Air conditioning & cooling · Sant Andreu
Air conditioning compressors
The compressor is the heart of the air conditioning. When it makes noise, will not engage or will not compress, we diagnose it and replace it with the circuit-cleaning protocol that stops the new one dying the same way.
What does this service include at Tallers Marathon?
Diagnosis of the compressor and its control, replacement together with receiver-drier and expansion valve, and circuit cleaning.
- Full diagnosisPressures, clutch or control valve, noises and metal debris in the circuit.
- Circuit cleaningIf the compressor died shedding debris, the circuit is flushed — or the new one dies too.
- Drier and expansion valveReplaced with the compressor: the correct protocol, not an extra.
- Charge and verificationVacuum, exact charge and a final performance test.
How do I know the A/C compressor has failed?
A/C not cooling with the right gas charge, a metallic noise when it engages, a clutch that will not grip or slips and, in serious cases, a burning belt smell. Confirmed by measuring high and low side pressures.
What separates a proper compressor job from a patch: the protocol. A compressor that dies internally spreads metal debris through the whole circuit; fitting a new one without flushing condenser and lines and without replacing the receiver-drier and expansion valve signs its death sentence — the debris destroys it within weeks, and no warranty covers that negligence. That is why our quote includes the full protocol, itemised. Prevention, as we say across this section: run the A/C all year, a few minutes a week; the circuit’s oil only moves with the compressor turning, and six months idle is like starting an engine with no oil. The correct charge matters too: short of gas, the compressor runs without cooling its own oil — explained on the A/C regas page.
Frequently asked questions
New or reconditioned compressor?
We fit both depending on model and budget, always with warranty. What matters is not just the part: it is the flush protocol and the drier and expansion valve replacement.
Why is a compressor failure expensive?
The part plus the associated protocol (flush, drier, expansion valve, gas). Doing it halfway costs more: you pay for the second compressor in full.
Could the noise be just the pulley?
Yes — the pulley bearing or the electromagnetic clutch fail independently and are minor repairs. Distinguished by engaging and disengaging the A/C during the test.
Is it worth it on an old car?
It depends on the car’s usage value and the Barcelona summer. We give you the fixed number and you decide; sometimes the reconditioned option changes the answer.
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