AC Compressor ticking?

[pope_face]

Alright, so this is my first post on here, and sadly it's not a very exciting one. I just recently bought a '91 Explorer XL... it's got just under 139,000 kms on it, and has been maintained once a year, every year by the previous, and original, owner. I was looking through the old reciepts, and I happened to find one from 2000 that stated that the shop had found that the AC wasn't working and had done a complete overhaul of the system... Everything from compressor to evaporator to new hoses and gas. Apparently the AC stopped working again sometime recently. I haven't really tried it myself, so I don't actually know if it works. Now, everything appears to be fine... however I've only really driven this car for an extended period of time tonight.

I was in downtown tonight, parked for a little while. When I got back to my car to leave, I started the car and began backing out of the parking stall. I had the window open and that's when I realized I could hear a very rapid ticking or clicking a couple times a minute. Each time it only lasted a second or two and sounded like one of those little toy guns that you can buy at the dollar store, where you squeeze the trigger and they click and create sparks. The gear didn't seem to affect this, and neither did flicking switches, however the speed did make it go away. It seemed to go away once I had accelerated past about 20 or 30 km an hour... I haven't tried just revving the engine. When I got home I popped the hood and I could hear it very clearly and quite loudly. It appeared to be coming from the pump (or whatever) at the top-right of the serpentine belt... just to the right of the TB. I turned the engine off and unplugged the connector from the top, then restarted the car. The engine appeared to run fine, and there was no more ticking/clicking.

I don't have a manual yet as I haven't had time to pick one up, but I'm getting one tommorow. So... my questions are: Is this part of the AC? It appears to have hoses running from the back of it, but it's just above the PS resevouir (sp?) and I don't want to unplug the power steering. Is it safe to run while unplugged? And, if it is the AC, what could be causing the problem? Low freon/R12 volume due to slow leak? Siezed AC clutch? Having AC isn't really much of a concern for me at the moment, but it would be nice to fix. It sounds like somethings about to explode.

Thanks in advance...

Fil

 

[shamaal]

Is this part of the AC?
Yes, this is the air conditioning compressor. It is presurrized so don't remove the bolt that holds on the hoses.

Is it safe to run while unplugged?
Yes it is, absolutely. Of course you will not have A/C. Secure the plug up out of the way so it does not get caught in the pulleys.

And, if it is the AC, what could be causing the problem?

This is the second post today with ticking, maybe it's the cold weather. When the A/C pressure is high enough, the clutch engages. If I understand your post correctly, this is when the ticking commences, This could be a clutch problem or an indication that the system is out of oil. Unless you've had a recent discharge this should not be the case, but it would be my first suspect. A low pressure problem will cause the clutch to engage for a couple seconds disengage for 5 seconds, then repeat.

Consider an A/C service before next summer, or buy some gauges, a vaccum pump and have a go at it yourself. The stickies above provide a wealth of information.

 

[pope_face]

Thanks for the reply... I didn't check the stickies yesterday because it was late and it was the first time I'd noticed the problem... I just picked up a manual today, so I've been poking through it, but I think I may have stumbled upon a far more serious problem of damaged crankshaft/connecting rod bearings... but, that'll have to wait until further information is available.

I'll see if I can figure something out with the AC tommorow... is it possible to remove and replace the clutch or clutch and pulley without replacing the compressor? Hopefully that may be the only problem with the AC... but, time to get some diagnostic tools...

Fil

 

[shamaal]

Most people replace the compressor at the same time as the clutch. Perhaps someone with relevant experience replacing just the clutch can advise.

As you no doubt have determined, if you have crankshaft/bearing problems, the A/C compressor is the least of your worries.

Formulate your questions and start another post for the crankshaft/bearing problem.

Good Luck

 

[pope_face]

Alright, well perhaps (hopefully) I may not have a crankshaft problem... my friend was listening to the car and said it may not actually be an issue and it's just me not being used to the car and too sensitive to sounds... I will take find someone to take a look at it soon though.

As for the AC Compressor... I'll try to find some info on changing just the clutch... it's likely far easier than unhooking the lines and reconnecting them and recharging the system, etc. However... that can stay for a little while. At the moment I need to get a mechanic to look the car over, and then it's on to performance parts. But, that's another story. I have the Haynes manual now, so I'll check it out.

Thanks for the reply...

Fil