I recently bought a 2003 R50 as a project car for my boys and I. Overall the car runs great, but there seems to be an issue with the A/C compressor.

If you're stopped at a light with the engine idling, when the A/C compressor kicks in,the entire car basically shivers, like the draw from starting the compressor almost stalls the motor. When you're driving, you don't notice it, only when you're stopped.

The A/C blows cold air, so the compressor itself is working fine.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I was thinking it might be the A/C compressor clutch that is going bad. Does anyone know if it can be replaced?

Any insight or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

The compressor does introduce some vibration through the engine to the passenger
compartment at idle. If you have aftermarket engine/trans mounts or mount inserts, it can
be a bit more noticeable. A bad mount can do the same thing. A bad compressor or
an over-full refrigerant charge can do the same thing also. Do the rpms at idle drop when the a/c is on or does it just shake more?

 

Cristo - the RPMs recover after this initial kick in by the compressor. I never considered the engine mount idea. Unfortunately, since this car is a recent purchase, I don't know about the quality or brand of the mounts. As I mentioned, the car almost stalls when this happens. It is not just a minor shudder as I have experienced in other cars. Its much more pronounced. I'll check those later today.

 

My mini does this as well, idles so crumby I haven't been using my ac.