Hi all, while hooking up my fithwheel to take the family on vacation this past weekend, the belt started squeling, I opened the hood and seen it was coming from the compressor. I quickly shut the climate control off and it stopped. I continued on my trip, but im puzzled as what I can do.. I hope its somthing simple and not a bad compressor.. Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks Bill

 

If the compressor locked up you will need a new one including a dryer and orifice tube. The system more than likely should be flushed out to protect the new compnents.

 

I wonder if it could just be the clutch?? I know wishfull thinking.. I here this is really expensive if in fact it is the compressor..

 

Does it make an noise when it is not engaged? Can you turn the hub of the compressor? It could be a worn clutch slipping when under running pressures of the ac system. You can also try engaging the ac with the koeo and see if you can turn the hub, it should be locked on to the belt. Have you had the ac system open where you may have lost some oil out of the system? I was always told to add an ounce of oil for every lb of feon lost.

 

I have not tried to turn the hub, but once I turned off the climate control, there was no more noise, I was afraid to try and turn it on again, and fry my belt.. It was opened up back in early 2012, but dryer and freon was replaced, it has ran fine since.. The truck has set up in the garage for a few months, it mostly gets driven when I pull my camper. Dont know if this helps or not??

 

It may be on its way out, a friend was traveling back to florida from New Jersey, his... according to him made some burning rubber smells and the a/c quit, once he parked it in front of my house and shut it off ,it would not restart. After his story about the a/c quitting I told him to pull the serpentine and if it starts call a tow truck and replace the compressor. LO and behold it started right away. It is a strange sound when it locks that motor from starting. a mix between a hydrolock sound and dead batteries. Starter could not overcome it.

 

Wow, see my truck was already running, so I guess it kicked on while sitting there idling. So I didnt observe it while trying to start it.. Just puzzles me why it would go out so soon, the truck only has around 106,000 on it.. I was really hoping for something simple..

 

It did have the burning rubber smell though from the belt.. If that helps..

 

Does anyone have any idea to how much this may cost to get repaired, if it turns out to be the compressor?

 

if i would have to guess I would say 800.00 to 1200.00 depending on the shop and if you replace your condenser or not. if your comp came apart I would replace the condenser its only a few hundred dollars more..

 

Condensers can be flushed as the whole system will be if it grenaded. You didn't recommend the evaporator be replaced so why the condenser?

 

i've heard conflcting stories on if the condenser can be flushed. heard some say the holes are very small in these condensers they are not like the older condensers so they are very hard to flush. then i've heard some say they can be. i myself replaced my ac comp last year bc of the drier problems these trucks had. it cloged my orfice tube so i replaced

new ac comp(not rebuilt)
orfice tube
drier
new condenser didnt want to chance the flushing of it.
like i said i have no proof if they can be or not but they range from 100.00 to 200.00 for a motorcraft one i didnt want to chance not getting the condenser cleaned over a few hundred dollars.
i havent heard this problem with the evap just the condenser..

there is a TSB on the drier problem these trucks had if anybody wants it let me know and i'll post the number..

 

I'm not criticizing your decision but it does appear that the op is a bit strapped for cash the way he was talking.

 

if you take it to a shop they should make sure its clean if not they should stand behind it. or if you di it yourself you can clean the heck out of it and see if there is anything coming out with your own eyes.thats the tough thing about taking to a shop you dont know how could of a job the guy has done..

if you can do it yourself thats what i prefer to do but i am also in the repair business so its no big deal for me..

69cj you have any pics of that mach I?

 

I have pics of the complete restoration that I did. I'm also the original owner. I have tried to post and this forum for some reason has a failure to upload them.