So, it seems like I have a tiny leak at the combination switch/sensor on the front left side of the engine bay. It's not a lot and I usually just add a bit of r134 every season and am good for the rest of the year.

Anyway, this season, i grabbed a can of r134 with sealer. As soon as I filled it up I could tell things werent right. The pressure rose but the air wasn't cool as usual. Next day it didn't cool at all and than it was 60s for a week so I couldn't really troubleshoot either.

So today the temps got into 80s and I decided to purge the system of the exess stuff, vacuum it and refill with r135 without sealer.

Well I did that and than I noticed that the gauges on my mainfold are not moving at all. I hooked up my scanner and I can see that the relay and clutch are set to engage so I look at the compressor, and it looks like the clutch engages but seems to slip as the compressor barwly spins or doesn't spin at all. There is some gook coming out of the face of the compressor:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=5f4eeddddc

I'm pretty sure it's toast but I figured I'll see if someone is more experianced with this. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Adam

 

That is what they look like when the clutch slips. The head overheats and the clutch material and the bearing grease oozes out.

Years ago ... and I am talking about many ... the clutch head was an easy and relatively inexpensive fix ... today, they are not available or almost as expensive as the whole compressor.

It sounds like you have the tools to replace the compressor. Why did you not just replace the sensor/hose when it was leaking? I have only used the sealer as a last ditch effort on a car that was not worth fixing any other way - with limited results. The sealers are known to cause problems with the metering devices --- often at the evaporator.

The compressor may have seized --- normally if that happens and the clutch is good the pulley stops turning and the belt snaps. I bet you have more than one thing going on. I had a car that had poor AC performance and it was actually the clutch slipping slightly because the magnetic coil was failing when it got warmer outside and the compressor was placing more stress on the clutch - nothing wrong with the sealed system. The clutches can slip for a while before they fail because it only happens when they are stressed. My AC guy said the friction material rarely wears out - it is normally the coil or the bearing that takes out the clutch


I don't normally go the used route because we don't do are own maintenance on this kind of repair -- but if you have the time and can get a low mile compressor it may be worth a try. I had the same leak at the hose/sensor last summer on my 02 -- think the hose is about $180.00
Not sure I would go used on that ... was told it was a common leak point ... for whatever reason.

If you do go the new route do some searching to make sure you are getting the proper unit. I have not done any research on the particular compressor in the 98 --- but lots of stuff is coming out of China that is not worth installing.

good luck!

 

My AC guy will not work on a car that has had sealer put into the system. The sealer not only wrecks compressors but it will also wreck his equipment when he sucks it out of the car's AC system. Do not use sealer or R134a cans with added sealer.