My A/C just got worse need help?

turkish6 · 06-02-2007, 09:14 PM

I am horrible at describing problems but I hope I make it clear.

ok so hear we go.

For about a month we have been having A/C problems. It would blow cold air on the highway and just regular air around town. I refilled the gas and it was fixed. about a week after that it started to do the same thing. around the same problem in the mornings when we start the jeep it make a high pitches squeel (hope thats spelled right) and the squeel would get more and more high pitched by the second and after about 4-5 seconds it would stop and everything would be fine. it has been doing this the past few days. everything seems looked and ran fine besides the a/c. tonite we went out to dinner. on the way there the a/c stopped blowing cold air and blew just regular air on the highway which it never did. anyway after dinner we get into the car and I start the truck and it starts to the high pitched sound but this time it did not stop and it started to smoke. I shut her down open the hood. it smells like burning rubber. so as I am watching I have the wife start the jeep. same thing. the main belt isnt spinning. the lower wheel coming from the engine is turning but the belt isn't moving. also i can't turn my steering wheel. my question is..... is my power steering seized, is my a/c seized (cause thats the problem I have been having) or is it something else. Obviously i couldn't drive it home. I will go in the morning in daylight and investigate more. But what should I do.... I need all the help I can get.

edit. the belt is really tight and i can't turn the a/c wheel or the power steering wheel by hand

Atari.fan3000 · 06-02-2007, 09:21 PM

It sounds like you have one (or multiple) bad bearings in your acc.'s or engine block....also how old is the belt and was it over tightened? an overly tight belt will burn out bearings fast.

turkish6 · 06-02-2007, 09:26 PM

the truck is a 2000. i bought it used year and a half ago. as far as service records go it seems as though it has never been changed. i have never gotten it tightened. it has 85000 miles on it. and the engine itself seems to run perfect.

Atari.fan3000 · 06-02-2007, 09:35 PM

well if you had 85k on the clock, it should have probability been replaced a few thousand miles ago. How does the belt look does it have cracks? in it how worn does it look. Any way it sounds like you are going to need a new belt any way. as for checking the bearings I have never had to do that so maybe someone else will chime in and help you with that

turkish6 · 06-02-2007, 09:39 PM

the belt looks good. no cracks etc. how can I loosen the belt? to see if it helps.

TPI Monte SS · 06-02-2007, 10:35 PM

Turn the AC selector to OFF, and then try starting the truck. The smoking and high-pitched squeals mean that the belt was slipping over a locked-up accessory. I'd bet, based on the symptoms you mentioned, that the AC compressor has siezed.

turkish6 · 06-02-2007, 10:59 PM

the a/c was on off. and the belt is not turning at all. the the wheel coming from the engine.

turkish6 · 06-02-2007, 11:14 PM

also. lets say it is the a/c. is it the compressor? is it the fan assembly? is it the condenser. what is actual part that would need replacing.

TPI Monte SS · 06-02-2007, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turkish6

also. lets say it is the a/c. is it the compressor? is it the fan assembly? is it the condenser. what is actual part that would need replacing.

It would be the compressor; that's bolted to the top of engine brackets on the passenger side. If you loosen the tension on the belt and slip it off, you could at least start the truck and drive it onto a flatbed. You really can't run it far, since it the alternator won't charge with the belt disconnected.

scorpio18 · 06-03-2007, 12:08 AM

You could go to a local salvage yard and pick up a used a/c compressor for your jeep, and even if it doesn't work you could still use your car....good luck

http://www.car-part.com/

turkish6 · 06-03-2007, 12:37 AM

i looked at car-part already. i just want to make sure it defiantly is the compressor. how would i loosen the belt enough to get it off the compressor.

Goldenknob · 06-03-2007, 09:52 AM

On my jeep there is a tensioner screw on the under side of the power steering pump.

AZ Jeff · 06-03-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turkish6

i looked at car-part already. i just want to make sure it defiantly is the compressor. how would i loosen the belt enough to get it off the compressor.

ON a 2000 model year, the serpentine belt is tensioned by a moveable idler pulley located under the PS pump. To adjust the idler, FIRST loosen the center bolt on the pulley about 1 full turn. Then, located between the PS pump and the thermostat housing is a bolt that is tipped at a 45 degree angle towards the thermostat. Tightening that adjuster bolt moves the idler to tighten the belt.

Based on your description, I would say your compressor is having problems, but the question is "WHY?". You say, in your first paragraph "I refilled the gas". I assume this means you added refrigerant, but how did you MEASURE how much you added? If you overfill the system, you can hydrolock the compressor and trash it.

Once you verify the compressor is defective, and obtain a replacement compressor, you will need the system evacuated and refilled by someone with a AC manifold and a vacuum pump, if you don't have those items.

Good luck.....

hennigm4 · 06-03-2007, 08:29 PM

My bet would be the ac compressor has seized, at this point it will make no differece if ac is off or on, had this happen to me on a chevy astro.

What I would do now is remove serpentine belt and find one that will work if you bypass the compressor, and old trick is to take a string and run it around all the accessories that you still need to run, just don't put it around the compressor pulley, measure the length of the string then go off to the auto parts store.

The other option is a new compressor, a little more expensive, since you said the ac stopped working that could be the problem. As far as the power steering, isnt it hard to turn with fluid in the system?? Not sure but if it still has oil I doubt that would be seized, could be though.

BrunoS · 06-03-2007, 08:35 PM

seized a/c compressor, plus the compressor clutch has fused with the pulley and won't release.

if you are lucky, you can turn the seized a/c "off" and then the magnetic clutch pulley will relase. you said that it was still stuck.

try to pry a screwdriver to get the compressor clutch pulley disengaged, and then disconnect the power quick connect going to the back of the compressor.

if you can get the clutch unstuck, then you can drive around forever on the belt no problem.

you can also bleed the refrigerant down and perhaps the compressor will start turning again, usually a relief valve blows or a hose pops first.

06-03-2007, 08:35 PM	#15
BrunoS Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: South Bay Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,538 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	seized a/c compressor, plus the compressor clutch has fused with the pulley and won't release. if you are lucky, you can turn the seized a/c "off" and then the magnetic clutch pulley will relase. you said that it was still stuck. try to pry a screwdriver to get the compressor clutch pulley disengaged, and then disconnect the power quick connect going to the back of the compressor. if you can get the clutch unstuck, then you can drive around forever on the belt no problem. you can also bleed the refrigerant down and perhaps the compressor will start turning again, usually a relief valve blows or a hose pops first. __________________ Newly Painted! Emerald Green '96 XJ 4x4 4.0 HO 5-spd 3" Lift + 31" Tires / D35 TracLok / NP231 Drilled out Stock Airbox / Gauge Cluster Upgrade Magnaflow Muffler / High-flo Cat / MSD Coil

06-02-2007, 09:26 PM	#3
turkish6 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 472 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	the truck is a 2000. i bought it used year and a half ago. as far as service records go it seems as though it has never been changed. i have never gotten it tightened. it has 85000 miles on it. and the engine itself seems to run perfect.

06-02-2007, 09:39 PM	#5
turkish6 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 472 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	the belt looks good. no cracks etc. how can I loosen the belt? to see if it helps.

06-02-2007, 10:59 PM	#7
turkish6 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 472 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	the a/c was on off. and the belt is not turning at all. the the wheel coming from the engine.

06-02-2007, 11:14 PM	#8
turkish6 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 472 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	also. lets say it is the a/c. is it the compressor? is it the fan assembly? is it the condenser. what is actual part that would need replacing.

06-03-2007, 12:08 AM	#10
scorpio18 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 286 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	You could go to a local salvage yard and pick up a used a/c compressor for your jeep, and even if it doesn't work you could still use your car....good luck http://www.car-part.com/

06-03-2007, 12:37 AM	#11
turkish6 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 472 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	i looked at car-part already. i just want to make sure it defiantly is the compressor. how would i loosen the belt enough to get it off the compressor.

06-03-2007, 08:29 PM	#14
hennigm4 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: leesburg va Posts: 91 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	My bet would be the ac compressor has seized, at this point it will make no differece if ac is off or on, had this happen to me on a chevy astro. What I would do now is remove serpentine belt and find one that will work if you bypass the compressor, and old trick is to take a string and run it around all the accessories that you still need to run, just don't put it around the compressor pulley, measure the length of the string then go off to the auto parts store. The other option is a new compressor, a little more expensive, since you said the ac stopped working that could be the problem. As far as the power steering, isnt it hard to turn with fluid in the system?? Not sure but if it still has oil I doubt that would be seized, could be though.