Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

The technician installed a new compressor on my car and it immediately started making noises and stopped cooling the car. The technician says that the compressor is damaged and needs to be changed. Also changed were all belts as he claimed they needed to be changed. The car is a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and has many belts. I have a feeling that the belts were not installed properly and hence broke the compressor. Is that possible?

Hello,

Was there any compressor oil in the system or was any oil added before applying power to the compressor?

Rick

We assume the technician was not you.

"Is that possible?" NO.

What is possible is that you need a different technician. Extremely possible that you desperately need a different technician.

B52bombardier1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:25 pm Hello, Was there any compressor oil in the system or was any oil added before applying power to the compressor? Rick

I'm thinking along the same lines as Rick and also tbirdtbird. Do you know whether the "new" compressor seized? Also, is this still R-12 or was the system converted to R-134a?

A "new" compressor... Newly manufactured or a reman that is "new" to this vehicle?

Should be an R4 compressor. Those need a healthy dose of oil at startup.

This is a 1988 car, so it was originally an R12 car. Has it been converted? Did the technician note this in any way?

The compressor was new, not remanufactured. I bought it in Rock Auto to specifically fit the 1988 Cutlass Supreme Oldsmobile. As advertised, it was supposed to be factory oiled. As for the installation it was done by a technician. Thanks for your responses so far.

The car is original. Has not been converted in any way.

"supposed to be factory oiled"

The pros on here suggest that regardless of what oil is or isn't already installed, that the compressor be emptied of whatever is in it, then the correct amount of fresh oil installed. This is the only way to be sure if it is correct

What is your warranty?

Because the compressor is totally damaged I can return it to Rock Auto and get a replacement. The requirements to honor the warranty are strict though.

tbirdtbird wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:21 pm "supposed to be factory oiled"

The pros on here suggest that regardless of what oil is or isn't already installed, that the compressor be emptied of whatever is in it, then the correct amount of fresh oil installed. This is the only way to be sure if it is correct

I'm not a pro, but I always do this. A compressor for my R-12 1988 Mazda truck came filled with PAG oil, I had to flush with 525 R-12 oil then fill. 2 months later my co-worker's new compressor for his R-12 1990 Mazda Protege came filled with 525 oil, go figure. I worked in a laboratory, and it was a 3-minute test to determine whether PAG or 525 oil.