Easy and CHEAP fix for not functioning AC in 2004-2009 mazda 3!!! check it

[dj_adamix]

Well hello everyone!

long story short, my ac went out last summer. Started with intermediate clutch engagement. would turn on and off randomly.
Few days later started to hear terrible grinding noise coming from my compressor. Noise was there for few minutes then gone then back and gone again...
wasnt untill few days later when noise got really bad and would not go away!

Got my buddy to look at it, turns out the whole clutch and pulley assembly collapsed and well, pulley was grinding on the hub and against the belt. we cut the belt and that was the end of it.... until now.

Well since its getting hotter, i was looking to get it fixed. You guys know how it goes, everyone tells you "u need a new compressor".

Okay seriously? new compressor is 400 bucks!!! found a rebuilt one on ebay for 200 bucks with shipping... still thtas too much.

Well i decided to use my inner mechanic skills and se if i can fix it on my own!

Well it turns out... if i cut the belt right away when noise started to happen, i wouldve been able to fix it for about 15 bucks!!! YES 15 bucks!

Okay so here it goes:

It seems its a known issue.... after a while actual bearing in the pulley collapses and starts to grind.
Yes, you can take the pulley assembly off along with the clutch, clean it all off, replace the bearing with a new one (15 bucks). And put it back together, keeping in mind the spacing between the pressure plate and the pulley.
!!!!!
NO NEED TO BUY A NEW COMPRESSOR! NO NEED TO TAKE THE COMPRESSOR OFF AND DEPRESSURIZE YOUR SYSTEM!

in my case i let my pulley grind too much which ended up literally MELTING my magnetic clutch and seizing it with the pulley.
Ended up prying the whole thing for hours before i got the pulley and clutch out (both in one piece melted together).
Afterwards i tested the compressor by spinning it slowly with my drill and listening for vacumm sounds and weird noises (all good!).

Ended up ordering new clutch/pulley/plate assembly off ebay which was 130bucks.... i know.. plus ill need a new belt BUT HEY ITS BETTER THAN 500 bucks for new one plus flush and labour!
wish i looked under my car last year and just cut the belt sooner.... wouldve been just the bearing back then.

Well...
It looks that it should work once i get the part next week!.

If requested i can post pics along the replacement process!

[dj_adamix]

heres the link where im getting my new clutch assembly.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MAZDA-3-CLUTC...vxp=mtr&_uhb=1

[Nikhil Pali]

Exact same thing happened to me. Luckily I noticed it before things got worse as my clutch wont engage properly and was starting to make noise. Right now waiting for bearing and belt to come in.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Oh interesting. It seems that they made a clutch kit of remanned parts.

[dj_adamix]

Exact same thing happened to me. Luckily I noticed it before things got worse as my clutch wont engage properly and was starting to make noise. Right now waiting for bearing and belt to come in.

Lucky You!!!
I wish i took care of it. When i took the pulley off, clutch was stuck right inside the pulley. There is no black epoxy left in the clutch, you can see bare wires through pulley slots and evidence of leaked molten epoxy haha.
Well new clutch assembly should fix this issue.

[dj_adamix]

IT WORKS!

Okay so yesterday got last of my parts.
Got the AC belt, and LOCKTITE 620 retainer.

I had to use liquid retainer since my hub got damaged and was unable to reinstall the C retaining clip after the pulley.

Anyways, glued the pulled on the hub, had to add two more washers to calibrate pressure plate gap.
put the belt on and WOW its ice cold!!!!


Total cost : $150 for new clutch assembly and new AC belt

Cost through the mechanic which would need a whole compressor removal and replacement : around $500-800 depending on a compressor.

So guys save your self some money and diagnose your broken AC first. Its easy to do without lifting the car up.

In most cases you can save your clutch assembly and just change the bearing for 10 bucks.
For me it was a bit different since i let my clutch grind for the longest time. hence 130 for new one.

[dj_adamix]

Oh interesting. It seems that they made a clutch kit of remanned parts.

You can get aftermarket Chinese part straight from china.... BUT the one i ordered turned out to be used, refurbished part from a mazda.

I think the magnetic clutch was new but pulley and pressure plate was just sanded down and re painted.
Both in good shape tho, grip strip around the plate was still intact and thick... my old one had no grip material left.. it all crumbled out.

[mEtH]

Nice write up, thanks for explaining what you needed to do along the way.

[Nikhil Pali]

And if anyone is wondering, this is the bearing I ordered.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/32BD4718-Dou...item1e7fa7e856

[Nikhil Pali]

Sorry, double post

[jay93]

Question... I don't hear the compressor kick on when I switch on the a.c. could your solution fix my problem??

[dj_adamix]

Question... I don't hear the compressor kick on when I switch on the a.c. could your solution fix my problem??

okay turn your wheel all the way to the right. go out and on passangers side, front, remove that small plastic plate covering the compressor. You should be able to see the pressure plate. then turn on your car , dont have the AC on just yet,

carefully lift that plate again and have a look at your compressor. if the pulley spins and plate doesnt its OK.
next turn on your ac, take a look again, your plate should spin along with the pulley.

if id doesnt, you should jack it up, unplug the compressor and measure the resistance between the wire and ground.
should be around 3-4ohms. if its 0.4-1ohm its shorted. if its open, your thermal fuse or windings got burnt.

So my ac works okay now, one thing i noticed, my pressure plate started to slip after compressor heated up. i guess i added too many shims and gap is just a little too big, ill try filing one washer today and re install it untill its right.

I know gap should be 0.2 mm but i dont have a guage to measure that.

[dj_adamix]

Sorry, double post

You will have to make sure your gap is correct as well.
Today after noticing my clutch slipping, it got really hot.
Which makes me thing the REAL cause of the problem are those shims wearing out over time, OR pulley seperating more from the plate which creates friction, which makes the whole thing heat up to the point your bearing fails, when bearing fails everything heats up more and starts grinding even more untill your whole clutch assembly is garbage (what happened to me)

So first symptom is your ac engaging intermediately. if that happens you should check your spacing and re adjust it before things burn out on you.

[dj_adamix]

And if anyone is wondering, this is the bearing I ordered.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/32BD4718-Dou...item1e7fa7e856

oh and if you have a socket wrench... do it you self man, save your self some money. for the bearing, cool it down in your freezeer for few hours and heat up your pulley a little, then quickly slide it in in the exact same position as your old one.

BELT was the easiest thing ever.
Unbolt first 3 screews covering the compressor, then 4 long bolts need to go out. carefully move the compressor up, just tilt it untill belt slides on, then push it back.
Use your cars jack to slowly pry it back in to position and bolt it up again. 15 min job.


Good luck!!

[dj_adamix]

http://www.thaimazda3.com/svmanual/e...html#wp1025486

And

http://www.thaimazda3.com/svmanual/e...061010W02.html

To anyone wondering what the heck I'm talking about here .. lol

[TheMAN]

I don't know who told you this, but you CAN buy a compressor pulley/clutch set from the dealer... crazy expensive of course
I'm not surprised you can buy one off ebay due to this fact

[stock3]

That is why I like the stretchy belt for the AC, that everybody else seems to hate. You can simply cut it off if the compressor starts to make grinding noises.

[evildiesel]

good post i hope thats not what my problem is.. hoping its only the tensinor pulley

[nshah]

Do you need any special tool to remove the bearing from the pulley?

thx

oh and if you have a socket wrench... do it you self man, save your self some money. for the bearing, cool it down in your freezeer for few hours and heat up your pulley a little, then quickly slide it in in the exact same position as your old one.

BELT was the easiest thing ever.
Unbolt first 3 screews covering the compressor, then 4 long bolts need to go out. carefully move the compressor up, just tilt it untill belt slides on, then push it back.
Use your cars jack to slowly pry it back in to position and bolt it up again. 15 min job.


Good luck!!

[htc***]

Do you need any special tool to remove the bearing from the pulley?

thx

If you need one


Amazon US $19.99 + $9.32 shipping - A/C Compressor Clutch Installer/Remover Kit

Amazon CA $35.18 - A/C Compressor Clutch Installer/Remover Kit


Images for AC compressor clutch

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ac+co...2F%3B900%3B564

[kaZoomm]

OK, so this summer my 2005 2.3 started to chug-a-chug like an old washing machine - and I read your post - BRILLIANT - thanks for sharing dj_adamix!

It sure sounded like the worn ac pulley posted on youtube, so I investigated by removing the AC belt. But first, the main belt (water pump, alternator) is easy to test - just push the tensioner back with the engine running, and let it slip - the sounds didn't change for me, so that rules out those parts.

Then to remove the AC belt - I'm too cheap to cut it - so I took off the right front wheel and looped a short piece of garden hose over the right loop of the belt, rotated the camshaft clockwise, and tugged on the hose while it climbed over the ac pulley - a few iterations of this, and the belt just 'walked' off! To my surprise, it didn't come off the pulley, but rather the camshaft (which has a deeper wall for the belt to climb). Anyway, its off, and the chug-a-chug sound stopped. So no AC this winter, while I shop ebay for a MT2021.

[kaZoomm]

Uh, wrote this too fast - replace camshaft with crankshaft above - duh.

[Shawn]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but is the MT2021 the correct bearing for the Mazda3 ? Did anybody do this bearing replacement?
I am now in the same situation. Thanks

[orGhatcH]

@Shawn, MT2021 didn't work for me. I'm also looking for the correct size.

[Shawn]

Thanks, I guess I will pull the pulley and disassemble to see for a replacement. Dam it is hot.