Air con on - rattle with clutch engaged, disappears when clutch disengaged?

[marf]

Just had my air con regassed. Works fine, nice and cold, engine idles up when the compressor engages.

However, there\'s a rattle coming from somewhere when the AC is on and the clutch is engaged. When I disengage the clutch the rattle goes.

Air con off, no rattle clutch engaged or disengaged.

WTF?

[marf]

Nobody??

[clive]

Sounds like this is a clutch problem with the air con thing possibly being a coincidence,

Do you have a stock clutch or race as mine used to rattle like mad when disengaged

Get somebody to operate the clutch while you listen to the air con pump because pressing the clutch may be bringing the revs down a touch and making the noise go.

If you really want to find out if its the clutch or the air con just drop the fan belt off and start the car

hope this helps

[marf]

Hi Clive

Stock clutch. Good point re: revs, I\'ll try fiddling with the idle speed to induce the noise without the AC switched on.

Very odd though that it\'s happened after bringing my AC back to life, it wasnt working before as the system was empty, so the compressor wasnt engaging and the noise was not present in any situation.

Frustrating as I have a track day on Monday.

The noise is present only with the clutch engaged in neutral btw, disengaging the clutch stops the noise.

[marf]

Just went out for a drive, started the car, no rattle AC on or off. Drove 10 miles with AC off, stopped for fuel.

No noise AC on or off at the petrol station.

Drove home 10 miles with AC on. Got out of the car and the rattle was evident immediately. Again turned off AC, noise goes. Turn on AC, noise returns.

If I put the AC on, depress the clutch and then slowly let the clutch up, I can hear the noise starting quietly as the pedal reaches the top of the travel, then getting louder as I totally release the pedal.

Lying on the floor next to the car it sounds like the noise is coming from too far back to be the AC Compressor.

Adjusted idle up and down with AC off, cannot induce the noise.

[marf]

So I think my compressor is screwed. The AC stopped working a couple of days after it was gassed.  I can still see the gas being pumped around by looking at window on top of the drier, but it doesn\'t blow cold.

Then out for a drive yesterday I noticed what sounded like a hissing noise which got louder with revs and was only present when the AC was switched on.

Long run plan is to replace compressor, condenser and drier.