I have a 1996 VW Jetta. Today I turned on my car and found it was really loud and rattles. You can slightly feel it virbrating. Sometimes it would be loud for a while, and sometimes it would go on and off (it might be when I push on the gas, it gets loud, but I cannot confirm that). The noise goes away if I turn the A/C off. The car still gets cold very well. I lifted the hood and when the ac is running, one of the hoses is really "wiggling" if you will and when I turn the ac off, the noise completely goes away and so does the vibrating. Please Help!!

Thank you in advance for any help!!
JEN

There is a good chance the problem may be minor at the moment. Take it to an A/C shop where they do a free inspection and have your freon pressure checked. The following possibilities pop up from your symptoms:
1. Over pressurized
2. Low A/C system oil (would require an oz or so charge)
3. Worst scenerio: compressor is going out
4. Mounting bolts are loose
5. A/C drive belt is worn out

As Doug replied, it could be something minor such as a worn or loose belt, or mounting fasteners. If the compressor is bad and it is made by Hitachi, it may be a dealer only item. (expensive) It would be best to have it looked at by a pro.

If you buy a compressor on line, expect to pay at least $300.