove the clutch. I have no idea how it is removed but I'll google it.

 

[LogicalPosition]

A few questions for Act 1292:

How many miles on the vehicle?

Is this the factory original compressor?

Why would you not run the A/C year around, instead opting for EC mode? The A/C helps to keep moisture out of the vehicle, keeps the windows from fogging, and keeps the air ducts dry. ALL German cars tend to get mildewed/smelly due in part to the extra insulation in the air ducts and carpet areas.

 

[act1292]

I run in EC mode in the winter. When it is below freezing out I don't feel the need to run the AC to keep the moisture out. I feel it is a waste to run both heat and AC. I do turn off EC occasionally in the winter to keep the compressor seals lubricated. The car has nearly 220k miles on it so I'm sure the bearings are shot in the fan clutch. Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to remove the clutch without the special counter-hold tool.

 

[jal1224]

Use an electric or air impact wrench. I'll spin right off.
Once you get the outer part off, there is a snap ring inside that, when removed, allows you to remove the pulley portion of the clutch.

Jon

 

[act1292]

Yeah - that snap ring is a pain in the butt. Spent over an hour trying to get that off. Still on there. Used up all my swear words for the day and will try again tomorrow.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is worth trying to get it off if the clutch is worn out. I don't know how much clutch material there is supposed to be there but it looks to be nearly flush with the surrounding metal. If it is worn that much I may just punt and spring for a new compressor. I didn't want to have to open the system up as I would need to find a reliable shop that will properly recharge it afterwards.