I've had my 2000 coupe for almost 3 years now and know it's showing it's first major problem and worst I'm pretty sure it's my own fault!

Figure I'd ask here first before sending it into a shop.

First I'd like to start out by saying I read on the forum a few years back on how to clean your engine bay and a few members suggested using Simple Green, well I did this three times before more members warned me NOT TOO!!

Well it was too late, because about around Feburary my belts started squealing like CRAZY for the first 15 minutes after startup. Well I had the belts changed and it went away, but two weeks later it came back!

I stopped driving it and kept driving my DD for the past few months, well this month it was really nice so I drove it around. The squeal was still there but would go away after the car warmed up.

Now I never use my AC because I keep my windows or take the top off.

Well last week it was in 100's with high humidity so I turned on the AC. But all I hear is this low buzzing noise and the vents barely blow out cold air even if I set the AC to the coldest setting.

Also when I go around a corner faster then 5MPH I hear this "grinding" noise as if the the AC stops working, along with that the Vents stop blowing and I hear a "hissing" noise. Only when the car is straight does it act normally.

Then there's the atrocious gas mileage. Now I know that turning on the AC uses a lot more gas then normal. But now I only drove barely 20 miles (only to work) and it ate up a 1/4 of my tank of gas!!! Drove home and I was closing in on empty! That's 9 gals of gas for 40 miles!

I haven't driven it since. I'm thinking of pulling it apart and regreasing the AC unit because doing a forum search I found that people have had squeeking Idler pulleys and AC pulleys.

However if you have any leads on where to look for problem areas or suggestions for this before I start taking stuff apart it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

It sounds like you might have a seized pulley or compressor.

I would start up car turn on the air and observe the compressor and belts to see what is causing the problem.

 

This doesn't account for the gas mileage symptom, but no air and a strange noise during cornering are consistent with a plugged condensation drain. Water backs up and affects the blower underneath the passenger dash. Check the passenger floor for dampness. Do a search for posts that talk about unplugging the drain.

 

Did this a few months ago, at the time didn't see any problems. But will do again tommorow when I start this project.

 

Thanks! Every little clue helps.

 

bad idler pulley?

 

Sounds like your HVAC Vent Fan Motor has become seized due to excess water inside the HVAC Air Box. If i were you I would line the passengers foot well with plastic (yes cover all those expensive electronics with plastic), remove the HVAC fan motor and see if it is free to turn. If the drain is clogged,,,,your GOING to get water that is going to spill out.

If you getting cool air (any at all) out of your vents, your AC compressor is probably working some what. You can still check to see if the compressor is operating by observing the "CENTER SECTION" of the AC compressor pulley. If it is spinning "WITH" the outside of the compressor pulley when the AC is ON, the compressor is functioning and pumping freon. If it cycling ON & OFF, it LOW on freon.

Pull the fan and see if it is free to spin. Its common for them to get bouned up cause of excessive water/moisture in the duct. I normaly just use some penatrating oil to free it up and them some light machine oil to lube it up!

BC

 

Your compressor is probably going bad. I had the same syptoms, no cool air, noisy unit. Make a visual inpection to see if the AC clutch is engaging when you turn the ac on. My unit had to be replaced and it solved the problem. I have a C-5 2000 with over 150K.

 

Recommend starting with the simple low cost OR free stuff first!! After that is corrected, we can delve onto the problems a little further!


BC

 

Thanks a lot bill, You know so much about these C5's.
I saw your little tutuorial on how to fix the drain lines, but how do I access the HVAC air box? Is it in the center console? Do I have to take that apart to see it it?

 

The fan is in the passengers foot well.



LOOK straight up. The fan can be seen in the picture above. This is what it looks like from below:



BC

 

WOW. Bill you need to setup like a paypal account or something so we can donate too.

I'm at the hospital cause my dad had a *near* heart attack so when he's back on his feet me and him will rip the car apart.

Thanks Bill.

PS: You helped me with the grounding issue a few months back, Thanks again for that.