AC Compressor failure
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,204
Likes: 4
From: Midland Georgia
St. Jude Donor '06
AC Compressor failure
I am working through some AC issues and I started thinking today that I don't really know the exact situation that occurs when an AC compressor fails. So now I am curious as to what actually happens when the compressor goes bad. I am guessing that in the worst case the compressor makes a single nasty noise then seizes and then the belt starts to smoke! I am guessing at this one, so what actually does happens?
Slingshot
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,817
Likes: 24
From: Charlotte NC
The most frequent failure is the seals go bad and all the oil and Freon leaks out. With bad seals the compressor can not maintain a pressurized charge of Freon. You can usually tell if your seals are bad as there are tell-tail splatters of oil on the inside of your hood right above the compressor location.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 509
Likes: 8
From: Livonia Michigan
The most frequent failure is the seals go bad and all the oil and Freon leaks out. With bad seals the compressor can not maintain a pressurized charge of Freon. You can usually tell if your seals are bad as there are tell-tail splatters of oil on the inside of your hood right above the compressor location.
Time for an R134 conversion.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
normal to have 'some' goo on the hood from a/c compressor weep.
most compressor failures are clutch malf.
second most common fail is simple wear internally.
rarely, the 'big bang' does signal hurt time.
need a 'gauge manifold' that displays compressor inlet and discharge pressures and Service Manual temp/humidity/press chart to tell if the compressor is healthy...hf has that for cheap $...get your current local ambient temp and esp humidity values from internet weather unless you own those.
most compressor failures are clutch malf.
second most common fail is simple wear internally.
rarely, the 'big bang' does signal hurt time.
need a 'gauge manifold' that displays compressor inlet and discharge pressures and Service Manual temp/humidity/press chart to tell if the compressor is healthy...hf has that for cheap $...get your current local ambient temp and esp humidity values from internet weather unless you own those.
