Gunnut Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Here's what I know: AC was working fine until Thursday night. Air was real cold and no noise was coming from the engine compartment. On Thursday night, the control panel for the AC as well as the AC went dead. The outside temperature was not showng on the dash either. The next morning when I started the car I noticed a never before heard noise coming from the engine compartment. It was fairly loud so I stopped and opened the hood to narrow where it may be coming from. It seemed to be coming from the area around the compressor. The noise seemed to get quieter as I drove more. It never did totally go away. There was also a slight odor coming off the motor as well. It wasn't electrical, more of a burnt rubber smell but not like burning tire smell. I got to work and replaced the fuse for the HVAC and tested it out. The controls are back up but the AC light flashes and I no longer get any cold air. I still get what I call a 'bearing rattle' from the compressor area. It has been mentioned before about replacing the AC clutch. Since I had cold air before this happened and given the symptoms I've described, do y'all think I have the same problem? I've torn into a few motors in my day and have a much better than average set of tools. Is this something a do it yourselfer can do or am I asking for trouble? Money is a bit tight for me right now and I've been given a phone quote of over $1300 to replace the compressor. If it is only the clutch, I'd rather just replace that. TIA, JimA I really appreciate any advice anyone can offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obergc Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 The blinking a/c light means that the compressor is mechanically frozen. Tfhe burnt rubber smell is from the serpentine belt slipping on the a/c compressor pulley when it's trying to drive the frozen compressor. As soon as the a/c system determines that the compressor is frozen, it removes voltage from the a/c clutch coil. If it wasn't for this circuit, you would have also destroyed your serpentine belt. Very common problem. Best deal I was able to find on a rebuilt compressor was from these folks. http://www.auto-air-compressor.com/default.htm The compressor swapout is a fairly easy job in itself, hope you don't find any metal filings in your a/c lines, then you have a tougher job. Sometimes the compressors sort of grind themselves up internally before they freeze up and that sends metallic debris into the a/c system plumbing that can cause premature failure of any parts you put in if you don't get the system purged properly. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnut Posted June 25, 2006 Author Share Posted June 25, 2006 The blinking a/c light means that the compressor is mechanically frozen. Tfhe burnt rubber smell is from the serpentine belt slipping on the a/c compressor pulley when it's trying to drive the frozen compressor. As soon as the a/c system determines that the compressor is frozen, it removes voltage from the a/c clutch coil. If it wasn't for this circuit, you would have also destroyed your serpentine belt. Very common problem. Best deal I was able to find on a rebuilt compressor was from these folks. http://www.auto-air-compressor.com/default.htm The compressor swapout is a fairly easy job in itself, hope you don't find any metal filings in your a/c lines, then you have a tougher job. Sometimes the compressors sort of grind themselves up internally before they freeze up and that sends metallic debris into the a/c system plumbing that can cause premature failure of any parts you put in if you don't get the system purged properly. Good luck. Given it was a sudden failure (literally went from working great to broken), do you think I may have better odds of having a cleaner system? Or am I reaching here? How difficult is it to purge the system? I'm guessing that has to be done at the time the unit is installed and by a shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obergc Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 You won't know what you have until you open the system up, it might be clean and it might not. The company at the link I sent you also sells an inline filter that you can put into the suction line to prevent debris from getting into the replacement compressor. It is a tight fit but you can install it and I think there are other filters available also that can help protect the new compressor. You might want to take it to a shop if you're not experienced in a/c repair. If you DIY, you need a vacuum pump, manifold with gages, etc. to service it anyhow. At least you can buy R134 easily if you have the knowledge and equipment to do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnut Posted June 25, 2006 Author Share Posted June 25, 2006 I was talking this evening with a friend who has a little experience with auto AC. He said the clutch could be out, causing the bearing rattle I am hearing and that it does not engage the compressor, so the compressor does not spin, making the computer believe it is locked up. He suggests I replace the clutch first and if that doesn't work replace the compressor. I know it may being doing the work twice, but if it fixes the problem, I'll save some substantial coin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnut Posted July 8, 2006 Author Share Posted July 8, 2006 Since I realized I don't have the time or energy to do the repair myself, my 94 is at the mechanic's getting the AC repaired. Rebuilt compressor/clutch and new drier installed for just below $1k. After spending a week in central KS without air plus a 97 degree 270 mile drive home, my mind was made up. Had to have it fixed ASAP. I should have it back Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunnut Posted July 13, 2006 Author Share Posted July 13, 2006 I picked up the Lex last night. Man I didn't know how much I missed it. One sweet ride. Ended up costing me $905 for parts and labor. This was really cheap. I've known this mechanic my entire life and consider him a friend first. He always cuts me a break and I always refer work his way. JimA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy ortan Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Tri-County Air Conditioning is a full service HVAC company with emphasis on the personal service we provide to our customers. We pride ourselves in the professional work that we provide and all at reasonable rates.ac repair pembroke pines fl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiousB Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Tri-County Air Conditioning is a full service HVAC company with emphasis on the personal service we provide to our customers. We pride ourselves in the professional work that we provide and all at reasonable rates.ac repair pembroke pines fl I'm sure this is great information but the prior post was 6.5 years ago. I doubt he is still searching for answers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve2006 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 What's worse than a Spammer, a really bad out of date Spammer! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YupItsMe Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 And yet, here I am, another ten years later, same model same problem looking to see what the community knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exhaustgases Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Same problem? A burned up compressor? Did someone do an R134 conversion on it? If so did they use the Lexus service bulletin to do it? Also its old and things to wear out, and seals and o rings leak, also the condenser and the evaporator can leak in time as well. What the original poster was describing is a compressor that seized up and possible the clutch was seized months before its hard to say, but that could be the case and just wore out the compressor due to running all the time. So what kind of condition is your 90 in? I got 90's too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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