E36 Aircon Worries

[ekseniks]

Hey Guys,

I was doing some DIY today in the car today but because it was a million degrees outside, I had the aircon on. When I put it on there is a nasty noise from the engine bay, almost like a pulley was loose but this mechanical stuff isn't really my thing. Is it a common problem or something I need to have looked at?

 

[Raybimmer]

Run the engine with the aircon off , is the noise gone ? Get someone to switch the aircon on -is there a noise now like a noisy pulley on the right side of the motor ? Switch off the engine and check the belt tension - best done from under the car . My aircon makes a noise , but not heard in the car , is your aircon blowing cold ? You may need to have it regassed .

 

[gpgold]

I'm no expert but I think one of the v-belts in the front of your engine is an aircon belt that runs on a pulley...perhaps start by checking if the belt pulleys are loose?

 

[Raybimmer]

Aircon runs with a ribbed flat belt , not a v-belt .

 

[ekseniks]

Thanks for the help.. It was in the garage so I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid or not. The noise goes away when the aircon is off.. Actually to be honest its kind of like a microwave the way the noise is there for a few seconds, then its off for a few seconds and repeats.. The aircon is still pretty cold, so it still works.. I'm at work so can't test it but I will do as soon as I can..