Air Compressor or Clutch???
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Air Compressor or Clutch???
Kinda Long
How do you know whichnone is going out. this I what i have going on. For a week or so I have had a squeeling like a a puly bearing going out. It wil start up and then stop after a few minutes, Welll yesterday I go to the store and smell rubber buring, I pop the hood and see that the Compress/Clutch is moving real slow while the motor is running. I drive home a couple blocks and call a mechanic, He tells me to disconect the Air and see what happens, well nothing happens the same thing Puley barely turning. So I turn the AC on and the clutch engages and turnes the AC like it should the Squeeling stops. So I drive the the arage and he tells me I t could be either, So he tels me to get a smaller belt and re route the belt by passing the Compressor, There is a Diagram under the hood. I do that and the belt is o long, Maybee streth ???? , I got o the Ford dealer and they sauid thereis onlyone belt and you should be able to rerouts and to get a belt 2 inches smaller, Unknow to them which belt, Any suggestions for Diagonising problem of Clutch Compressor and belt issues
How do you know whichnone is going out. this I what i have going on. For a week or so I have had a squeeling like a a puly bearing going out. It wil start up and then stop after a few minutes, Welll yesterday I go to the store and smell rubber buring, I pop the hood and see that the Compress/Clutch is moving real slow while the motor is running. I drive home a couple blocks and call a mechanic, He tells me to disconect the Air and see what happens, well nothing happens the same thing Puley barely turning. So I turn the AC on and the clutch engages and turnes the AC like it should the Squeeling stops. So I drive the the arage and he tells me I t could be either, So he tels me to get a smaller belt and re route the belt by passing the Compressor, There is a Diagram under the hood. I do that and the belt is o long, Maybee streth ???? , I got o the Ford dealer and they sauid thereis onlyone belt and you should be able to rerouts and to get a belt 2 inches smaller, Unknow to them which belt, Any suggestions for Diagonising problem of Clutch Compressor and belt issues
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Baltimore
The belt spins the pulley which free wheels on the compressor shaft.
On the front of the pulley is the clutch plate. It is attached to the
compressor shaft.
Behind the pulley that free wheels is the clutch coil.
When you turn the AC on, 12 volts is applied to the coil. The coil
pulls the clutch plate against the pulley that free wheels. The compressor now
turns.
Your mechanic is right, you need to determine whether the clutch is bad/slipping
or whether the compressor is locking up/not turning which causes the serpentine
belt to smoke because the compressor is not turning.
With the engine off, you should beable to turn the front part of the clutch. It
will have some resistance because of the refrigerant in the system. If you feel
alot of resistance, the compressor is bad.
If it turns with some resistance the compressor is probably good but the clutch coil probably has shorted out and the smell is coming from the plastic which encases the
coil.
If the coil is bad you can still drive the vehicle, just disconnect the electrical plug that goes to the coil on the compressor so the clutch can't engage.
For some reason the price of a coil is almost as much as the cost of the compressor and coil together.
On the front of the pulley is the clutch plate. It is attached to the
compressor shaft.
Behind the pulley that free wheels is the clutch coil.
When you turn the AC on, 12 volts is applied to the coil. The coil
pulls the clutch plate against the pulley that free wheels. The compressor now
turns.
Your mechanic is right, you need to determine whether the clutch is bad/slipping
or whether the compressor is locking up/not turning which causes the serpentine
belt to smoke because the compressor is not turning.
With the engine off, you should beable to turn the front part of the clutch. It
will have some resistance because of the refrigerant in the system. If you feel
alot of resistance, the compressor is bad.
If it turns with some resistance the compressor is probably good but the clutch coil probably has shorted out and the smell is coming from the plastic which encases the
coil.
If the coil is bad you can still drive the vehicle, just disconnect the electrical plug that goes to the coil on the compressor so the clutch can't engage.
For some reason the price of a coil is almost as much as the cost of the compressor and coil together.
Last edited by F150xlt; Mar 16, 2007 at 12:42 AM.
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Cool. thak you, I will chek in the AM. Also there is a bypass a diagram under the hood for the compressor, there is only one belt for the 96, i tried to re route the belt but it is to long. Any suggestion. onthis bypass deal. I hate to not have air, The truckis in great shape and runs liek new except for this new problem
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,346
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From: Baltimore
I'm not sure why they told you to reroute the belt.
As long as the pulley that free wheels on the compressor shaft spins
freely you can drive the truck. You just don't want the compressor
clutch coil to engage.
If you slip the belt off of the compressor pulley, spin the pulley with
your hand. If it spins free, the pulley and its bearing are ok.
Or with the clutch coil plug disconnected so the AC is disabled start the engine and look at the pulley. If the belt isn't smoking the pulley and bearing are fine.
With the engine off, use your hand (the belt can be on) and spin the clutch plate which is in front of the pulley.
It will have some resistance because of the refrigerant inside the compressor.
If you feel alot of resistance, the compressor is bad which is causing the belt to smoke because the compressor has to much resistance.
If the compressor spins with some resistance it's probably ok and probably
the clutch coil has melted and that's what the smell is.
If the compressor or cluch coil is bad, you need to disable the AC by pulling the two wire plug on the the compressor that goes to the coil wires.
To fix the AC will require replacement of the Compressor which will require a flush of the system, replacement of the drier and recharge. You didn't state what year vehicle you have but many clutch and coil assemblys can be replaced on the vehicle with the proper tools.
Note on some vehicles even if you have the AC off, the compressor will engage in the defrost mode. That's why you need to pull the plug off the clutch coil to make sure the AC doesn't engage until you fix the problem.
As long as the pulley that free wheels on the compressor shaft spins
freely you can drive the truck. You just don't want the compressor
clutch coil to engage.
If you slip the belt off of the compressor pulley, spin the pulley with
your hand. If it spins free, the pulley and its bearing are ok.
Or with the clutch coil plug disconnected so the AC is disabled start the engine and look at the pulley. If the belt isn't smoking the pulley and bearing are fine.
With the engine off, use your hand (the belt can be on) and spin the clutch plate which is in front of the pulley.
It will have some resistance because of the refrigerant inside the compressor.
If you feel alot of resistance, the compressor is bad which is causing the belt to smoke because the compressor has to much resistance.
If the compressor spins with some resistance it's probably ok and probably
the clutch coil has melted and that's what the smell is.
If the compressor or cluch coil is bad, you need to disable the AC by pulling the two wire plug on the the compressor that goes to the coil wires.
To fix the AC will require replacement of the Compressor which will require a flush of the system, replacement of the drier and recharge. You didn't state what year vehicle you have but many clutch and coil assemblys can be replaced on the vehicle with the proper tools.
Note on some vehicles even if you have the AC off, the compressor will engage in the defrost mode. That's why you need to pull the plug off the clutch coil to make sure the AC doesn't engage until you fix the problem.
Last edited by F150xlt; Mar 16, 2007 at 01:34 AM.
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The vehicle is a 96 F150 4.9. H ementioned the reouting so the compressor does not freeze up. The pully did not alwayy turn freely, You could see it turning and hesitating while it turned. Thank you for the info.
