Astra H AC compressor nightmare

[alessioblaupunkt]

Hello, car arrived with ac compressor (1st) not working and compressor pulley locked.
Old mechanic replace the ac compressor, test vacuum ok, charge AC system all ok.
Give the car to the customer, a few hours later ac compressor (2nd) not working.
Old mechanic replace the ac compressor, test vacuum ok, charge AC system all ok.
Give the car to the customer, a few hours later ac compressor (3rd) not working.

Now is my turn, the boss give me the 4th compressor to install, brand NFR, REQUIRES electrical and software
modification.

The instruction paper has really poor picture, small, made by hand, you could not understand what it represent.

So I call the local NFR distributor. It has no technical department so it could not help but gave another
instruction paper, with more language and still poor picture.

So I surfed the web and found another set of instruction, has better picture that represent what is in the car
but when I started to work in the car I realized the very first step were wrong.
What is in the text is not what is in the picture, so I spent half an hour to sort the instruction problem: connector labeled with wrong name.
When I finished wiring it was time to program ECU, ECC and UEC.

And here comes the problem. My 2 diagnostic tool cannot program ECU, ECC and UEC.

Have you ever had this kind of problem?

---
*) The instruction report: if the AC compressor has EXTERNAL regulator and you install an AC compressor with INTERNAL regulator a wiring modification is required.
Here comes the question: the original compressor has external or internal regulator?
How do I recognize them?
What about the other compressor (2nd and 3rd)?
The one I removed (3rd) looks externally identical to this NFR compressor. And it worked only 1 day.

Some test I've done:
*)Charged AC circuit, car ask 470 grams but my machine could only insert 364 grams because it's slow and could not finish.
*)Before charging the system with R134, I blew shop air in condenser, LP pipe, HP pipe, expansion valve.
*)If you run this NFR compressor without wiring modification, it will behave like this: 1 second on, 1 second off, on, off, on, off, etc.
*)If you do the wiring modification, and you try to run the NFR compressor, nothing happen.
In fact the instruction call for software modification in ECU, ECC and UEC.

[FordFanatic]

No idea with respect too a "smart" compressor, never dealt with or seen one. However if all those failed compressors locked up, I would be searching for the cause before wasting another.
Incorrect charge, wrong oil, no oil in system, faulty tx valve or expansion tube etc etc. Even failing to vac a system (yes ive seen it done ) wont terminate a compressor that quickly.
Id be having a very close look at everything or even farm the job out too a refrigeration specialist before destroying another compressor.
There is also a chance when the original unit failed it puked its guts into the refrigerant piping and now your pumping essentially liquid sand paper through the new compressors...
Best of luck with it, hope it helps

[alessioblaupunkt]

Wiring modification done.
The car has been coded by another garage.
Another step required: switch cable polarity.
Instruction doesn't tell where to switch cable polarity.
Resulted to be compressor cable what they mention in the instruction.
Now compressor turn on, but another abnormal thing happen.
Radiator fan turn on and stay on for 1 minute or so, then it goes off and stay off for 1 minute or so,
and again, on time, off time, on time, off time, on time, off time, on time, off time.
Compressor is always on as it should be.

What is going on with rad fan?

[Meat-Head]

Can you upload the information please about changing it.

can you attach pressure gauges and read pressure with ac on

[alessioblaupunkt]

Low pressure is too high.
There's 9 bar on LP and 16 to 20 bar on HP.

Ordered a new expansion valve and the new doesn't keep vacuum.
I will reinstall the original valve.

[Meat-Head]

Can you bypass the cooling fan relay for test?

or park it behind a propeller aeroplane for tempary cooling

[alessioblaupunkt]

Changed TX valve and die Low Pressure is now ok.
If you use an aftermarket TX be ready to remove all the dark sponge
that surround the valve because if you try to fit the aftermarket valve in the sponge
you will have a leaking circuit, it leaks so bad that the AC machine stop to vacumm after 30 seconds.
At that point you think that aftermarket is trash but no, just be patient, remove valve,
remove sponge, fit valve, no more leaks, just a big hole for missing sponge so hot air go inside cabin.

Oh and radiator fan is still on off on off.
But today come in another car, another brand, no gas in AC system, once charged I tested for effective cooling
and the radiator fan act exactly as the Astra.
Got a decent cooling on both cars.

or park it behind a propeller aeroplane for tempary cooling

Just for everyone knowledge now and the I work in the local airport.
*Now MJ thinks even more that ales is MH trasposed in another country*

[johnnyh33]

aeroplane at the garage....can't find the laughing the ass off smiley thing

[ned75]

Hi,

I am in the exact same situation as you were. I installed a NRF compressor in an Astra H and Fuse 20 for the AC immediately burns out. Based on my tests the compressor coil is now shorted out.

The old compressor I took out looks the same as the NRF compressor (internally regulated and wiring going to clutch coil).

Could you please tell me:

1) How to change the polarity on the compressor wiring? (NRF tech support is telling me the polarity needs changing but they provide no details.)

2) Do I need to do the full wiring modification and ECU coding to get this NRF compressor to work? My car already has the AC compressor relay in the fuse box.


I have ordered a new compressor coil.

Wiring modification done.
The car has been coded by another garage.
Another step required: switch cable polarity.
Instruction doesn't tell where to switch cable polarity.
Resulted to be compressor cable what they mention in the instruction.
Now compressor turn on, but another abnormal thing happen.
Radiator fan turn on and stay on for 1 minute or so, then it goes off and stay off for 1 minute or so,
and again, on time, off time, on time, off time, on time, off time, on time, off time.
Compressor is always on as it should be.

What is going on with rad fan?

[Meat-Head]

Lookking on your photo 3 shows a didode with brown as ground and black as power

chances are that diode is now fried if had power up wrong hole

[ned75]

Thanks! Yes, I suspect the same that the diode on the new NRF coil is fried. When I test with a multi meter at the plug on the NRF compressor I get continuity and no resistance.

For reference, I have attached a picture showing the colour coding on the new NRF vs. the original compressor plug wires. Both appear the same, however I am understanding that the current flow is not right for the NRF compressor.

So now the question is do I install a new NRF coil and (a) follow the full set of attached instructions or (b) just change polarity (as alessioblaupunkt noted that this was an additional step)?

[Meat-Head]

Even says in document check polarity

intreastibg to know what how and why

if some scrot changed back does it explode pipez?

[ned75]

Yes, hopefully alessioblaupunkt will see this. I have sent a PM.

These same instructions are used by a number of compressor manufacturers with different branding. None talk about polarity! I really had expected better support from NRF.

[alessioblaupunkt]

Hello, jun 2019, july 2020 the car and the compressor are still working, I changed headlights two weeks ago.
Unfortunately I don't have the paper with the modification but if you leave an email in my private message I can send
the instruction that NRF send to me.

A few things to begin with:
*in your case a fuse blow. This never happen to me, even with wrong AC polarity.
*does the car have automatic conditioning control (does it wor with radio display?)
*if it is automatic it require codification. I can't do that so I had to take the car to another garage near here.
*after coding three bad things were found:
1) resistor of radiator fan was damaged
2) the expansion valve in air conditioning system was defective, low pressure too high
3) had to change polarity in the socket that is placed under plastic cover of front left tyre. Car was left hand driver.
More detail tomorrow.

[ned75]

Glad to hear the car you repaired is still working well. PM sent with email.

You are right to point out that the fuse blowing is a unique issue for me. I have tested the wiring from the relay to the plug for the compressor. With the compressor connected the Fuse blows immediately. It's possible my new compressor has a different defect. I plan to test the wiring with a load in place (like a high beam bulb in place of the compressor coil).

The car has the automation climate control (no separate button for AC). I am working on a plan for the required coding.

I look forward to hearing more details on your point (3).

Thank you so much for replying on this post.