help! sparks from a/c compressor

[MagicMan]

okay...On cold mornings i had been getting what sounded like a belt squeal.this morning i go out and start "Green Monster", and i get a groaning noise(like godzilla ironically) from under the hood. . well i pop the hood and there are sparks flying from the a/c compressor, then the sparks stop and the noise stopped too. the a/c had stopped getting cold 2 summers ago and i never bothered to get it looked at. i restarted a couple of times and now i don't even get the squeal. should the sparks concern me or did the compressor just die? and if the compressor is dead, will it affect anything other than a/c (or lack thereof?) any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Rick]

On many vehicles the A/C compressor runs when the lever is in the Defrost position. It does that to help dry out the air that is hitting your windshield. It combines the de-humidified air from the A/C with the air coming from the heater.

So if your lever was in the defrost postition the compressor may have tried to kick on. Since it's obviously blown I would remove the wire connector from the A/C clutch so it doesn't attempt to engage.

 

[kps36]

Or you can do what I did last year when my AC compressor completely siezed up, enuff to not even allow it to start!.
I went to my local NAPA and asked for a serp belt for my vehicle WITHOUT AC (called short-belting). No problems since, of course no AC either. Estimates to fix vary from $800-$1300. needless to say it can wait, has better performance, only sometimes I do miss AC on those Hot August NC days.

 

[kps36]

OOPS...in any case you need to do either what I or Rick said NOW!. Your AC Compressor is shot and on its way to completely siezing (like mine did). I was not able to short belt it in time to save the system. the 'bearings' or linings of the comp. are a graphite type material. Mine spread a nice layer of black dust all over the engine compartment. This also gets into the system and no amount of alcohol flushing will clean it out. It will ruin the entire system requiring a total replace ($1300) from Ford, and that's only a 1year guarantee. Do it NOW and you may only need a new (DO NOT GET A REBUILT) compressor and flush and recharge (@$500 at your local auto AC place).
Good Luck.

 

[slim]

I had the same problem with mine. Like Rick said take the wire off so it cannot try to energize.
However, I fixed my problem cheaply and did the work myself. I went to my local parts store and
bought a new clutch assembly, one small bolt holds it on the front of the compressor. Now my AC
has been working great ever since.

Paul

 

[kps36]

Yo, Slim, was it really that easy? Like I said, mine completley siezed, even if I tried to start in the 'OFF' position for the heat/cool. I ran for about 2 months on just the vent, cause I knew it was going. Then it siezed. I thought, well replace the cluch pack. I guy at a parts store said that won't fix it. It would be worth a shot if the clutch assembley is not very much $$. how much was yours. I see the bolt on the front, just take that out?. slide in new cluch pack, retighten and 'fixed' ?

 

[MagicMan]

couple more ??'s...

first of all, thanks guys for the quick response ...i didnt drive it today, and on saturday I'll take the compressor off, have it checked out,and buy the a/c less belt while i'm there. the first question is: if the a/c needed charged would the compressor still have run at all, or could the compressor have been the problem all along?
question two: when you shortbelt the setup, just remove the compressor completely... anything else need to be done?
thanks again fellas...

 

[kps36]

you don't need to remove anything for the short-belt solution. Mine is still on. Although if you look at it, if you remove the AC Comp. that would make a real nice place for a supercharger ! heehee.
Slim, please answer my above ??

 

[slim]

kps36, Yes it was that simple, I think it took me about a hour to make the change. Also, it was totally seized when I disconnected the wire, Almost a year pasted before I fixed it. I was driving at night when I smelled something burning, I pulled to the side of the road. Smoke billowed from around the hood and through the grill. I was scared to raise the hood, I feared flames would jump out at me.

However, despite my fear I raised the hood, luckily no flames. Then though the smoke I could see my clutch assembly, it was cherry red. remember it was dark, therefore I could see it quit well. Quickly I removed the power supply and drive a way.

slim

 

[kps36]

Slim, thnx.
That sounds exactly what mine did.
I will now check out the haynes and price the clutch pack.
I will also unplug it now (since I short-belted it I didn't see the need to.
Thnx again.

 

[slim]

kps36, you are welcome. Also, I wish you the same success I had with my repair. Oh, and one other thing. I had to recharge the system. I was lucky mine had already been converted the the new gas, I think it is "R135". this type you can buy and put in yourself, which I did.

slim

 

[Martinez]

It hurts what they charge for stuff in the US. My AC broke and I tried to fix it in Houston and after charging me an arm and a Foot (joke), it broke again (the day after being fixed). They said, bring it back, but since I was going to Mexico for a few days, I decided to have them look at it. For $125.00 US dollars, they put in a rebuilt compressor, cleaned the lines, put in a new expansion valve, which is the reason it broke down in the first place, added oil to the compressor, and charged the unit. Yhis was a year ago and it still works fine.
Kind of hurts what they charge here for mechanic work.
Fix the system, some day you'll want the AC and you won't have it.

 

[kps36]

$125....WHOA...
Who's up for a road trip down Mexico way. That would be worth the ride alone. Especially since they REALLY fixed it.
That's the kind of problems I had. That's why I got estimates from $800-$1300, with only a one-year guarantee.
So the AC is still 'idle'

 

[Martinez]

Hey, on top of that, I paid $50.00 to have my truck raissed in the rear to factory specs. But I think I paid too much. I only paid $20.00 to raise my Samurai, and believe me, the Samurai took more work than the Explorer. I remember I had my rear ball bearings on the diff replaced, total cost, $ 40.00. And trust me, it was not easy. I am not Mexican, but I go there a lot and labor is cheap and prompt. Good luck with your air. Oh! Did I mention, mexico can be fun. Once you go there, you want to go back. I've been there 27 times.

 

[MagicMan]

there is a NAFTA joke there somewhere!

anyway, I will just do the short belt for now, mexico is a looong way from ohio, and i dont think i'll need a/c anytime soon...(see ohio comment). slim's solution sounds pretty good, but it too can wait since i will also have to convert to the new a/c stuff, and i still dont know what the original problem was. hmmm... for the cost of repairs at the dealer, i could take a vacation to mexico, fix the a/c, get it lifted, probably have enough left over for a case of cuervo, and write it all off as vehicle maintenance. maybe that road trip aint such a bad idea!

 

[slim]

MagicMan, where in ohio are you, I am in monroe michigan. I live only ten miles from the Ohio border.

 

[MagicMan]

I live in columbus, but the parents live in cleveland,so i am back and forth quite a bit.(you're A LOT closer than mexico!)

 

[Martinez]

Hey, Ive been to Columbus, Ohio. It's, in my opinion, a lot prettier than Houston. Well, let's put it this way, Ohio is pretty, Houston is not.