My AC compressor has seized and causing a racket/smoking, so it needs replaced to the tune of $700 (not a bad price all things considered, but still). I’d like to bypassing the AC all together but can’t find anything online about doing so. Does anyone have experience with this?
I answered your question in your other thread. Ask your mechanic if he can put a belt on to run everything but the air conditioner compressor.
There are kits that will just have a pulley where the compressor is. You need another mechanic.
There is no serpentine belt listed for your vehicle without AC, because your vehicle was never offered without AC.
You need to install a compressor by-pass pulley.
Here’s the one for your vehicle.
https://www.1aauto.com/volkswagen-jetta-ac-compressor-bypass-pulley/mo-c/423-80
Tester
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@Tester As always Mr. Tester, well done.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to look this up for me!! One question - that page says it’s only for 1993-1999 jettas but mine is a 2003, do you think it will still work?
I’m posting here because I wasn’t able to find a kit for my exact car so I was wondering if anyone else would have any luck - especially since I’m not exactly sure what I’m searching for. Tester below found one but it doesn’t state that it will work for my year
Yep, seems like a common part available at a common auto parts store for older VW’s. Same problem, I can’t find one for a 2003.
My original post had a link… but it wasn’t for a 2003
I encourage you to reconsider what you’re doing. By bypassing the air conditioning, you’re increasing the cost of your eventual repair. You might be better off putting that $700 on a credit card and paying interest until you can pay it off than paying for a hack repair, paying to undo it later and install a working compressor.
I’ve chosen to live without air conditioning in my car, but I don’t have a serpentine belt, and I never plan to fix my air conditioner. If you ever plan to fix yours, you should consider going ahead and doing it now.
is your compressor shot or is the clutch shot? i suppose you could just leave the compressor unplugged and than the clutch will never engage. if your clutch bearing is good, that is.
I think it’s the bearing that’s gone. It grinds when the car is turned on.
It isn’t that I can’t afford it, i just don’t want to dump 700 into a car that isn’t worth much and that I don’t plan to keep for much longer. I haven’t been able to find any other solution though so I think I’ll have to have the work done.