Team-BHP - Alto AC compressor gone bust

Suddenly out of the blue after the AC servicing the compressor sound increased.
I took my car back to MASS. he took out the compressor saying that he will replace the clutch bearing. after removing the compressor he found out that its not the clutch bearing but its the piston bearing that has gone bust.

But he flushed the compressor and put it back. charged me 1500 rs. He said that it was full of dirt and he has charged it with fresh oil and the noise will go.

but even after 2 weeks the noise is there. instead it has increased a lot and the ac is not putting lot of load on the engine.

Can the compressor be repaired. MASS charge 17k for new compressor.
How much does the subros compressor cost outside MASS.

It appears the MASS is at fault for causing you a problem rather than mending one.

If the noise appeared after you got the ac serviced by MASS,then it is they who have to rectify it for you.I am not sure,but it appears you're being conned.

Locate a good private ac mechanic(honesty is the no.1 attribute you should be looking for) and get a "second opinion".

I believe all Mechanical components can be reconditioned well;so try this.Else,go for a old one

You'll be able to locate a good one(removed from an accidented vehicle,say) for 5k.But that would mean you go to the Official kabadi khana of Pune and scout.

Get a second opinion on the issue, however if the compressor has started giving problmes, it best to just buy a new one, and small amonts spend on trying to the get problem solved, will eventually tally up to a huge amount, one time fix is better.

i showed my car to couple of AC experts. they are recommending the compressor change. repairs wont work for long.

and if the bits of aluminium from inside the compressor gets into the coils then i will have to change lots of parts.

currently i got a quote of 12.5k for compressor + 2k for expansion valve + RD bottle + gas = approx 16-17k.

now thats a hell lot of amount at 60k kms on the odo.:deadhorse

Amit,

Sorry to hear this. If the noise did start after the a/c servicing as you mentioned, it clearly points to the fact that something went wrong during the time MASS was working on it. :Frustrati

I second the opinion of changing the compressor if you plan to keep the car for long and want trouble free running. You can source an OEM Subros compressor directly from the company and get a reliable mechanic to fix it.

Why do you say that the other parts will have to be changed as well? Does your Alto have the R12 gas, if so then the change of related a/c components will be necessary since the R134a gas/system works on higher pressure.

Keep us updated.

Thanks,
gpa

I think this is one area where Tata scores. With it's "Recon" program that is.

When the R12 AC system in our Indica was no longer serviceable, went in for a compressor swap, and the good thing is, i got a larger reconditioned compressor (R134a of 110cc used in Indigo, and possibly the Indica Turbo series) in lieu of the older one, from Subros, for just over Rs.7.5K/-. Of course, other components like condensor, expansion valve had to be replaced with new ones, to make them R134a compatible.

Doesn't Maruti have any such initiatives? Worth exploring i guess.

alto runs on R134. other parts in the sense the RD bottle and the expansion valve. i managed to get a second hand compressor from a work shop which has accident vehicle. got one from a 15k done alto. bought a new RD bottle costing rs.1740 MGP.
my car is at the MASS. gas charging and labor will be free.

I have the same problem since past 3 years. Even i have been told my MASS that bearing needs to be replaced. When i consulted outside the guys said that changing bearing might solve the problem but it might cause some other problem too if they do it and they are not gonna take the risk.

So for past 3 years i have been driving around with compressor noise which is quiet irritating specially during evening when compressor shuts off and on frequently.

P.S. Car is 10 years old now and is nearing 2.2 lac KM's

P.P.S. My friends tease me that i am running a diesel engine under the hood because of the compressor noise.

I think a subros A/c costs around 8.5k for a maruti . try to check in the compressor shops . If there is a subros office in your area , call and enquire .

Finally got an almost new Compressor from a accident alto done 10k odd for 5k. Changed the RD bottle and flushed the whole system. luckily the expansion valve is in good condition.
total damage 5000+1800+1500 = 8300rs

now the engine load has reduced considerably. also the engine is very much silent now.