design4p

Hi, Brilliant - All good information. Regards John

Hi Philcool and all other people assisting, A bit of a Summary: Still not sure if the compressor is magnetic clutch or clutchless (variable volume flow) After using the STP recharge kit the result is: Engine off - Needle very high in the middle of Alert Engine on @ 1500 Rev & AC off - No movement of needle Engine on tick over AC on full - needle moved through the green to the top of the white. Engine on @ 1500 Revs and AC on full - very slight wriggle but nothing really. Therefore would appear that the compressor is doing something and therefore the compressor could be clutchless as the end plate and the pulley rotate constantly with the engine. Could the fault be in the other AC parts? Thinking it could be the time to give up and take to a lotus dealership and rely on their assessment and pay the price. Regards John

Hi, Checked for cables around the pulley and can only find a metal lug. However, if the compressor is the fault - EuroaSman has said there is a new Lotus compressor on ebay at £1800. A little research I have found the exact same compressor is a Denso DCP50036 (for about £350). But still not sure what the fault is.

Hi, Yes the AC button and Recirculating button both have a blue light when on.

Hi Philcool, Engine off - Needle very high in the middle of Alert Engine on @ 1500 Rev & AC off - No movement of needle Engine on tick over AC on full - needle moved through the green to the top of the white. Engine on @ 1500 Revs and AC on full - very slight wriggle but nothing really. Regards John

Hi philcool, Sorry not sure about what was actually happening at that point I was adding refrigerant whilst reading the instructions - ie adding for short bursts and then wait and then again until the gauge was in the green. However thinking about it - after a 10 second burst the needle dropped a little and then the needle increased at each burst of gas. Another thought - initially I was told to check the relay module and short the brown/white with the red (giving power direct to the compressor) and to listen for a click from the compressor. However, would this only be possible if the compressor was a magnetic clutch - thinking with clutchless compressor there would not be any click. Is it possible to test the relay module on a clutchless compressor? Can you suggest anything I should do Regards John

Hi Philcool Used the STP package - There was very little or no gas in the system. Went through the process and filled as instructed. Unfortunately still no AC cooling. I would appreciate your view on the latest situation. Regards John

Hi Philcool, Thank you for your assistance. Called my Lotus dealership (Chester Parts) and the £3,300 quoted for a Lotus AC compressor has reduce to £299 + VAT for a (Non Lotus part) - Presumably a Toyota AC Compressor. Which seems logical as the engine is a Toyota. Maybe on the way to a solution now with your assistance. Regards John

Hi Philcool, That is very good information Re Cluchless Compressor. I have purchased the STP Aircon Recharge package and will use this when it arrives in the post. Also I will contact my local Lotus dealership (Cheshire) for clarification on the type of compressor I have. I agree a AC compressor should only be a few hundred pounds not £3,300. I appreciate your assistance and all other comments made. Regards John

Hi Philcool and all other people helping, The situation is that both the drive pulley and the end plate rotate when the AC in ON or OFF. However, there appears to be a gap between the end plate and the drive pulley which does not change with AC On or OFF. Please see earlier photos. I'm a eager amateur engineer rather than a professional vehicle engineer. It would be good to know that if both drive pulley and the end plate both continuous rotate (AC On and OFF)- but the gap remains the same - Is the actual compressor being driven? Hi Philcool, Great information all noted - Just to say the auxiliary belt is still in place and appears to drive the pulley without a noise concern. Regards John

Hi Ramjet & all other people assisting, So it appear the clutch has seized. Unfortunately, I noticed this over a year ago and the local garage which has the recharging equipment did a recharge service but this di not solve the problem (most likely due to the now known seized clutch). So it looks like bad news and a new compressor is required. I'll contact a few AC specialist for quotes - Me in North Wales, LL21 0NA, UK. Just thinking would it be possible to refurbish the compressor with new internal parts? Any further assistance would be most welcome. Regards John

Hi, Thank you for the information. Just wondering about the refrigerant level - as said if too low or too high the compressor will not come on. However, would it be possible to turn the outer disc (clutch outer plate) by hand when the engine is switched off. Hi Trunnion 74 - The AC has not worked for quite a while - I did have the refrigerant topped up (changed) at a garage with a AC machine- which they say cycles the process, ie removes, checks for leaks, and refills. However, it still did not work. Regards John

Hi, More information - Both the pulley and the outer flange rotate together when the AC is switched both ON or OFF. IE no difference. Trying to understand what this means. Any assistance would be most welcome. Regards John

Hi, Me again. Just looking at the price of a replacement compressor (just in case this is the fault) and I am getting a price of around £3,300. This appears ridiculous. Would there be any way or reducing this? Such as buying a reconditioned compressor or a non original Lotus part or a bag or bits to recondition the compressor as a DIY project. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Regards John

Hi, My AC is not working in my Elise 2012 I've check the fuses F7, F19 and C4 - All OK. I've shorted the Brown/White (the live feed checked at 12v) contact to the Red contact on the AC/Fan Relay module and the compressor does not start or click. Would this mean the compressor is faulty or could there be a different fault? Regards John