[USSForester(DDG-07)]

Gang,

Can you help me troubleshoot? I live in Italy with an FPO address and it takes a while for parts to ship here from the US. I want to make sure I'm ordering the right part rather than wait for the part to arrive and find out I'm wrong.

I'm pretty sure the AC compressor clutch has failed. It's making a terrible clicking noise when the AC is on. It's silent when it's off. When it's on, I can disconnect the electrical connector just behind the pulley and it goes silent again. I swapped the AC relay with the fan relay in the fuse box with no change.

I had the compressor replaced at 90,000 miles, which was four years ago. I'm pretty sure I don't need to replace the whole compressor and clutch assembly so I'm just trying to order the clutch.

Is there anything else I should try to re-assure myself that I only need the clutch?

Thank you.

 

[dave5358]

Replace the whole compressor. I know there are forum members who like to mess with A/C clutches, but it's simpler (and probably cheaper) just to get a whole rebuilt compressor and call it a day.

The noise you describe is most likely something inside the compressor (like a piston turned side-ways or a sucked valve). All the clutch does is engage and disengage. Bad clutches don't really make noise, so much as they just don't grab.

 

[USSForester(DDG-07)]

Replace the whole compressor. I know there are forum members who like to mess with A/C clutches, but it's simpler (and probably cheaper) just to get a whole rebuilt compressor and call it a day.

The noise you describe is most likely something inside the compressor (like a piston turned side-ways or a sucked valve). All the clutch does is engage and disengage. Bad clutches don't really make noise, so much as they just don't grab.

Thank you for the recommendation, dave5358. I've decided I will take the car to the Autoport on base and let them deal with it. I can do a clutch but not the whole compressor. The ac is the one major problem that keeps recurring on this car but at least it's winter and the ac is not vital right now. I was hoping not to have to drop a whole bunch of money on this car again but it's got to be done before it starts getting hot again.