01 S80 a/c cuts out with soft acceleration periodically

[midimykeys]

While searching for a bread clip tutorial, I found this write-up, and there are no bread clips involved. Giving it a shot tomorrow, wish me luck!

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread ... oner/page3

[midimykeys]

Tutorial above fixed the problem! Be sure to use a lot of superglue for the clips. I had to hit the clutch with a broom handle after letting it dry 24 hours. It kicked right on, and has been working like a charm ever since!

[highbrookroad]

2001 s80 T6- I just did a variant of the bread clip trick to fix mine. Symptoms were the same. AC worked fine in the morning, but when the car warmed up, it stopped. I had a problem getting any "shims" to stay under the rounded bands on the outer edge of the clutch plate. So, I cut up thin strips of plumbers strapping. I sanded them as thin as needed for my excessive gap issue. Then, I placed one under each rounded band. To make them stay, I wrapped each one up and around the front of the band. It's not pretty, but they work like a charm! Air stays nice and cold all day. BTW, my old gap was .6mm when I started. Now it's .15mm.

On a related note, I was thrown off by one factor of this failure that distracted me from the true cause of the problem. When the clutch tries to pull the plate in and fails, I think the AC computer freaks out over the fact that freon is not flowing, temps are not changing, pressures are not changing and/or combinations there of. It then shuts the compressor clutch cycling off to "save the system" from harm. That is why you have to turn the system off, wait 5-10 minutes, then turn it back on to get it cycling again. I may be off base, but as someone with electrical engineering background and been working on my own cars for 25 years, it makes sense. I was initially caught in a trap believing there was a pressure or temp issue with the freon charge or internal pressures. I ignored simple things like this since most AC failures I have dealt with in my life were more serious.

I'm very grateful to communities like this for helping me by sharing knowledge like this. I wanted to give back today so others might benefit as well.

My S80 T6 now has 223k miles on it. Just put its second timing belt on. It starts right up on the coldest NH mornings. Looking forward to 300k. Volvo for life, right?

[midimykeys]

Glad to hear! After the e-clip fix 20 days ago, my a/c has been as good as it's ever been. Today it was 98 and humid, and couldn't tell in the cabin! For anyone using the e-clip method (which I recommend because the bread clips are obviously made of plastic, and things get really hot in the engine, perhaps melting them over time), take note of 4 things: (1) The clutch spins clockwise. Insert the e-clips so the centrifugal force will not cause them to fly out. Initially, I thought to have the clip facing out from the center of the clutch plate, but ended up turning each clip 90 degrees counter-clockwise from the center, to give them the best odds for success. (2) Use an ample amount of superglue when placing the e-clips on the clutch plate. The plate is the main surface the clips will adhere to. It will not hurt to give the side that touches the rubber stops some, also. (3) Wait 24 hours before turning the a/c on to give the superglue enough time to completely dry. The clutch does not spin when the engine is on and the a/c is off, but I wouldn't even drive the car very far if you can help it. (4) When you turn on the a/c for the first time after the 24 hr. drying period, have the hood already open and a broom nearby. Immediately look to see if the clutch is spinning. If it isn't (which mine was not, most likely because the superglue got where it shouldn't have), then poke the clutch plate with the broom handle, and it should instantly start spinning.

I hope this bonding experience yields long-lasting results *cough* yes! Volvo for life..