URGENT help please - aircon again!

[Roadsterstu]

Sorry if this is not posted in the correct place. Still fairly new here and trying to get used to it all. Finally collected my 260 today. As part of a list of agreed work, the aircon compressor was one job to do. The salesman told me it was done for and that they would be replacing it prior to sale. As it turned out, they struggled to get one - X-Part apparently had them on back order, so I was told. I suggested trying to source the compressor from the V6 Mondeo - no idea if they investigated that route any further. In the end, they sent to od on off to be refurbed. Fine, I thought, should be OK, right? (By this time my collection date for the car had been put back by over a week).
So, collected the car today from near Leeds, ready to drive home to near Nuneaton. Checked aircon - nice and cold. Drive home via folks' house near Huddersfield - still OK.
Part way down M1, thought I'd try the aircon again - no cold air. Just won't cool it at all.

Get home, pull on to drive to hear horrendous grating/clicking noise from under bonnet, which on investigation is most definitely the compressor. If I run it in econ (ie no aircon) the compressor emits this grating and clicking and the front of the compressor can be seen to be trying to spin - it sort of partially turns a few degrees, in time with the clicking. If I switch on the aircon at idle it damn near stalls the engine, such is the huge amount of force it must be taking to get the compressor turning.

I assume this supposedly refurbed pump is now on the verge of seizing up completely? Is this due, perhaps, to the fact that maybe the garage did not flush the system? Or is there another more likely cause?

Can I run the car without the compressor belt, or is the belt for the compressor also driving other items (was dark when I got home, will look tomorrow).

So, chuffed to bits I have the car - but a big problem already!!

Thanks

Stu

[pessling]

you should be okay running it on econ. if it was a refurbished unit, does sound like they didn't flush the system out and that any particles are now in the refurbish unit.

Don't remove the belt, it runs the alternator, power steering pump, water pump etc.

just don't turn the air con on.

[Cribbit]

So sorry to hear your first day of 260 ownership has ended with a problem already. The belt that drives the air con compressor drives many other things, so can't just be removed, sorry. Normally when the compressor is ill having the air in econ will not engage the clutch inside the compressor, and it will spin fairly freely. It sounds like your is not spinning freely when the air con is off, which is a worry. The belt can be removed fairly easily, and you can then try to turn the pulley on the compressor by hand to see how tough it is to turn.

Sorry I can't offer any more helpful advice, but i'm sure someone will be along who can.

[Roadsterstu]

Peter, thanks for the tip - I had read that from various bits of "research" before buying. In this case though, it doesn't seem it will work.

Cribbit - again, thanks. I'll look tomorrow. What I suspect is that either the garage have not had the pump refurbed (although the front end looks very clean, at least) or have not flushed the system, added oil or whatever it is that should have been done but appears not to have been done. If you get what I mean!

Yes, first day - a little annoying. But I'm not put off. To drive, it is wonderful. A thoroughly well sorted driver's car. I'm smitten, I know that much.

Edit: Oh, and I have a warranty. Plus should have some fallback from the fact the garage only just changed this unit this week, prior to collection.

[SH4RKY]

As Cribbit says, it may not actually be the compressor but the clutch plate at the front thats causing the issue. ill fitting, lack of oil or something perhaps

[re-tread]

As said further up this tread by putting in Econ mode the compressor should not run. If it is still running then try unplugging the control cable from the compressor to see if that changes anything, could be a problem with the climate controller.

I'm getting my refurb unit unit I got from the states fitted on Tuesday. If you need to source one have a look at https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc26...ead.php?t=4856

[Stu C]

Blimey, what a sad start to owning a nice car! - Grab all the information you can and go back to the garage who suppodidly did the work and get them to sort it.

If they cannot source one give them this information

https://www.two-sixties.co.uk/mgoc26...eon+compressor

Then hopefully they can ship it over and fix your system

[Roadsterstu]

As Cribbit says, it may not actually be the compressor but the clutch plate at the front thats causing the issue. ill fitting, lack of oil or something perhaps

Been out this morning to look in the daylight. The triangular plate at the front, with the 3 circular sections spins freely by hand. However, there is a circular plate behind it is the culprit. It is very loose and just rattles about. I did try and undo the small nose bolt to see if I could remedy the issue myself but it wouldn't budge. No idea why that plate would be loose - I assume that is the clutch plate then? What would cause such a heavy load on the engine when the clutch engages - a failing clutch or no oil perhaps?

Should I be driving it? It sounds like a bag of spanners, sadly.

[Roadsterstu]

Taken this vid, which demonstrates the issue:

[ColinE]

What a start to owning a new car! Sorry about your bad luck, as Stu says get it back to the garage - one short cut re whether it is safe to start - do you have AA or RAC cover??