I ordered my Crosstrek in late February 2016. Mine came with the J041 compressor dated 60200. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

For those not mechanically inclined (like myself), where do I find the compressor?

 

Top of the engine, right next to the oil filter. It has 2 metal tubes coming out of it with valves and plastic caps.

 

So it sounds like your AC clutch failed to disengage and your system experienced excessive pressure, which opened the relief valve. Rapid decompression and loss of refrigirant could conceivably result in condensation, as pressurized refrigirant cools as it expands from a liquid to a gaseous state. That is in fact exactly how the AC functions normally. If you've ever cooked with a gas grill, you may have noticed frost on the unit that attaches to the propane cylinder. Same exact concept.

But thanks for the heads up. I have a 2015 with the old compressor. So far all I hear is the click and slight buzz (which increases somewhat with increased RPMs). I don't know if this is normal but I don't believe that heard this buzz previously. I can even hear it in the cabin when stuck in traffic if I specifically listen for it. All I know is that my prior Tacoma didn't do this even with 140k miles on the clock. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing this type of buzz on any other car. So I am not sure if the buzz is just the compressor working or if this is normal for this particular clutch. Just by looking at it, it does not seem that the clutch is slipping. Also, my RPMs drop by about 200-300 if I accelerate the engine while stopped and wait for the engagement/disengagement of the clutch. That seems normal to me.

 

So it sounds like your AC clutch failed to disengage and your system experienced excessive pressure, which opened the relief valve. Rapid decompression and loss of refrigerant could conceivably result in condensation, as pressurized refrigerant cools as it expands from a liquid to a gaseous state. That is in fact exactly how the AC functions normally. If you've ever cooked with a gas grill, you may have noticed frost on the unit that attaches to the propane cylinder. Same exact concept.

But thanks for the heads up. I have a 2015 with the old compressor. So far all I hear is the click and slight buzz (which increases somewhat with increased RPMs). I don't know if this is normal but I don't believe that heard this buzz previously. I can even hear it in the cabin when stuck in traffic if I specifically listen for it. All I know is that my prior Tacoma didn't do this even with 140k miles on the clock. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing this type of buzz on any other car. So I am not sure if the buzz is just the compressor working or if this is normal for this particular clutch. Just by looking at it, it does not seem that the clutch is slipping. Also, my RPMs drop by about 200-300 if I accelerate the engine while stopped and wait for the engagement/disengagement of the clutch. That seems normal to me.

I think the "condensate" was actually residue from the coolant. And I doubt that it was smoke I was seeing come out from under the hood. I was parked in a lot in less than 2 minutes and under 200 feet driving distance. If it had been smoke I would have known it. Also, rubber parts of the hoses were glossy after a 4 mile drive in traffic, and sitting at the dealer for 15+ minutes.

With regard to your noises. Unless I'm driving with the windows down and the radio off, I usually don't hear the clutch engagement click. You do hear the click and the slight whirring when you turn the A/C on and off with the hood open -- clutch engaging and more going on with the compressor. Driving around with the new compressor is much quieter now, and I'm not feeling the drag.

The moaning noise kinda crept up on me. Once it started, I could toggle the moaning on and off by switching the A/C on and off. The loudness varied and the louder the moaning, the more drag on the engine (I think -- perception is not always reality).

If you're hearing the buzz inside the cabin while stopped in traffic, you might have cause for concern. The language I see regarding this issue speaks to a clutch problem, but I'm not sure how that blows a pressure relief valve after all that noise. Maybe part of the problem is the pressure switch. I think this is a scroll type compressor and I've read that they are more sensitive to debris in the system.

 

Well to clarify, I don't hear the noise while stopped in traffic, only when accelerating or crawling in first gear. At higher speeds there is too much ambient noise to pick up the faint compressor buzz. And I don't hear the clutch engaging click, rather I feel it, again when accelerating or crawling in first gear. In Chicago traffic is the norm rather than the exception, so I'm in first gear a lot. At normal idle speed there is no buzz even with the hood up, just at higher RPMs. But still it is so faint that anybody else would never notice it, it's something that I felt and heard once and now my ears are tuned to it.

As far as the glossy hoses that you described, that is likely the lubricant that circulates with your refrigirant. That may have been the residue as well, since it would not evaporate as the refrigirant did. And the smoke was likely not smoke but just the refrigirant being blown off.

 

As far as the glossy hoses that you described, that is likely the lubricant that circulates with your refrigerant. That may have been the residue as well, since it would not evaporate as the refrigerant did. And the smoke was likely not smoke but just the refrigerant being blown off.

That was my conclusion. With temps in the mid-90s, air intake temp 125F+, and the engine coolant balanced at 206F - 208F, it takes something more than water to make the rubber shiny 25-30 minutes after the event. I even gave the service writer a chance to get it right, but she insisted. :blink:

 

So is it the compressor or just the clutch? Shelling out $300 for a compressor plus the labor makes me just wanna roll down the windows. If it's just the clutch, I can do that myself. BTW mine's a 2013.

 

The link in the original post pretty much states the applicability:

• Model year range is 2014 - 2016.
• What is your compressor's part number?
• What kind of problems are you experiencing?

 

So far the only moaning I hear is the quick moan it makes when you first turn on the AC, and then it goes away and I don't recall hearing it anymore after that. I'm pretty sure I have the older compressor too since I bought my XV towards the end on January of 2015. I have around 35-40,000 miles on it. Maybe I just got lucky. I didn't really use my AC alot last year but I have been using it slot lately down here in SC due to the heat and humidity. I'll keep and ear out and be more attentive to driving it. So far I haven't felt any weird-ness with it kicking on and off while driving.

 

So by looks of this service Bulletin this is only a SOA supported repair/replacement, Not a N/American issue ??

Just wondering out loud for us owners north of the 49th..:blink:

Thanks for posting

Troutbum

 

With Regards to the A/C Clutch Engaging at Idle...

One of the discussion themes I've been reading regards RPM drop when the A/C engages at idle. Late yesterday afternoon (temperature in the mid-80s) I had a couple of errands to run, so I made some parking lot observations with the new compressor.

My car's idle speed stabilized at 800 RPM. When I turned on the A/C there was a very short, very slight movement of the tachometer needle, but the RPM didn't really drop. When I turned off the A/C the engine would momentarily surge up to 900 RPMs, then quickly drop back to 800 RPM.

Is the compressor communication directly with the Black Box(s) or does the car catch the load increase that quickly?

We're expecting temps in the mid-90s later this week, so I want to try that again. (My ScanGauge is off getting re-programed so I can't check code-plug readings, though I might have something on my tablet that could show more.)

 

Today I noticed my A/C was barely cool, let alone the nice strong frosty cold blast it usually can put out. Later I noticed a strange cycling noise when the A/C was on when I was inside the car. I could hear it at highway speeds too so long as there were no other cars around. I popped the hood, and sure enough there is quite a screeching noise coming from the A/C compressor when the A/C is on.

This is from a '14 XV so I probably don't even need to check if I have the older model number. I'm still under warranty, so I'll have it checked out soon. So a big thanks for posting this!

 

I don't get how do you read this VIN... Mine VIN reads like this: JF#GPACC#F#######

 

I don't get how do you read this VIN... Mine VIN reads like this: JF#GPACC#F#######

• Ignore all the characters that precede the "G". (If you do not have a "G" in your VIN, you just got voted off the Island.)
• Ignore the characters between the "G" and the 6-digit string at the end.

So if your full VIN looks like: J F 2 G P A F C 8 F H 1 2 3 4 5 6

The partial VIN as per the linked web page will be: G*123456

 

This is what my A/C compressor is doing in my 2016 Crosstrek 5MT. Let the engine run for a bit, then turned on blower and then A/C. Horrible noise. Hope you can see the video.

.

 

Just checked and my 2016 Limited was built after that VIN so hopefully I'm all set.

Mine still makes a quick maon when I first turn it on, but I guess that's normal?

 

My 2106 Crosstrek has the "updated" compressor, but still makes horrible noises on start up like you talk about. Currently at the dealer having them look into it. When they turned on the car at the service area they first thing they said was.. you guessed it... "that's normal."

 

Yea, that's not normal, by any means. If they tell you that again, ask them to start any other crosstrek on the lot. I will bet they don't do that. My 2015 MT does not do that.

That noise sounds like a bad clutch

 

I wonder if this would qualify as a recall? Hope all problems either don't appear, or disappear with warranty coverage!

 

Interesting. According to the info, it would seem my 2015 Impreza has a VIN in sequence after the indicated VIN stating it should be "ok". Yet, when looking at the compressor itself, it's the "FJ040" version, manufactured in June of 2015. So, would indicate it's the "old" version. I haven't noticed any major issues with the A/C or compressor. Though, "drag" on the engine is kind of hard to notice without a point of reference. I'm sitting at about 10,500 miles. Just something to keep in mind I guess.

 

@KJoFan I believe those VIN numbers are only applicable to 2016 models. Check the serial number on the compressor itself.

 

Makes sense. Serial # on the compressor is 5060093237 and part # is 73111FJ040

That tells me it's of the "troubled" variety.

 

Drag on the engine from the compressor is normal, and it will sap about 20% of your engine's power to run it. To give you an idea, if I hold the engine at 3000 RPMs and turn on the compressor, the RPMs will drop by about 300 to 400, with a constant application of the gas pedal. This does not happen at idle, although there is a brief drop with return back to baseline. I would say just listen for abnormal noise and abnormal performance

 

So this is weird. I just checked the actual compressor in my 2016 Limited and it is the old "J040" one even though my Crosstrek's VIN # falls AFTER the supposed start of the updated compressors. What's the deal with that?!

According to what djriful posted, the new AC assemblies started with VIN# G*212351. My VIN # is G*217*** yet it seems as though I still have the old compressor.

 

The VIN information is pretty useless. You need to check the serial number since the part number should be the same between all Crosstrek (unless they redesign the compressor in future).
"Number beginning with 51001***** or HIGHER (October 1, 2015) are equipped with the new clutch. Decode the Serial Number using the photos and illustration shown below."

My serial number is 50701 which means it was made in 2015 July 1st and therefore within the potentially defective pool. If the serial number starts with 6 then you are fine. I suspect some of the earlier 2016 Crosstrek will have compressor from this pool since my 2015 is one of the last off the factory and it has a July batch.

 

Thanks for this info....I had noticed my AC making an odd noise for the last couple days and was gonna have it check at my next service. I'll take the TSB number in with me.

 

I have a question..

When we turn on the A/C in the car and read the cold air coming out of the vents, is it supposed to be colder than the set temperature or is it going to be in line with the set temperature?

eg: if it set to 68F, is the cold air thru the vents supposed to like 60F or closer to 67, 68F?

 

Setting the thermostat means you want the cabin at that temperature. The air coming from the A/C vents will be much colder in order to accomplish the cooling needed to lower the cabin temp. Hope this helps.

 

What I've found for models with automatic climate controls is that the bigger the difference between the set temperature and the actual cabin temperature, the cooler the air is when the A/C is on. So, if you are testing for how cold can your A/C get, set the desired temperature to it's lowest point before taking the measurement.

 

Here is the result from my IR thermometer. I am at idle...tried to catch the cars OAT (outside air temp) but it's too hard to see. The survey says, air coming out of the center vent with A/C on full and fan on 2...25.5˚...OAT 75.

 

Here is the result from my IR thermometer. I am at idle...tried to catch the cars OAT (outside air temp) but it's too hard to see. The survey says, air coming out of the center vent with A/C on full and fan on 2...25.5˚...OAT 75. View attachment 194537

An infra-red thermometer gun isn't the best thing to measure air temperatures... they are great at measuring surface temperature however. So, you are really measuring the temperature of the plastic vent (either the directional fins or the ducting inside depending on where the probe is actually measuring (sometimes the red dot is off from where the probe is actually measuring).

If you have a digital meat thermometer, you can stick the probe in the vent and just let it hang out and get cooled by the air.

 

Good point, I didn't realize that. But I think I can say that the A/C is able to cool the cabin. It could be that other Crosstrek cars are not properly charged...or there is some other problem with the A/C.

 

Definitely. But I didn't want others to try to the same thing you did but hit a warm spot on the vent and then think something was wrong with their A/C!

 

A/C temp reading take 2. 42.5˚ F.

 

A/C temp reading take 2. 42.5˚ F.

View attachment 194769

This is perfect. And for others who have issues with the AC compressor cycling, first thing to do before freaking out is doing this. If your temps are in this general area, the cycling is appropriate and nothing to worry about. Ultimately, this is the test to do to evaluate your AC.