air con

[poohbah]

Is it just my bad luck, or is the air-con on all 932 series a shoddy pain in the arse.

Bearing on the compressor on my '99 156 has just gone (sounds delightful) though car has only done 110k since new. Bloody compressor on my first 156 crapped itself too after about 120k. 

[poohbah]

In answer to my own question: you're damn tootin' the AC on 932 series cars is crapola.

Just had the compressor bearing replaced, no worries. Had to be done, sounded terrible and was a risk that it would seize and destroy the drive belt.

But the cost wasn't too bad, and with a regas I was looking forward to having working AC in one of my cars for the first time in 5 years.

Then I hear the bad news: they discovered an electric switch in the compressor is shot, so the pump stops working after a bit = no cold air.

And I am advised that apparently the wonderful design means the switch can't be replaced on its own, so the whole compressor has to be replaced. How much for a replacement? $1400.

End result, I won't be enjoying chilled air anytime soon.

[V AR 164]

What a bummer, at least I'm not the only one suffering this summer with no ac!

Maybe try and source a second hand one at a reasonable price. Keep your eyes out on websites such as eBay for a used one: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-GTV-166-147-156-3-0-3-2-V6-AC-A-C-Compressor-60607289-SD7V16-B722-/141993031900?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

But as you mention, the ac Systems in those cars are bad. So you can always go down the path of a custom ac installation! 

Andrew.

[poohbah]

That looks like heavy duty cooling. But I wonder if it might upset the weight distribution and handling ...

I will keep an eye out for working 2nd hand compressors. Surely there must be a budding tinkerer out there somewhere who knows a way to replace the switch without scrapping the whole thing.

Talk about chucking out the baby with the bathwater!

Update: Looks like plenty available 2nd hand, even within Oz, for a couple of hundred smackers so may be worth a punt.