anyone ever seen an AC compressor jam up
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
anyone ever seen an AC compressor jam up
when i switch on my AC the compressor actuates but not long after the belt starts to squeel and the compressor eventually comes to a stop. the engine keeps running but it stops the belt from turning all together which is also the water pump. i cant blame the compressor cause its brand new and i changed over my old compressor thinking the bearing inside it was broken cause it did the same thing. now i am thinking is it something electrical.anyone got any opinions.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 224
Likes: 1
From: SHERMAN TEXAS
maybe you have too much refrigerant? i know when refrigerant cycles through system and warms up it expands. if that was the case it would put extra strain on compressor. the only electrical functions of your compressor is the magnetic engaging of clutch in front of compresser. i dont think any electrical issue would result in locking up compresser.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
From: San Bruno California
Was cruising with the wife down the freeway when I started seeing smoke coming out of the hood. So I pulled over not know what to expect, and notice the A/C belt smoking. Lucky I had a knife, so I cut the belt. The compressor locked up and the motor was still spinning but not the compressor. The mechanic at work saids that it might be electrical, in the console. Haven't used it in 9 months. Tony
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
thanks for the replies . the more info the better cause i like my aircon too much to go without it. i cant say its too much refrigerant cause it happens straight away. it doesnt even get time to warm up for that to happen i dont think but ill keep it in mind .
69 my compressor sounds like your situation a lil bit. so your belt didnt also overlap your water pump by the sounds of it so you were lucky enough to just disconnect the aircon only by the belt? my compressor starts to seize up so bad that i feel it could make the motor stall if i let it keep going. i turn it off before it gets that far . also i think if i was cruising down the hiway my belt would also start to smoke so definatly sounds similar. i can say its not a bearing or mechenical fault as such cause it doesnt have any noise or anythig , .
69 my compressor sounds like your situation a lil bit. so your belt didnt also overlap your water pump by the sounds of it so you were lucky enough to just disconnect the aircon only by the belt? my compressor starts to seize up so bad that i feel it could make the motor stall if i let it keep going. i turn it off before it gets that far . also i think if i was cruising down the hiway my belt would also start to smoke so definatly sounds similar. i can say its not a bearing or mechenical fault as such cause it doesnt have any noise or anythig , .
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,523
Likes: 1
From: grand prairie texas
Hey Shane sorry to hear about your compressor. Like colin75 said if there is too much system pressure in your system it will definately cause your compressor to temporary lock up. But if you have been using it for awhile without adding any more freon then it is probably not overserviced. Why did you change the compressor was it bad? The reason why I asked is if your A/C guy did not flush out the system and replace the orifice tube there could be some left over trash in your system that ruined your new compressor. In my opinion the R-4 compressor that is on our cars arent the best compressors for longevity. I've seen a lot of them shell out in my days.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
If compressor is "permanently" locked-up, you need a new compressor...the parts are seized together--either due to low refrigerant and limited lubrication or just due to long-term wear and finally "giving up the ghost". If it frees back up after being off a while, the electric clutch may be failing or have an electrical problem. Either way, you need to see an experienced HVAC person to resolve your problems.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 340
Likes: 0
From: Warrensburg MO
when i switch on my AC the compressor actuates but not long after the belt starts to squeel and the compressor eventually comes to a stop. the engine keeps running but it stops the belt from turning all together which is also the water pump. i cant blame the compressor cause its brand new and i changed over my old compressor thinking the bearing inside it was broken cause it did the same thing. now i am thinking is it something electrical.anyone got any opinions.
Compressor seizing is not a common problem. It would not be an electrical issue in my opinion. I am assuming you switched to R134, and had the system evacuated and vacuumed down. Did you replace drier and expansion valve? Does the compressor still engage after you let it set, or has it seized up completely? If it is seized, I would say either lack of lubrication, contamination of refrigerant, or liquid refrigerant entering the compressor. If it is not seized, it sounds like liquid refrigerant is entering the compressor which is a no no. It can't compress the liquid. An overcharged system won't cool efficiently, but shouldn't lock up the compressor. There are safety devices in the system to protect the compressor against low pressure/refrigerant, and high pressures also. Just some things to think about. Cheers.
Tommy
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