Removing and installing air conditioning compressor from and to bracket — VW
Removing and installing air conditioning compressor from and to bracket on VW: 10 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
This procedure covers taking the air conditioner compressor off its bracket, or taking the bracket off with the compressor left hanging, on the VW platform code listed below. The refrigerant circuit is not necessarily opened: if only the ancillary bracket is coming off, the lines stay on the compressor and it is tied to the body with welding wire or similar. Access is from below after the engine noise insulation is removed and the poly V-belt is off. The compressor is unplugged, its hexagon bolts are removed and it is lifted away. The job turns on the mating faces: compressor and holder must be spotless and the dowel sleeves properly seated, because a compressor that sits out of line with the engine will be wrecked in service. If the circuit was opened, the commissioning notes for the system apply afterwards.
🧭 Before you start
Safety precautions for refrigerant and the notes on working on the circuit come first. The noise insulation under the engine and the poly V-belt are removed, the compressor connector is unplugged and the hexagon bolts are undone to lift the compressor off its bracket, tying it to the body if the lines stay attached. Before refitting, the contact surfaces are cleaned and the dowel sleeves are inserted, then the compressor is bolted back and the system is commissioned according to the notes.
Fits: VW Golf Sportsvan (AM1, 2014–2020)
Don't miss
- Do not release the refrigerant lines if only the bracket is being removed; tie the compressor to the body.
- Clean the contact surfaces on compressor and holder thoroughly before refitting.
- Seat the dowel sleeves properly; misalignment with the engine destroys the compressor in operation.
- Follow the commissioning notes for the air conditioning system after the compressor is back on.
- Refit the poly V-belt with the correct routing before starting the engine.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Observe safety precautions Safety precautions when handling refrigerants.
- Comply with notes Working on refrigerant circuit.
- Remove noise insulation under engine General body repairs, exterior66Noise insulation; Assembly overview - noise insulation.
- Remove poly V-belt 13Cylinder block (pulley end); Removing and installing poly V-belt.
- Disconnect connector (6) on air conditioner compressor (1).
- Unscrew hexagon bolts (5) and remove air conditioner compressor (1). [Note: If only ancillary bracket is to be removed, refrigerant lines on AC compressor must not be released.]
- Secure air conditioner compressor to body with suitable material (e.g. welding wire).
- Thoroughly clean the contact surfaces at the air conditioner compressor and holder.
- Insert dowel sleeves (arrows) into air conditioner compressor. [Note: Ensure that dowel sleeves are properly seated and that contact surfaces are clean. Improperly fitted dowel sleeves or dirty or damaged contact surfaces can cause deviations in alignment of air conditioner compressor and engine. In the course of operation, misalignment will result in damage to the air conditioner compressor.]
- Refer to notes on commissioning of air conditioning system after installation of air conditioner compressor Air conditioning system - with refrigerant R134a.
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
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The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.