Bypass AC Compressor 1996 E300 OM606?
 

I'm on the road in super hot Texas (Austin for now), and I need to bypass the AC compressor due to it making a bunch of noise (pulley spins notchy by hand).

Does anybody happen to know the correct belt length for making this happen?

I found someone suggesting cutting the belt and overlapping the ends to get an idea of how much shorter it should be. It would be nice if I didn't have to destroy the brand new belt I just put on it, though.

Thanks!

Looks like I can't do it without removing the compressor or the clutch. The back side of the belt rubs the compressor pulley.

I feel for you being in Austin without a working a/c.

Yep, it's fried eggs on asphalt kind of hot here. It was something like 110 today. Might as well be Phoenix but with some humidity.

I gave up and and am taking the car to a shop tomorrow to have them replace the compressor for me before going home. I should have the car back by Monday or Tuesday. It wasn't easy finding a shop that will work on 1990s cars. I found two:

- Ben's Workshop
- TCM Werkshop

Ben's got the job because they were super helpful and called to confirm they could fit me in before TCM did, but those guys were really nice, too. Both were willing to juggle existing schedules to fit me in and get me rolling again.

I’ve used Ben’s on a number of occasions over the years. They aren’t cheap but they are knowledgeable and they do solid work. They should take care of you. My 300SD was maintained exclusively by them for over 20 years before I purchased the car.

For those who might stumble across this thread in the future, JP’s Mercedes in Austin also works on the older cars and is a good mechanic. It’s a two man shop with a lot of work usually so he’s often not fast, however.

Good luck!

Good to know. Barry at Ben's was kind and helpful. Thanks a bunch for chiming in.

I was in El Paso last week and saw 112dF indicated on the dash.