Car AC Compressor Question..
 

Wife's SUV was blowing cold air this morning and won't blow anything but hot air now. I threw an AC recharge can on but noticed even with the compressor clutch engaged, the pressure is still in the red. I would expect it to drop once the clutch engages.

Am I looking at a bad compressor even though the clutch is engaging?

Weird part is even with the AC off and the temp set at 70 or so, it feels like I am just getting hot air. Thought maybe the door thing that's supposed to change was not working but the pressure issue makes me think it's the compressor.

Any ideas or insight is appreciated.

I'm sorry, your car has the AIDS

ROFL

Thank you, Captain Obvious...lol

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

<iframe width="733" height="348" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TwyE3WJ4AWo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

happened to me awhile back

your compressor is ****ed

If it went from blowing really cold air to hot air right away, and the vehicle hasn't been in an accident or hit an owl or anything, it's more likely that the compressor went out. Or an electrical failure. Probably compressor. Redline pressure, maybe it's just plugged up...

Can you hear the compressor kick in at all when it's running? Or is it not engaging at all?

If it's the compressor and from what you said that would me my guess, grab your wallet and prepare for the beating.

I can hear it. I see the clutch engage as well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Extended warranty ftw

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Did you happen to see if the pressure changed any when the compressor engaged? If it didn't, it's probably plugged or failed. According to my unfortunate experience at least. I'm far from a mechanic, but have dealt with these exact symptoms..

Yeah it doesn't change at all.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Well that's all good unless they try to break out the fine print where it's not really covered. Hope it works out.

Says cooling system is covered. But I know what you mean the ****ing thing was just in the shop for over a week getting the panoramic roof replaced and they made sure to tell me glass is not covered

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Did you try beating it profusely with a ball peen hammer?

You really need to get a set of manifold gauges hooked to it. those little gauges that come on a can are not accurate and are often very wrong. you really need to be able to see both the high side and low side to diagnose.

Is the condenser cold to the touch or hot?

It’s an SUV, sometime the rear controls can affect how the front blows cool air.

I have a 2001 Yukon XL for an employee. If the rear controls are off it won’t blow cool air. There is a connection behind the rear right plastic panel when dirty will stop the rear from blowing air.

Might want to read that again. Cooling system generally refers to the engine cooling system, water pump, radiator. An a/c compressor would fall under the heating/ac system.

Depends on the warranty company on how they word it.

checked the rear controls....didn't touch the condenser but the lines are hot

:facepalm:

I’m sorry, I meant to say “accumulator” instead of condenser. LMAO

I don't know what that is.....

I double checked....it says cooling system and air conditioning so yeah, cooling system is not AC but AC seems to be covered.

So I got down and looked at the compressor while it was running..the outside is rotating fine but the front has a bunch of tar looking stuff around the edge and the middle part is barely turning at all. Not sure if that's normal or not but it doesn't look normal....

Should be mounted near the firewall and it’s the size of a jar of spaghetti sauce or large beer can with several lines going in and out.

Here is a pic of a Yukon accumulator.

https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/KI...300.jpg.cf.jpg

The AC accumulator is a metal canister that acts as a filter for the AC system. It is filled with desiccant, a moisture absorbing material.

Of course Sauto is out tonight. Dude would have had it pegged in one post while I fumble around all over the place.

Heh, yeah he was here earlier but he's not on right now.

Okay yeah, it's all hot. All the lines are hot. And when you look at the compressor head on, the inside is barely spinning even though the outside is cranking away.

The part that really stumps me is when I have it on just vent it blows just hot air. You'd think the cooler air from outside would be more of what I feel with the thermostat set at 68 or so.

If it keeps giving you trouble, you can always break out the tannerite.

https://i.imgur.com/gvz6uyu.gif?noredirect

By no means am I anywhere near as knowledgeable as a lot of guys here, but a hot accumulator means you need to charge the system, flush the system, or lastly change the compressor.

Good news is that it’s fairly simple to change, at least it is on the vehicles I have done (90 Chevy pickup, 94 suburban, 01 Yukon), but you will need some wrench turning experience to pull it off.

Wait for someone who really knows though. I am willing to give my own gear a go, but I don’t want to waste someone else’s time and money.

I thought it might need a charge but to go from fine to not fine in less than an afternoon? Unless I have a big leak somewhere. Plus I know on my Camaro when it did lose charge, the compressor wouldn't even engage until I charged it up.

Sounds like you have lost a control to the servo motor that opens the damper that allows air across the evaporator coil as well as the fresh air. It also sounds like you have a blockage with the flow of freon.

That's what I was wondering. That happened in my old Maxima. In fact the entire ac system from servo to compressor all shot craps on that one. The dealer just replaced the radio in this so I don't know how that all works but I wonder if that had something to do with it since they had the console torn apart? It did work for a few days after we got it back but.....

Smart. I’m $1500 poorer this week. Had to replace the compressor and condenser in my Navigator last Friday.

Have you turned it to heat to see if the air coming out of the vents change temp? then cycle it back to cool, listen for compressor to click on and air cool off? You can also usually hear the blend door actuator engage. also while your at it make sure the air is coming through the appropriate vents and not partially between different outlets such as vents and partially floor or defrost.

If it's covered, why are you messing around with it? Just take it in.
Posted via Mobile Device

Yep, tried all that...can't really hear the door though

this tells us all we need to know.


the clutch is fried.


what do you drive?

2013 Ford Explorer. Just had a bunch of work done and one thing they did was replace the radio. So I was just curious if they ****ed up something there since that's where all the climate controls and such are as well.

I bet Mahomes can fix it but he's busy tonight.

sounds to me like the clutch melted. it should be turning the same speed as the pulley when engaged.

This. Clutch is fried so essentially compressor never engages. My AC guy was able to get just a clutch for our semi but I’d bet you’re getting a new compressor.

Be sure to ask though. It’s way cheaper and they don’t have to Vacuum the system.

That's sort of what I thought. Well, it goes in tomorrow. Thanks for the insight.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That’s why Sauto is awesome. Dumb****s like me only gum up the works.

Had the oil changed this morning. The guy sitting next to me had his compressor go out. Bearings/whining To the point that if he drove it too much, it may seize up and blow the belt.

My first thought was "Pete?"

you can sometimes shim the clutch on a ford and get some more life. I shimmed the clutch in one of my trucks about 3 years ago and have had no more trouble. On another, I had to order in a new clutch and shimmed it until the new clutch came in and got it put on. Its just one bolt to remove, in the center of the clutch, then pull the clutch out and you might see where its been rubbing on the back side. A thin washer or shim might create the clearance to where the clutch can rotate freely , and get you by until they can get it in to repair it or you can repair yourself.

the tar around the edges is where the clutch and winding insulation has melted.

compressor is most likely starting to lock up, which is usually the root issue at that point
.

CP at it's finest. :clap:

ouch.

seems high

here's a tip. make that warranty company pay for the complete kit. if they want to only install a compressor , most likely, and they absolutely refuse to pay to install the drier and expansion valve/ otube and possibly the condenser also, then bite the bullet and pay for that stuff yourself. it will make it cooler and last longer. the warranty company usually tries to save that money and then they won't cover it again for at least a year, and the shop won't want to warranty it either because the parts store usually won't cover it unless you show everything being replaced.

I've dealt with this coming to me from another shop in the past.

Not as busy as his punter.

Sorry about the Cooling problems, ours had a leak back to the rear in our old Durango.

The front would blow cold until the leak drained the fridgerant and then I had to keep pumping more in. WHen we bought the new Durango we got the extended warranty for this reason. As well as the issues we had with the transfer case and prop shaft on the old one.

Good luck to you.

So they told me the compressor is shot. Also they found a small oil leak under the "timing cover??" ...so since I have the extended warranty I am having them fix it all as long as it is all covered. My warranty says it doesn't cover coolant charging but I am wondering if they will since they have to replace the compressor and it's part of that process???

Oh well, $300 at least for all of it if not more.

Okay, I will talk with them and see what they say.

they wont cover any fluids most times, tax and diagnostics either...