A/C Compressor

danongentry · Apr 23, 2008

Got a minor problem. When I turn the A/C on in my 98 GT it blows cold for about 3 minutes then it starts putting out a smell like burning oil and it seems to blow like only the vent is on. Any ideas? I'm thinking it's the compressor, but I really don't know. I don't even know where the compressor is located under hood. Any help would be appreciated.

blackink00 · Apr 23, 2008

sounds like the evap is freezing up. does the compressor kick on and off or does it just continure to stay on? you can hear it clicking on and off with the motor running

COramprat · Apr 24, 2008

The compressor is on the right side (looking forward) near the bottom front of the engine. Turn on the AC and see how it is cycling. If it is running and stopping quickly then you probably have low refrigerant.

bhuff30 · Apr 24, 2008

Does it smell anything like a hot clutch or brakes? There is a clutch on the comperssor. It is possible this clutch is slipping and after 3 minutes, has enough heat to start smelling bad.

danongentry · Apr 24, 2008

New update on A/C Problem

Alright, so I took a look at things today. The pulley on the compressor works for a little bit but then acts like it's stuck. I know there's a clutch on it, I was wondering what would make it freeze. Low refrigerant, bad clutch (if so, can it be replaced without replacing the compressor), or bad compressor?

blackink00 · Apr 25, 2008

no thats how it normally works. it should kick on and off every so often. my best advice is take it into a ac shop and have then diagnos it. ac is one of those things where you gotta know what your doing.

the98stang · Apr 25, 2008

You could try shorting the AC switch with a paper clip for a few seconds. If the air gets cold you found the prob...

blackink00 · Apr 25, 2008

the98stang said:
You could try shorting the AC switch with a paper clip for a few seconds. If the air gets cold you found the prob...

he already said the compressor is turning so that mean the switch is working.

bhuff30 · Apr 25, 2008

I would say either the system is low on pressure or the clutch is slipping. If the system is low on pressure, the compressor will turn on, then cycle on and off. Because you are stating there is a smell, I'd say it is probably the compressor clutch.

I've never replace a compressor clutch on a 4.6 before, so I couldn't tell you how in depth of a job it is. You should be able to access it without taking the compressor off, but there may be one or more specialty tools for the job. What's more, you may have to set the correct air gap, so the clutch doesn't drag and engages firmly when it is suppose to. If you don't feel comfortable with these after reading your services books, then you might want to have someone else do the work.

danongentry said:
Alright, so I took a look at things today. The pulley on the compressor works for a little bit but then acts like it's stuck. I know there's a clutch on it, I was wondering what would make it freeze. Low refrigerant, bad clutch (if so, can it be replaced without replacing the compressor), or bad compressor?

danongentry · Apr 25, 2008

hopefully fixed

Alright, so I put a couple of cans o' R-134 in until it got to where the guage said it should be. It's blowing nice and cold with no skanky smells or sounds, so HOPEFULLY it's fixed . Thanks for all of your help.

Spro · Apr 25, 2008

Good thing its working now without an expensive fix but you do have a leak somewhere in the system. Refrigerant is only lost cause of a leak. You need to find the leak and fix it. Good luck.

rabidscoobie · Apr 26, 2008

Spro said:
Good thing its working now without an expensive fix but you do have a leak somewhere in the system. Refrigerant is only lost cause of a leak. You need to find the leak and fix it. Good luck.

You mean that it doesnt just get used up in time?

blackink00 · Apr 26, 2008

rabidscoobie said:
You mean that it doesnt just get used up in time?

nope it shouldnt cause everything is a seal system.

COramprat · Apr 26, 2008

Over time the seals will break down causing slow leaks. May last over the summer, may leak in a day. My Expedition has a leak but it stays fine for a year or so before I need a recharge. Right now spending 10 bucks on a can of R134 is cheaper than 800 fixing a leak. You also luck out with some of the leak sealers out there that can condition a bad seal. If yours leaks down quickly then you may want to use some leak detector to see where it is coming from. My bet is since you smell it inside the car it is behind the dash in the dryer, or in the evaporator or condenser.

Also, if you added r134 and it is holding you will want to add an appropriate oil to the system. R134 doesn't have an oil base like the old R12 did and you have to add it separately. It comes in a smaller can but adds the same way as refrigerant.

danongentry · Apr 26, 2008

So far

So far so good, still blowing cold. Hopefully it's a sloooooooooow leak.

A/C Compressor

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blackink00

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