Technical Removing Seicento Air-Con

[EdRich]

Hi, I have a 1999 Seicento Suite 1108, the one with air-con. The air-con hasn't worked in many years, but the car is now making an intermittent grinding noise that a mechanic thinks could be the air-con compressor bearings.

One solution would be to remove the defunct air-con compressor altogether. However, the models with air-con have a different arrangement of drive belts and pulleys than the non-air con models.

I would defintely need a different alternator drive belt... but my question is, would I need to change the pulley on the crankshaft as well?

If anyone is familiar with the air-con models it would be a great help,

Cheers.

 

[blu73]

My car has air-con but tbh, i have not really ever loked at it, Is the belt for compressor not a seperate belt? If so just remove the belt, and the compressor won't turn.

 

[rallycinq]

The air con compresor has a clutch in its pulley, so its only the outer part thats turning with the air con switched off.

As blue suggests, if its on a seperate belt, remove the belt.

Cheers

SPD

 

[EdRich]

Unfortunately, I think the alternator belt is driven off the compressor pulley, which is a two stage affair. So just removing the compressor belt would also disable the alternator.

That is a good point though about the clutch mechanism on the compressor pulley. Unless the clutch is jammed on in some way, it should mean the pulley is just acting as a freewheel and the pump shouldn't be turning at all. That does make we wonder if the compressor can be source of the noise...?

Thanks for the suggestions...

 

[Oldschool]

It is quite easy to remove the compressor.

If the aircon has not worked for years it is not a bad idea to remove it. I had to remove it when I was on a trip and the alternator beslt was shredded because of the tensioners on a Sunday. Waiting for the tensioners could have taken days.

The compressor is fitted to a massive bracket together with the alternator. Romove the whole arrngement and fit a standard Seicento Sporting belt. You don't need to change the crank pulley.

 

[EdRich]

Thanks, I will try that.

 

[EdRich]

I have removed the air-con pump and bracket. However the alternator pulley does not line up with the pulley on the crankshaft, there's a good 1 to 2 cm offset.

How did you deal with that?

Thanks,

 

[Todger182]

In what way is it offset? is the alterterntor possitioned clser into the middle of the bay (towards the gearbox), or closer to the chassis leg?

The mounts should all the the same, and can't see the alternator itself being different.

Thanks

 

[blu73]

the alternator is bigger on air con models..

 

[EdRich]

The alternator pulley is offset towards the centre line of the car. It may be that on the non-air con 1108 model (Sporting) the alternator had a longer pulley.

 

[EdRich]

Hi all,

Just to round off this thread, I have now succeeded in removing the air con and getting the car working again.

The secret is that you retain the original alternator, but you must change the alternator mounting bracket to the one from the Sporting. This moves the alternator towards the offside of the car and brings the pulleys into alignment. The alternator belt from the Sporting then fits.

The mounting bracket costs about £15 and is available from Fiat with a few days delay.

End result, a much quieter car and a much less cluttered engine bay.

 

[blu73]

good stuff, i shall remember this for the ineviteable day i decide i need more space under the turbo's bonnet. Its all rather tight in there with the air-con and ABS as well as the turbo gubbins.

 

[clock34]

ed rich i dont suppose you would be willing to swap your center console (front and rear fog hazard rear heated window and aircon) buttons for one with the blanc instead of aircon???

just that to get the extra button from fiat is 100 quid and i was looking to use one to turn some other things on and off.

if not never mind.