A/C Quit Working in My '03

[Buffalo]

Yesterday afternoon, the A/C in my '03 quit blowing cold air. Since I live in Phoenix, it was only about 105 deg's. , outside. Looks like I'm going to have to layer on some more deodorant.



A few minutes before it quit blowing the cold air, the fan motor rpm's. slowed down for a few seconds & then went back to normal speed. Five or ten minutes later, it started warming up in the truck. Fan still works fine, just no cold air. The unit has been working fine until it just stopped.



I'm not a mechanic & know nothing about the workings of the A/C unit. Could it be a fuse or something else?



Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[DPKetchum]

Did you try it again later?

 

[TFucili]

Do you hear the compressor cycling?

 

[RJOL]

Start your truck and turn your AC on full cold. Then go out and look and see if the AC clutch is engaging. You will find it in front (just behind the radiator) on the passenger's side looking straight up from underneath. The clutch engages electrically, and is mounted on the front of the AC compressor. If it is not engaging/cycling (i. e. it is not rotating), stop the motor and take a look at the fuse box. There is a 10amp fuse that controls that AC clutch. If it is blown you can try to replace it, but it probably will just blow again.



Mine did this on my 2005 and I finally just took it into the dealer. They had to replace the AC clutch... .

 

[Buffalo]

Thanks for all your posts.



I just had a mechanic look at it & the diagnosis is that the compressor is "frozen" (locked-up).



With the engine running, turning on the A/C the clutch won't move other than about 1/4". The mechanic tried to turn it by hand & it wouldn't budge.



RJOL,



Is there a chance that just the clutch could be bad? How do you determine that it's the clutch & not the entire compressor.



Right now, I'm looking at between $500-600 in parts, only.



Thanks for your help.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[MMeier]

Are you out of warranty Joe?

 

[RJOL]

... Is there a chance that just the clutch could be bad? How do you determine that it's the clutch & not the entire compressor... Joe F. (Buffalo)

Joe... My guess is that it is just the A/C clutch. If you're out of warranty, and don't know how to fix this, your best bet is to take it into a service center and have them fix it. Maybe a GoodYear or Firestone. This will probably be cheaper then the dealer.

 

[MMeier]

Joe, get down there yourself and see if you can rotate the compressor yourself, the inner part, if it moves I say you only need a clutch replaced not the whole unit. This time of year around here, you can't believe how many shops try ripping people off by telling them such things, I'm sure its the same down there. Hate to see you get burned like that .

 

[Buffalo]

I am out of warranty, Mark. (Didn't see you at May Madness, this year. )



Checked the fuses, myself, as did the mechanic. They're OK.



Tried cycling the A/C over a couple of days. Still doesn't work.



The mechanic crawled under the truck & tried turning, by hand, the clutch & it won't turn, at all. He said that it was "frozen" (locked-up). (Somehow, the term "frozen" doesn't seem appropriate when referring to my broken compressor, along with being in Phoenix, AZ. It's going up to 106 deg's. , today. )



Thanks for all your help.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[Buffalo]

Well, it was the entire compressor.



Bought most everything I needed from the dealer. No one else had what I needed.



Had a mechanic, down the street, install it.



$882. 79 later, I've got A/C, again.



Thanks for all your help.



Joe F. (Buffalo)