The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is a small SUV that uses both gas and electricity to run, which helps it save on fuel. It's good for driving in different conditions, like on city streets or rough terrain.
The air conditioning compressor bearing is a small part that helps the car's air conditioning system work. If it gets damaged, it can make loud noises and stop the AC from working properly.
Car
Subaru Hybrid
The Subaru Hybrid is a type of car that uses both gasoline and electricity to run. It's not very common, especially in the U.S., and is designed to be more fuel-efficient than regular cars.
A mild hybrid is a type of car that has a small battery to help the engine use less fuel, but it can't run on electricity alone like a full hybrid can.
The Toyota Prius is one of the first popular hybrid cars. It uses both gas and electricity to run, which helps it save fuel and is better for the environment.
Refrigerant is a special fluid used in air conditioning systems to help cool the air inside the car. If it leaks out, the air conditioning won't work properly.
An oil filter is a part of the car that cleans the oil that keeps the engine running. If it gets dirty or broken, it can cause problems for the engine.
The tensioner system keeps the belt tight so that parts like the alternator can work properly. If the belt is too loose, it can cause problems with the car's electrical system.
A pulley is a round part that helps move a belt around in the car. It helps connect different parts so they can work together, like the engine and the alternator.
Pollock Automotive is a car repair shop in Vancouver, Canada. They help fix and maintain different types of cars, especially Subarus.
LIVE
Hi, it's Mark.
I'm here with Bernie Pollock, Pollock Automotive in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Vancouver's best
auto service experience.
And we're talking cars.
How are you today, Bernie?
Doing very well.
So today's guest is a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.
What was going on with this vehicle?
So the owner of this vehicle came to us with a noise coming from under the hood while the
engine was running.
So we had a look at it, road tested it, confirmed there's a loud noise, did some diagnostics
and found the air conditioning compressor bearing was basically fried.
So Subaru Hybrid, this is not a very common car?
No, it's not.
It's an American car, probably made for the California market.
We've actually serviced this car a few times.
It's a strange vehicle.
It's not a full hybrid.
It's what's called a mild hybrid.
It just has a small battery under the hood.
Just kind of assists, probably improves the fuel mileage by two to five percent, you know,
to me, kind of a useless hybrid.
But nonetheless, this is what it has.
And so it makes the compressor a little bit more of an issue.
The compressor is unique to this vehicle.
The vehicle runs a wider belt.
We'll look at pictures in a minute, but it runs a wider serpentine belt and the alternator
is a starting assistant motor as well as an alternator to charge the battery.
So it has a very robust pulley system on the front of the engine.
OK, well, let's go to some pictures here.
2014.
So this would have been fairly early in the cycle of hybrids or mid-range?
Yeah, I mean, Prius has been around since, what, like 2000?
So it's, yeah, I'd still call it early.
Yeah.
Yeah, they're changing quite a bit recently.
Yeah, they don't make any kind of half-assed hybrids like this anymore.
So here's a view under the hood from before we changed the compressor.
So the red arrow points to the AC compressor.
That yellow arrow is pointing to one of the air conditioning fittings.
And we'll have a closer look at it.
But you can see a bit of darkness around it.
That fitting was actually leaking a bit of refrigerant, which is actually common
on a lot of Subaru's for that high-side fitting to leak air conditioning or refrigerant.
Doesn't happen on all models, but it does on some.
And that leak would be, what would be the result of that leak ultimately?
Eventually, the air conditioning stops working because there's no refrigerant in the system.
And probably not good environmentally?
No, it's not good to leak refrigerant.
Definitely not.
You can see this picture is more of a close-up.
You can see that fitting on the right side.
There's a bit of greenness there.
That's a bit of UV dye that's in the air conditioning oil that's kind of seeped out.
And this is the real big failure item?
This is a failure item, yeah.
Pictures don't quite convey it.
This is sort of a backside view of the bear.
And we can't really see it so much here, but you can see like bits of the bearing or seal
coming out the backside behind the belt.
And there's a view of the oil filter.
And you can see sort of a black line going up that white cylindrical device.
So that's the oil filter.
That's metallic material that's been sprayed out from the back of the bearing.
Not a good sign.
Not a good sign.
No, definitely not.
And here we have the old compressor and the new one on the right hand side.
What sort of kilometer is your mileage to this vehicle have?
I think it was 166,000 miles.
So it's got a fair bit of usage.
And this part looks like it's had some use.
Yeah, it's been in there a long time.
So in all fairness, you know, it's a good honest amount of wear.
This photo here, this shows the new compressor installed and the yellow arrows
are pointing to this interesting tensioner system on the alternator.
It's got a very large, unique alternator and this tensioning system
has actually two pulleys that are squeezed together around the belt.
You can't see the lower pulley, but the amount of tension on this spring is insane.
It holds this belt in place.
So this is the spring here.
That is the spring right there. Yeah.
What kind of spring is this?
It's just a big band of steel and it's under an immense amount of pressure.
It holds the belt tight.
So to remove and replace this compressor is quite an ordeal because of that tensioner.
But nonetheless, we completed the job and the noises were gone.
The air conditioning system blew cold and everyone's happy.
Another happy customer.
Is this condensation inside the car or outside?
It's outside.
That's an early morning shot.
It's Vancouver, November, it's winter, no snow, but I guess I was alluding
to sometimes you have coached us to turn the air conditioning on in the winter
when the windows are all fogged up because the filter will remove
that extra excess precipitation from the inside of the car.
Yeah, you know, air conditioning is actually very functional in the wintertime
because it dries the air and so it'll defrost your windows very quickly.
And sometimes in a damp climate without air conditioning,
your windows don't even defrost properly.
It's not as critical as it is when it's cooking hot in the summertime,
but it is good to have it in the wintertime.
So once all the repairs were done and there were some challenges
with that heavily tensioned spring, how did the vehicle run?
Yeah, it was good.
Excellent.
Another happy customer.
So if you're looking for service for your Subaru, the people to see the experts
are at Pollock Automotive in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
You can reach them online and book right there, PollockAutomotive.com,
or you can call them at 604-327-7112 to book your appointment.
You have to book ahead.
They're always busy.
Pollock Automotive in Vancouver.
Thanks so much for watching and listening.
Thanks, Bernie.
Thank you, Mark.
Thanks for watching.
About this episode
Mark and Bernie discuss the challenges faced while servicing a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, focusing on a noisy air conditioning compressor. They delve into the unique aspects of this mild hybrid, including its specialized compressor and serpentine belt system. The conversation highlights common issues with Subaru's AC fittings and the environmental impact of refrigerant leaks. After a detailed repair process involving a robust tensioning system, the vehicle is restored to optimal performance, leaving the owner satisfied. Insights into hybrid technology and maintenance tips are also shared.
