# Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request



## skotti (Sep 27, 2005)

Please post engine type/year/mileage at time of failure; also interested in how you use the Climate Control- ie, always in Automatic, 50-50 in Economy/Automatic, Automatic only when AC is desired, etc.
I haven't experienced this failure (yet)- although if it is going to happen, I'd like it to happen while it is under warranty (bought mine in June 2005 with the 'good' warranty, and currently have 30,000 miles).
Is it a matter of when, not if, the AC compressor will fail








Not that I'm going to force the failure...


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (skotti)*

It makes no difference. If you have a Zexel compressor, it has a high probability of failure regardless of how it's used. Some people have had failures in a couple thousand miles after purchase, some longer....


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## gsodonis (Mar 18, 2007)

I bought mine used, a 2006, 2.0T, DSG with 27,700 miles. I owned it ONE day when the AC stopped working. The compressor was an original Zexel. It took the dealer less than a week to get the parts, and the better part of a week to replace it; I turned in my car on a Wednesday and they needed the car over the weekend. I had a 2006 A4 loaner the whole time, which I didn't like anywhere near as much as my A3.
All of the above were covered under warranty with great treatment by Harper Audi in Knoxville.
My car has a May 2005 build date, so anything that can go wrong on a first production year car either has or will go wrong on mine. My short list:
- failed compressor
- failed #1 ignition coil
- cut CV boots (factory clamps cut into the boot @ the axle end making them leak)
- broken rear armrest latch
On deck (likely):
- DV
- the remaining coils

_Modified by gsodonis at 6:33 PM 6/4/2008_


_Modified by gsodonis at 6:34 PM 6/4/2008_


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## gsodonis (Mar 18, 2007)

Although Audi may never admit it, I belive that they are experiencing almost 100% failure rate on these AC compressors.


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2005)

*Re: (gsodonis)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gsodonis* »_Although Audi may never admit it, I belive that they are experiencing almost 100% failure rate on these AC compressors.

I hope not. I have an 06 with 15k on it now, bought it a few months ago with 10k on it, and I have a zexel compressor on it still...... that would mean that I'm just waiting to be stuck in traffic with a failure and a ****-ton of fl heat and humidity. As cool as my service advisor is, I doubt that he could get it changed pre-failure.


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## dhltal (May 25, 2006)

I hope not either about the failure rate... I have almost 50k and I doubt this would be fixed if I'm out of warranty range.


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## A3Danimal (Feb 8, 2006)

How does one know its a Zexel compressor? Does it say that on it somewhere? TIA!


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## michA3er (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: (A3Danimal)*

We were trying to figure out how to tell the Zexel from the Denso on another thread. Both compressors are clutchless, so you can't tell from looking at the pulley. I guess we need the next person who has a failure to get pics of their failed Zexel and the new Denso (both off-vehicle).


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (A3Danimal)*

There is a visual identification guide in Audi TB 87-07-02. Click here to download the PDF


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (skotti)*

Well, I'm outside of warranty (51,000) and my compressor just failed last week. No doubt I'll be fighting the battle with Audi of America shortly, I'll let you know how it goes.
Should they not cover the compressor they know fails, shame on Audi, and they'll probably lose repeat business from me.


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## 5309 (Dec 11, 2002)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (skotti)*

engine type:2.0t
year: 2007
mileage: 21XXX 
Climate Control: between 60/60 both sides and 64/64
Failed on: 5/28/08 - nothing but HOT air
Brought to dealer: 5/29/2008
Dealer update: 5/29/2008, said they had to order A/C parts from Cail will be in something this week.
Dealer called said it was fixed yesterday: 6/4/2008
We will see as of today if it is fixed..


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2005)

The denso will have a black circular piece with small tabs at the 3/6/9 positions suspended on thin metal straps projecting from the main pulley. The zexel has a more or less flat pulley. I'll post pics if you guys want. Just the shot of the pulleys from above so you can tell which you have at a glance.


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## michA3er (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Angel, if you could post the pics that would be awesome.


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2005)

I'll have them up shortly sir.


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2005)

*Re: ([email protected])*









old bad one









new good one


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2005)

Old zexel photo is from my 06 a3 and the denso pictured from Mike's 07 gti. The same denso compressor is in our own golfsilvercharged's 07 a3 as well ( verified yesterday ) so there's no gti difference at play here.


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## michA3er (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Besides the pulley face differences that you already mentioned I see the shapes of the front head castings are different. Also, the Denso front head has that "S07R" marking, which I assume is a lot number.


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## michA3er (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: (michA3er)*

BTW, the Denso's pulley face makes it looked like a non-clutchless compressor. I know it's supposed to be clutchless, but those silver bands connecting to the black triangular part look like a leaf spring mechanism.


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## -j- (Jan 15, 2006)

Is Sanden also part of this TSB? AudiWorld had it listed with the Zexel.
http://forums.audiworld.com/a3/msgs/93314.phtml
I have to make sure mine is good to go. I'm checking it tonight and having it tested on the next oil change at 45,000 miles.


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## ivster (Sep 29, 2004)

*Re: (-j-)*

Mine just failed at 43000 Miles
06 2.0t using the A/C on Auto, was in the Mid 90's on Wed when it happened.


_Modified by ivster at 7:29 AM 6/6/2008_


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## spaner (Jul 25, 2004)

*Failed at 55,000*

Mine just failed at 55,000 - any idea what action I can/should take with Audi - I am in MD but car was purchased new in Ohio
A3 2.0T 2007 MY I think...


_Modified by spaner at 3:32 AM 7-10-2009_


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## thethirdjq (Apr 7, 2009)

*Re: Failed at 55,000 (spaner)*

engine type:2.0t
year: early build 2006
mileage: 89XXX (highway miles)
Climate Control: avg 72 on both sides on econ mostly
Failed on: 6/09 - nothing but HOT air on the hottest day it could have been
Brought to dealer: gave the run around and an estimate of $1700 as a starting point
I took it to a mentor's personal audi mechanic that left the dealership few years ago
Took a week for parts - dropped the car off and took a week to repair - i was out $1300

Due to the known fact of the problems with this compressor and the fact that audi has changed to denso - this should be a recall. Anyone want to start a class action lawsuit? can that be done?


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## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

*Re: Failed at 55,000 (thethirdjq)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thethirdjq* »_
Due to the known fact of the problems with this compressor and the fact that audi has changed to denso - this should be a recall. Anyone want to start a class action lawsuit? can that be done?


This is a good topic with interesting information but without knowing both failures and non failures I don't really know what it tells us except that there are a lot of failures. I think you would have to have a lot more information to have a lawsuit. Are 40% failing? 60%? I don't think we know and you need everyone or at least most to post what has happened to really tell anything. I am at 80k without a failure and hope to not have one. Since I don't know of anything to do but wait and hope I am not going to worry about it too much.


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## ottodc6 (Dec 4, 2008)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (skotti)*

Bought my 06 2.0T at 47000km IN WINTER, so I never got a chance to test out the AC. 
Never worked in Summer. Brought it in for warranty and they say the compressor is dead. They flushed & replaced it for free.


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## LWNY (Jul 30, 2008)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Does this apply to the 3.2 also? My compressor (which is really hard to see), looks like neither of those two. I don't use the AC as much (let alone the car), and don't want it die after warranty expires w/o really giving the compressor a workout that it needs.


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## ryamin (Oct 23, 2008)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (skotti)*

Mine just failed at 71,000 kms. Was pushing nothing but warm air. My factory warrantee is only good until 80,000 kms so I am lucky. Fixed in 2 days by the dealership at no charge.


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## Hal_K (Jun 6, 2006)

*Re: (LWNY)*

The 2006 3.2 has the Zexel.


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## LWNY (Jul 30, 2008)

*Re: (Hal_K)*

That's bad news. Gotta use it to the max before the warranty runs out.


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## skotti (Sep 27, 2005)

*Re: (ivster)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ivster* »_Mine just failed at 43000 Miles
06 2.0t using the A/C on Auto, was in the Mid 90's on Wed when it happened.

_Modified by ivster at 7:29 AM 6/6/2008_

ivester, were you under warranty- if not, did the dealer help you at all?


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

*Re: Those who have/had AC Compressor failure- Info Request (Travis Grundke)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Travis Grundke* »_Well, I'm outside of warranty (51,000) and my compressor just failed last week. No doubt I'll be fighting the battle with Audi of America shortly, I'll let you know how it goes.
Should they not cover the compressor they know fails, shame on Audi, and they'll probably lose repeat business from me.

Write to Audi directly and ask for help...who knows since you're only 1k over the warranty.... they might cover half the cost, ro cover it entirely!
e


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

*Re: Failed at 55,000 (spaner)*

I was able to get Audi and my dealership to cooperate on the repairs for my car when it failed at around 51,000. It required a call to Audi of America, an email to Audi of America with pages upon pages of documentation from forum discussions such as these, the Audi TSB that is out there, etc. I then printed out the same information for my dealership.
My total out of pocket was very reasonable, though I still think AoA should have foot the entire bill on this one considering how big of an issue this is. A lot of the end result will come from how persistent and how much of an advocate your service department advisor is. Mine at Stoddard/Willoughby Audi is fantastic.

_Quote, originally posted by *spaner* »_Mine just failed at 55,000 - any idea what action I can/should take with Audi - I am in MD but car was purchased new in Ohio
A3 2.0T 2007 MY I think...

_Modified by spaner at 3:32 AM 7-10-2009_


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

*Re: ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_








old bad one









new good one

The 2nd pic is what i have in my 07 A3 (Build date 03/07). Can i assume that this is the newer compressor (or more reliable?) 
thanks


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: ([email protected])*

The one currently in my car is exactly as pictured below, after all my replacements.







The receipt from the dealer explicitly stated "vendor code DENSO".
















_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_








old bad one


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## littlewhite (Jan 22, 2004)

07 here low miles. Switch failed earlier this yr and got it replace & said everything function well. Brought paperwork and stacks of printout for the Zexel compressor failure and request them to put in the Denso one since Zexel the failure rate is high. Stealership said wont replace until the units fail... I dont want to wait until it blow into pieces like some member here. Sux


_Modified by littlewhite at 5:40 PM 7/11/2009_


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## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

*Re: (littlewhite)*


_Quote, originally posted by *littlewhite* »_ Brought paperwork and stacks of printout for the Zexel compressor failure and request them to put in the Denso one since Zexel the failure rate is high. Stealership said wont replace until the units fail... I dont want to wait until it blow into pieces like some member here. Sux
_Modified by littlewhite at 5:40 PM 7/11/2009_


Did you really think this this was going to work or was this just fishing for help??


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## littlewhite (Jan 22, 2004)

worth a shot when i tried it. They knew it fails alot and at a high rate but since there isnt a recall so they cant replace it unit the unit fails.


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## m5roller (May 30, 2007)

*Re: (littlewhite)*

I'm on my fourth compressor. The orig went out at 59k, 2&3 never cooled properly, the fourth works fine. The dealer said they've had lots of problems w/ A3 compressors, including the current batch of replacements.


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## jmorales (Mar 4, 2009)

Does this compressor failure have any other indicators besides the air being weak/not cold? 
im asking because after taking my car in for other unrelated work my entire heating/ac unit in the car is dead. no lights or anything and the fan on the car is loud and on 100% of the time while im driving like it never was before. incredibly noisy and noticeable now. especially on shut down, it winds down after turning car off. very odd. didnt know if this could be related as someone mentioned it in my own thread about my issues. Thanks


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

*Re: (jmorales)*

Just got my car back from dealer after 3 days. The compressor failed and scattered pieces throughout the system. The finally flushed it out and replaced the dryer and swapped compressors. Seems fine now.


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

*Re: (Uber-A3)*

Uber-A3
How many miles on your car? I have same year as yours- at 47k, im beginning to get some concerns that all this horror stories i've read will manifest itself onto my car. AC failure, DSG issues, etc.
i love this car, but did Audi forget about the term reliability in their slogan "progress" and "form follows function" ?
e


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## iGen3 (Mar 21, 2002)

*Re: (tiptronic)*

















failed at 105,000 miles on my early (10 '05) 2006 GLI. But nice in that it didn't take the belt with it---the shear plate breaks and the pulley idles. Not bad for a fatally flawed design. can you say "out of warranty?" 
I drive with climatronic both sides at about 68. worked great till it seized. 
they are quoting me [correction, 8 hours] hrs @ $95(customer pays) , and parts more in line with 1stvwparts online prices than idiot street retail. parts are still gonna be over $ 800.
EKTA/ELSA is all confused re: which compressor supercedes what, I chose the "F" Sanden. S (Denso) supercedes (M) Zexel, but S seems indicated for 09 tiguans, while F is for BPY Jetta


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## iGen3 (Mar 21, 2002)

*Re: (iGen3)*

bump to track


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## jgonzo432 (Mar 26, 2004)

*Re: (iGen3)*

^ thanks for bumping. 
2006 A3 
80,000 miles
2.0T 
I would hear a loud whirring noise while in first gear and pulling away from a stop.


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

*Re: (tiptronic)*


_Quote, originally posted by *tiptronic* »_Uber-A3
How many miles on your car? I have same year as yours- at 47k, im beginning to get some concerns that all this horror stories i've read will manifest itself onto my car. AC failure, DSG issues, etc.
i love this car, but did Audi forget about the term reliability in their slogan "progress" and "form follows function" ?
e

Just a few miles shy of 30k


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## iGen3 (Mar 21, 2002)

*Re: (Uber-A3)*

Update, VOA CustomerCARE told me I'm screwed. (actually, I said I'm screwed, and they said "That's probably true" ) That is their final answer. Oh, and Barbara on the line didn't believe my diagnosis by observation above. She must have mentioned 5 times that TSBs are not recalls. even EKTA has a big warning when you look up the zexel compressor, "no installs of this part are allowed" 
At least the Dealer believes my diagnosis/photo...so tomorrow it goes under the knife. oh, and the 8 hours of labor? that gets billed by the book, not by actual time to do the job, you know, just in case I get the slow tech....so they don't overcharge me...
sick sick sick SICK SICK SICK!!!






















My family has had over 20 VWs from my father's '58 beetle. This is my 7th....NONE of them have had issues like this one.


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## LWNY (Jul 30, 2008)

*Re: (iGen3)*

So why go back VW dealer for the repair if they charge you on the worst case scenario (labor based on the slowest guy who graduated their training school). You can go to VW specialist who could do this basic parts swapout for much less.


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

*Re: (LWNY)*

Take it to an independent shop not he dealer.


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## johnnyrussoa3 (Jul 7, 2010)

*My compressor seized at 58k*

My compressor just seized at about 58,000 miles. Audi dealer wants $1,700 to fix. Is there anything I can
do since this is a known problem?


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## dragonsback (Jul 20, 2010)

$800 fix/replacement and flush/recharge at my Indi

76k miles and it crapped out on my '06 2.0T
Zexel was stock, siezed bolt...TSB

Did not even bother with Audi...was hearing it was going to be at least $1300 to fix there


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

Does anyone have any knowledge of any lawsuits against Audi of America for both the AC compressor and/or the cam follower issue? Based on how relatively quickly Audi reacted to both of these issues, I have to imagine they were aware that the liability was fairly significant and changes were necessary.


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## vagbond (Mar 24, 2010)

*Compressor failure.*

Mine ('07, 2.0t, 6pd) failed at about 29k, bought car new and it was almost 3 years old at time of failure. I use mostly the auto setting and econ fairly often. Initially, the dealer tried to re-charge the system and told me beforehand I would have to pay for the re-charge. They're obviously aware of the issue and trying avoid replacement. Thankfully the system could not be re-charged and the compressor was replaced under warranty.


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

Travis Grundke said:


> Does anyone have any knowledge of any lawsuits against Audi of America for both the AC compressor and/or the cam follower issue? Based on how relatively quickly Audi reacted to both of these issues, I have to imagine they were aware that the liability was fairly significant and changes were necessary.


With hopes that someone at Audi truly cares about these issues, I have sent a detailed letter regarding my cam-follower (main argument was that the tech knew about the TSB, but DID NOT inspect the cam follower when he changed the fuel pressure pump, and sent me out, only for me to come back 30minutes later because the follower totally failed as i drove home - caused me approx $2k). Sent it to Keyes Audi, Audi of America, Attorney General/Better business Bureau for Ventura, LA County, and Michigan.
I also mentioned about reports on failed AC compressors (which knock on wood, mine is still okay)

e


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

Tiptronic -

Generally, you are best served sending a letter with complete documentation on an attorney's letterhead. That generally gets the attention of the appropriate folks.

It's also quite possible that some people have followed this approach and received compensation from AoA, but are bound by terms of the agreement from talking about it.



tiptronic said:


> With hopes that someone at Audi truly cares about these issues, I have sent a detailed letter regarding my cam-follower (main argument was that the tech knew about the TSB, but DID NOT inspect the cam follower when he changed the fuel pressure pump, and sent me out, only for me to come back 30minutes later because the follower totally failed as i drove home - caused me approx $2k). Sent it to Keyes Audi, Audi of America, Attorney General/Better business Bureau for Ventura, LA County, and Michigan.
> I also mentioned about reports on failed AC compressors (which knock on wood, mine is still okay)
> e


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

Good point....

Thanks!


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## Flemo123 (Jul 25, 2011)

*Blown Compressor*

Seems like this thread has gone fairly quiet. Any new information on failed compressors and Audi's response?

Mine literally blew appart yesterday. Will try to upload some photos of anyone is interested. Already dropped $160 for a tow and now waiting for the remains of the cost from the dealership. I am thoroughly p'ed off about this. Car is an '07, only 35K miles. I initially thought it was just a belt failure but on further investigation the compressor has blown appart. Shards of metal and oil all over the place. Thankfully my friendly dealership has provided a rental at their cost but I'm sure they'll make that up on the repair.

I already called AoA and lodged a complaint. They were non-commital without any info from the dealer shop, but they are primed. I read somewhere that someone got them to pay 80% of the cost. Would anyone who got some financial help from Audi mind posting their case number from customer support. It always helps if there is a precedent.

I am speculating that there is some connection between very hot weather and these failures. The failure followed a 3 day heat wave in the Boston area with temps up to 100 degrees. I've read of several in the Vegas area where these temps are normal.

My wife asked what age a car should be when this happens. I said never. Failed compressors are probably not uncommon on 100K+ cars but a catastrophic failure in a 5 year old with 35K miles. This is clearly a sub-standard component that Audi should be stepping up and replacing.


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## elgordito941 (Jul 11, 2010)

I think my compressor just blew today.... unless its something else. I get no air coming from the vents at all/ hot or cold even on econ mode. 

Im interested to see if anyone does have the key to getting them to cover some portion of it as well. No $ for this b.s that shouldn't happen in the first place.


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## tomekpl21 (Feb 24, 2011)

*Me me me*

I have an 07 A3 3.2 Quattro. A/C was fine until about a month ago when it just gets stuck on Econ mode and blows hot air. Also when this started to happen my radiator fan starts to blow at full speed from the second I turn the car on to a minute afterni turn it off. I have 65k miles on it now. It's extremely hot but $1700 seems really high IMHO. Let me know if you guys have any luck getting a hold of Audi on this issue.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

elgordito941 said:


> I think my compressor just blew today.... unless its something else. I get no air coming from the vents at all/ hot or cold even on econ mode.
> 
> Im interested to see if anyone does have the key to getting them to cover some portion of it as well. No $ for this b.s that shouldn't happen in the first place.


If you have no air blowing at all, that sounds more like your AC blower motor. If the compressor went out, you would still get air blowing, just not cold air.


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

TBomb said:


> If you have no air blowing at all, that sounds more like your AC blower motor. If the compressor went out, you would still get air blowing, just not cold air.


and it would be stuck in econ mode.


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## littlewhite (Jan 22, 2004)

m5roller said:


> I'm on my fourth compressor. The orig went out at 59k, 2&3 never cooled properly, the fourth works fine. The dealer said they've had lots of problems w/ A3 compressors, including the current batch of replacements.


YIKES! 4th one? So the ones they replace Zxcel to the Denso one hv problems too?

So i take all of you guys that have/had AC compressor failure turn on AC often?? I hardly use mine and i'm close to 40K miles


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## MattInTheCouv (Jan 6, 2010)

*helpful pictures, but be certain!*



[email protected] said:


> old bad one
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 just because your compressor doesn't look like the 'bad one' from these pics, doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't a bad one. note that the pulley of the bad one pictured here is NOT the pulley pictured in the TSB. so, just beware that there may be more than one visual appearance for bad compressors and/or pulleys.


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## 06A3Stage2 (Mar 19, 2012)

Compressor just failed at 75,000km on a 2006 audi a3 2.0t along with the alternator clutch pulley
:banghead:


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

Mine does not look like the Zexel or the Denso. Assume Sanden?

A/C is still working but I sometimes hear a thrumming sound when it is on. It's been mentioned that the Sanden units also fail but in a different way...

Anyone know what the failure mode is for the Sanden units?

I also noticed there is some hard goo that looks like it is coming out of the pulley (arrow).


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## imtimmy (Feb 18, 2011)

'06 a4 2.0, AC been out since 75k, I'm at 94 now and determined to have AC this summer in Texas. I've been on many forums trying to get as much info as I can as to the possible fixes for these compressors. Some have told me to check Hi-Lo pressure switch, harness connection. My system is at 110psi on hi and lo, auto works, econ works just warm air on both. 3 different shops diagnose, bad compressor, 1 of the shops explains it is not getting a signal to engage. I am hoping to see if it's just a bad switch instead of compressor. Bought this a4 used at 38k, for 5k miles everything worked fine. Since 43k something has always been broke on the car, all the major issues that are known plus more. Not that it matters as when it is 100+ degrees here in TX. to lower front windows, both regulators went out at about 65k miles.


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## mike3141 (Feb 16, 1999)

Why don't you ask in the appropriate A4 forum: 


http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay.php?731-A4-(B7)


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## ma2kster (Jun 4, 2010)

When the compressor fails it shoots all the debris into the condenser... Unfortunately there is no filter between the compressor and the condenser. The only filter/drier is downstream from the condenser. I tried to get a replacement condenser, and they kept telling me flushing was adequate. i found MKV Golf TSBs on the same matter that called for a new condenser and AUDI didn't care to listen to me. After 3 compressors and many flushes, now the new compressor is a DEnso, but they refused replacing my condenser and I still don't get sufficient cooling from my A/C. It have a 2006 and the first compressor had filed 30-40 days after delivery, the next one failed in 90 days, the last time they gave me compressor was in 2010. can you imagine 3 comprossors failing and the amount of metal shavings, etc. and Audi refusing to replace the condenser  

see below one of my older post on this matter: 
http://forums.fourtitude.com/showthread.php?5777036-if-you-ve-had-your-ac-replaced 

Here is some reading material. Not sure how strong/credible the arguments here are, and I also don't know which type of a condenser Audi used (serpentine versus parallel flow). I agree that an engineering mistake with an undersized evap/contamination of the evap would also be a great influence on overall performance, but isn't there are a filter/drier before the evap? The Factory Service Manual clearly shows the filter/drier downstream from the condenser; I would think any foreign object.debris exiting compressor would straight go into the condenser. When we pulled up the system diagram at the dealership; the service reps were surprised to see this fact, they were in the belief that there is a filter before the condenser. If I can find the TSBs I will provide their numbers; I know back in 2006 VW was replacing the condensers, but Audi was just flushing them. One dealer service foreman admitted to me that they didn't have the flush machine when this type of failure first started in our cars. 

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/us40330.htm 

"Something else to keep in mind about flushing is that it follows the path of least resistance. In a serpentine-style condenser, there is only one path the refrigerant can follow so the flushing chemical will follow the same path from the entrance to the exit. In a parallel flow condenser, the flush may not flow through all the tubes if some are partially or completely blocked. Attempting to flush a dirty parallel flow condenser, therefore, is probably a waste of time. 

Some say it's also a waste of time to flush newer serpentine condensers that have the extremely small extruded tubes. The openings only measure .040" to .060" - which improves cooling efficiency but makes it very difficult to clean by flushing. Older tube-and-fin-style condensers with large tubes can be more easily cleaned with flush."


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

My compressor seized in 2008. The dealer only flushed the system and replaced the dryer. Over the past few years my AC got worse and worse until it finally was only cooling the air 4 degrees. Last month I swapped the evaporator valve, condenser/dryer, and pressure sensor. I had it recharged and Yesterday was 100 degrees in Vegas and I had to turn the fan down because I was too cold. I don't know why if you have a VW the dealer will replace the condenser and evaporator valve but an Audi just gets a flush and dryer.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

Uber-A3 said:


> My compressor seized in 2008. The dealer only flushed the system and replaced the dryer. Over the past few years my AC got worse and worse until it finally was only cooling the air 4 degrees. Last month I swapped the evaporator valve, condenser/dryer, and pressure sensor. I had it recharged and Yesterday was 100 degrees in Vegas and I had to turn the fan down because I was too cold. *I don't know why if you have a VW the dealer will replace the condenser and evaporator valve but an Audi just gets a flush and dryer.*


 The A3 is like the bastard child in the AoA lineup. :wave:


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## eXcelon53 (Jan 7, 2009)

Uber-A3 said:


> My compressor seized in 2008. The dealer only flushed the system and replaced the dryer. Over the past few years my AC got worse and worse until it finally was only cooling the air 4 degrees. Last month I swapped the evaporator valve, condenser/dryer, and pressure sensor. I had it recharged and Yesterday was 100 degrees in Vegas and I had to turn the fan down because I was too cold. I don't know why if you have a VW the dealer will replace the condenser and evaporator valve but an Audi just gets a flush and dryer.


How much did all of those cost? I'm having symptoms of compressor going but maybe I can get away with what you did?


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

eXcelon53 said:


> How much did all of those cost? I'm having symptoms of compressor going but maybe I can get away with what you did?


I did the work myself and just paid to have it recharged. Cost $475 for everything including recharge. My car is icy cold cold now. I think the dealer wants about $1500 to do it.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

I just replaced my compressor two weeks ago. It did not fail, but the main bearings were shot and it was whining like a bastard. No debris or anything found, new compressor installed, recharged system and yeah it gets to cold for me on full blast.


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

Can anyone confirm that the 2.0t and 3.2 use the exact same compressor? 

I'm finding Sanden compressors for reasonable prices on ebay but they are all listed as being for the 3.2.


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

MisterJJ said:


> Can anyone confirm that the 2.0t and 3.2 use the exact same compressor?


Anyone?

They look like they have the same mounting but it's always Sanden brand for 3.2 and Denso for 2.0t.


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## madake (Mar 14, 2015)

*Audi A3 air compressor -- on 3rd one in four years*

I stopped by to visit my 78 year old mother today and discovered "Audi North Houston" is charging her $2,000 for her 3rd air compressor (Sanden brand, for a 2011 Audi A3). The first one lasted 43,000 miles and was replaced under warranty. The second one lasted 19,000 miles, 1 1/2 years and was out of warranty by 7,000 miles and 6 months (the warranty was good for 1 year or 12,000 miles). So $900 for parts and $1,100 labor/tax) to get a new compressor. Something didn't sound right so I finally talked them into letting me take the bad compressor to have it checked by someone else (had to give them a $150 dollar deposit for the core value). The VW dealer (uses the same compressors) wouldn't check it out because they have a handshake agreement not to check each other's work. We found an independent mechanic that looked at it the best he could with a flashlight and he couldn't find any evidence of metal shavings and thought it was pretty suspicious that a 2011 car needed 3 air compressors in four years. But the only way I can have it really checked out is if it's hooked up to a running car. Any ideas on who I can get it checked out by in the Dallas area (where I live) ?

Update: Audi just called and decided to absorb the entire cost of this 3rd compressor due to the proximity of the warranty.


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

nice bump. anyway I have the weak compressor. I wanna swap, what choices do I have? I want ice cold trough the vents


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## AckermanA3 (May 16, 2010)

06 A3 127xxxklm Failed last year around 95xxxklm
Not paying the dealer to do this so anyone with a good DIY put up a link.

Lucky I ride most of the summer, but those rainy days when you need ac to defog the windows are still a pain


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

This thread is scaring the hell out of me! The AC in my new 09 A3 doesnt feel "ice cold" even in the lowest. I thought I could get it fixed really cheap, but I see comments of $2k :what: 

But I dont know if I have the failure problem? How can I find out if this is really my problem? I heard sometimes you only need to add gas??


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## AckermanA3 (May 16, 2010)

My air con worked like a dream. Always ran it on auto. It just died one day. If its not very cold i would guess you have a charge issue or leak


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## skotti (Sep 27, 2005)

rlara10 said:


> This thread is scaring the hell out of me! The AC in my new 09 A3 doesnt feel "ice cold" even in the lowest. I thought I could get it fixed really cheap, but I see comments of $2k :what:
> 
> But I dont know if I have the failure problem? How can I find out if this is really my problem? I heard sometimes you only need to add gas??


I seem to remember a thread that mentions how to tell if its failed- looking at it, something spinning (or not spinning?). Might even be in this thread- and it talks about Denso vs. Sanden compressors. Search around a bit (though the search functions sucks).


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

Took it to a mechanic, he completed the gas, $145 and said that my compressor is fine. On the other side, he said that my fan machines from the radiator, that is supposed to cool the ac as well, is not working. ?!?! Have never seen the car overheating or anything similar...

Not sure what to do, guess will find out on monday 

Has anyone had any problem with the fan machines/modules? Any ideas on how much it would cost?


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

So today I drove the car all around, maybe around an hour and the temperature kept normal, in the middle, 90 degrees. The AC is working fine as well, so I was wondering, should I really be worried about what my mechanic said yesterday about my fan module? What if there's no problem?

I was thinking, if I really have a problem with the fan module, I should have some engine or sensor light on in the pannel right?

But then I decided to open the hood with the car and AC on to try to see if the fans are spinning and Im not an expert but I dont think they were spinning. Not sure if they were supposed to either.

Does anyone have any advice? Im really not sure what to do now


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

yeah mines doesnt seem to work. I only ear them when ac is on but it wont blow cold air.

there are lots of threads on other forums that say the fans work with ac compressor pressure, so if the compressor is weak the fans will turn low/weak. Also readed that new fans will make the ac work again.
I dont know if the solution is changing the ac compressor or the fans.


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

2006_A3_2.0T said:


> yeah mines doesnt seem to work. I only ear them when ac is on but it wont blow cold air.
> 
> there are lots of threads on other forums that say the fans work with ac compressor pressure, so if the compressor is weak the fans will turn low/weak. Also readed that new fans will make the ac work again.
> I dont know if the solution is changing the ac compressor or the fans.


Yeah, but in my case the compressor is fine and everything seems to be working but the fans.

But what really makes me worried is if my module is not working and my car starts to overheat in the summer???? 

Does anyone know how I can test it and make sure if its working or not without having to go to the mechanic?


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

rlara10 said:


> Yeah, but in my case the compressor is fine and everything seems to be working but the fans.
> 
> But what really makes me worried is if my module is not working and my car starts to overheat in the summer????
> 
> Does anyone know how I can test it and make sure if its working or not without having to go to the mechanic?



I dunno.. hope someone can chime in. But I cant see how a car will not overheat without running fans, even on low ambient temps.

Maybe you cant feel it when it kicks in with all the road noise.
Also I read that they have 2 settings, low and high, when they crap out they work only on low, also they run in tandem both fans.


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## AckermanA3 (May 16, 2010)

From what i understand the 1 main fan has the control module, if the control module is shot the fans will not come on. I also thought, for my year anyways, that that control module comes with the fan its self so you would have to replace the whole fan shroud. 

I also had the thermostat fail last year, I believe this stopped my fans from working. The way to easily tell if something is a miss is to watch your temp gauge. If the car is warmed up and the gauge goes almost to the middle but not quite, something is a miss.


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## AckermanA3 (May 16, 2010)

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4902624-DIY-Cooling-Fan-Replacement - if the fan is shot here is a diy. If you read down, some people on this thread also mentioning just cleaning the brushes worked for them.


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

^^ thx for the link. on that thread there's another link with working pics

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5867055-DIY-Cooling-Fan-Replacement


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

Thanks a lot for the repply guys! Im new in the audi family and this forum is really helpful!

Im taking the car today to an old mechanic who used to service my VW before and see what he says, if its something very easy i might try one of these DIY.

BTW, when i described the issue on the phone to him "mecanic claimed module failure." He asked "is the car over heating?" And its not! So thats weird

Well, thanks again guys, i will see how it goes and will post an update here later!


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

2006_A3_2.0T said:


> ^^ thx for the link. on that thread there's another link with working pics
> 
> http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5867055-DIY-Cooling-Fan-Replacement


Is the module inside the big fan? So if i do this DIY i am replacing the whole system right?


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

rlara10 said:


> Is the module inside the big fan? So if i do this DIY i am replacing the whole system right?


Iam not sure but after reading those yeah it looks like the fan control module is in the big fan.

Just realized that my fans wont move at all, only when the AC is on, the passenger side fan engages on full speed.

I dont know what path to take now, if replace everything or only the driver side fan.


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

Well, so here is a follow up, spent almost an hour going through my symptoms with the mechanic before leaving the car with him to change the module and here is what he said. 

1 fans are not turning on at all but the car is not overheating (outside temps are around 10-15 degrees)
2 the AC turns on, seems like the compressor is doing the job and the pipes starts to cool down as the air coming through the vents until a moment when something shuts it off and the pipes starts to get back to normal temps as the air through the vents.
3 this compressor doesnt have clutch so we cant tell if its on or not
4 Yes the module is inside the main (bigger) fan

In our conclusion the module is not working, this means when we turn the AC on, the compressor starts but when it wants to turn on the smaller fan to help and cool down the AC, the modulo is not working which may cause the compressor to stop working and the AC to shut off (maybe a safety switch sees the module failure and shut it off?)

Car is in the mechanic changing the module, will pick it up later tonight and hopefully everything will be fixed


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## rlara10 (Mar 18, 2015)

New module is running, but the problem with the AC is still there 

The fans works when the engine temp gets high, so it doesnt overheat. Thats the good side

I still have no idea what could be wrong with my ac


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