Squealing A/C

[Jhp]

Hi my Volvo v60 has just started making a squeal when I first turn on my air conditioning, it only lasts a few seconds and doesn’t effect it’s performance as it’s blowing ice cold, but the car makes the same noise when I start my car. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks Jon.

[SnineT]

Pulley on the compressor or the clutch that resides in the pulley.

Quick fix at your own risk, with the engine running use a garden hose with a jetter on it to flush the area behind the pulley, it's possible you have some grit bumming a lift between the pulley and compressor, as I said at your own risk and try not to hit the clutch.

[Toprivetguns]

It is a common issue. I have the same noise. I have read a post regarding a specific pipe that has been changed on US cars as part of a service bulletin. Apparently the pipe vibrates causing resonance (the sound we experience)
Five years later and it still runs well.

[JGEM]

I had sporadic belt squeal with my AC before the compressor failed. I would get intermittent compressor lock ups and the first time it happened I got all this smoke coming out from under the bonnet as the belt was dragged around the stationary compressor pulley.

The AC belt on my XC60 AC compressor is a stretch type belt. To replace the compressor belt it was necessary to first remove the auxiliary belt, so I replaced both belts and the auxiliary belt tensioner at the same time. I gave the AC guy who was replacing the compressor the new belts and tensioner and he fitted them as part of the job.

I would get that squealing checked out ASAP

[Jhp]

Am I right in thinking my v60 d3 2.0 doesn’t have a separate ac belt rather it’s run off the auxiliary belt? If so maybe it’s the aux belt that needs replacing?

[SnineT]

Originally Posted by Jhp

Am I right in thinking my v60 d3 2.0 doesn’t have a separate ac belt rather it’s run off the auxiliary belt? If so maybe it’s the aux belt that needs replacing?

I think you're correct, it tends to be under high load so naturally the bearing will wear over time, my Insignia had this when I first bought it, after reading forums it was common and a lot of the time didn't sort out the squeal even after Vx had had a look at it, I hit mine with WD40 and it shut up for a while, then I put some talc on the belt and again it shut up for a while, finally I power washed the whole area and it did shut up, later the clutch seized on it and AC was no more, car was 7 years old at that stage, you can bet your bottom dollar when taken back under warranty all they will do is to hit the bearing with some good grade spray oil.

[Tannaton]

The squeal is the belt... on most 5 cylinder engines there is a separate stretch belt running of an idler pulley or power steering pump. It can by a symptom of the compressor clutch bearing stiffening up but you would usually get bearing noise with that. By stretch belt I mean an elastic self-tensioning belt with no conventional means of adjustment or tensioner pulley.

Being a single use stretch belt - over time they occasionally lose tension and the only option is to replace it.

To replace it you remove the Aux belt first, be very careful and steady winding it on as if you over stretch it for too long - it's ruined. There is a genuine tool to install it but it is possible to do it by hand.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323094798...Bk9SR9LZiPjUYA

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313415270...Bk9SR5j9mfjUYA

[Lancee]

V60 D3 D4 D5 ?

Proximity of potentially failing belt/auxilliary belt to cambelt ? Possible consequences ?