My A/C quit working on my F430

I had the heater on this morning as it was cold when I went out for a drive. Then it warmed up here in Seattle so I turned the Air Conditioner on / lowered the temperature setting and there was no cold air coming out of the vents.....

I reset the battery already and no change.

Any tips or recommendations or something to check for before I take her to the dealer would be greatly appreciated.

Dan

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Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I did do a search here and found the post on how to recharge the Freon including disconnecting the A/C ECU temporarily as that approach seemed to work on others. I also have the workshop manual so I will do more reading.

I will try all the suggestions above and will update once fixed to help others.

Many thanks.

Dan

 

Update:

I checked all the A/C fuses and all the relays today and they are all fine. I didnt realize there's quite a few fuses for the air conditioning system.

Tried to recharge some refrigerant and no change.

Pushed in and out the A/C (OFF) (Stupid name) Switch and the compressor is not kicking in.

Read the A/C workshop manual and I am no refrigeration mechanic so it was just good reading but I have no clue what else to check next so I will take her to the dealer next week.

Thanks again everyone for trying to help.
I will update once she's fixed.

Dan

 

I agree. Thanks Charlie.

Except I recently had knee replacement surgery and it still hurts and I cant bend my knees or kneel on them yet very well yet as its still very painful.
Since Im taking my car in to the dealer soon to flush the F1 Fluid and Transmission Fluid I will go ahead and ask them to fix the AC too.

Have a great Sunday!

Dan

 

Update:

Took my F430 in to my Indi mechanic yesterday to have the F1 Fluid flushed, bled, refilled and F1 System checked & calibrated.
Also had them flush the transmission fluid as it has been over 3 years since both were done.

Then I had them also check my air conditioning system.
They checked my entire A/C system.

Summary, Charlie was right. They applied 12V to the compressor and the clutch is not engaging.
They determined it to be a faulty clutch on the A/C compressor.

Options are to replace the entire compressor, send the compressor out for rebuilding or replace the clutch kit.
I opted to just have the compressor clutch replaced as the rest of the compressor is good and I dont really want to disturb the refrigerant connection if I dont have to. Clutch kit ordered. Will update once its all done.

Here's some info for sharing:

• F430 AC Compressor P/N: 263174. $2,000 at Ricambi.
• $850.00 for a remanufactured compressor on eBay.
• AC Compressor Clutch Kit = $350.00 on eBay.

Will update for sharing once compressor clutch is replaced and A/C is working again.

Dan

 

Here’s an update for sharing to help others that may have the same issue in the future:

Air Conditioner on my F430 is fixed.
Root cause = Defective A/C Compressor Clutch.
Removed and replaced A/C compressor clutch – A/C works great again.

Some low level details.
Dealers normally will only install OE parts so if you want to save some money find an Indi mechanic that will install aftermarket parts for you.
Indi will only cover their labor which is fully understandable. The part warranty is between you and the part manufacturer.

Dealer:
Dealer will not replace only clutch compressor. Entire A/C Compressor will have to be replaced.
AC Compressor P/N: 263174 = $2K.
6 hours of labor = $1,200.00 so this repair will cost ~$3,200.00 minimum.

Indi mechanic:
Found an F430 A/C Compressor clutch in eBay for $350.00.
Indi Mechanic replaced the compressor clutch, then fully tested the A/C system for 4 hours (@$150.00/hour) $600.00 labor plus tax.
So this Indi repair cost $1K compared to ~$3.2K from Ferrari dealer. ~3X more.

You can also find a remanufactured F430 A/C Compressor in eBay for $900.00.

Note that replacing the entire A/C compressor will take longer as Freon will have to be purged first, then remove & replace the entire compressor & connections, reload Freon, then fully test system so labor is longer.

2nd note: while you’re there, might as well replace the serpentine belt as most likely its over 10 years old and due for replacement and belt is cheap. Info below.

Auxiliary Drive Belt / Alternator Control Belt / Serpentine Belt P/N: 235315. $52.00 at Ricambi.
Replace soon as its already 12 years old. Install it at the same time as A/C Compressor Clutch Kit installation.

Photos of A/C Compressor clutch below.

Hope that helps some of you.

Dan

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Thanks Lorenzo.

Dan

 

Great question.

According to service advisor, the mechanic had to unbolt the A/C compressor from the engine, move it sideways without disconnecting the freon lines in order to access the clutch as there's not enough room to work with with the compressor attached to the engine.

Dan

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Got it.

Thanks!

Dan

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Thanks!

Dan

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Update:

My A/C quit working again two months after my Indi mechanic replaced the A/C Compressor Clutch.
The only way to know if its a workmanship issue by my Indi Mechanic or the after market part A/C Compressor Kit quit prematurely is to troubleshoot the A/C System myself.

Long story short, the aftermarket clutch coil connector failed. It appears the connector is weak as it broke off and melted.
eBay seller honored the warranty and sent me a replacement with a better connector design.

I replaced the clutch coil myself this time. Not very easy but easy enough for DIY like me.
A/C now works again.

Here's picture of the new clutch coil that I installed.

Hope this helps some of you.

Dan

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Great info.

Thanks for sharing.

Dan

 

You're welcome.

Glad I can help.

Dan