Concerned

[canuck64]

Hey all,

I'm good with PC's and bad with cars. Here's my deal: had a tune up and replaced my leads about a month and a half ago. Now my engine is running oddly, failing just a touch on low speeds as I accelerate (giving gas or coming up a hill), just hitching but not actually failing...

At about the same time, my A/C started to misbehave-A/C starts fine, engine starts fine, idles ok, and I've got about 5-10 mins worth of cold air blowing until the A/C dies and the fan blows, but smelly increasingly warm air comes out...

I've noticed no correlation between my internal power generally and switching things off, and it does nothing to the 'hitch' I feel on the engine to kill the A/C, radio, lights and so forth.

SO my initial thought or hair raising concern was a bad alternator. Additionally, I've heard of mass air flow sensors, that it could be a bad lead, it could be A/C is a seperate issue entirely and is just in need of a charge, I'm sure I need another diagnostics but I just took it in and had this done recently, and that's when my trouble began.

Any clues in my description on where to start? Please bear in mind I've got like NO car tools (small ratchet set and regular tools galore, but calipers etc nada)....but I do have my Haynes manual so I can follow the instructions given.

Please Help?

Suffering in Florida with no AIR

 

[boominXplorer]

sounds like the compressor is messing up causing binding which also would slow down your motor

 

[canuck64]

Hey boomin-appreciate the thought-

But I didn't think a faulty compressor could cause the engine to misfire, or potentially stall out. I thought the compressor was an electrical end-point-distinct from from system-so that if it shorted, the A/C might get killed, but am I wrong in thinking it wouldn't have an effect on idling? Does this not mean I need to be concerned about the alternator?

 

[boominXplorer]

well if you put it in the perpective if the little pully on the compressor gets hard to turn it can cause the engine to stall out. The missing... Sure its missing? Can you hear it in the exhaust? Have you pulled the plugs and cheaked for wear?

 

[canuck64]

I'm gonna check the "little pully" (appreciate you putting it in terms I get) on the compressor right now...

As for the missing-it's not to the point of causing the car to bolt, but just shy. Happens as I move through what amounts to the lower gears-from 0 to about 45 or so.
Just had a tune up which I thought replaced the points...maybe I'm wrong, I'll check that too. Appreciate muchly the direction. I sure wouldn't have known that too tightly bound a compressor would stall the engine.

 

[boominXplorer]

well you ever notice how when you turn on the AC you loose alot of HP? Now immagine that but the actual pully binding a bit.. see what I mean? Good luck

 

[elkhunter]

Unplug the air conditioner and see if it still does it. P.S. You are pulling our leg about the points aren't you?

 

[huskyfan23]

Unplugging the A/C won't keep the pulley from spinning. I'd get a Non-A/C belt and run that, see if it fixes your problem.