Bypass AC on 2003 2.0L jetta?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

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?

2

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.

3

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

3 Likes
4

@Tester As always Mr. Tester, well done.

5

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?

6

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

7

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

8

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.

9

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.

10

I think it’s the bearing that’s gone. It grinds when the car is turned on.

11

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.