A/C Clutch…Maybe?

[Cam]

Hello all,

Have not been on in a while with all the traveling for work. In addition, it has been a XC repair/replace kind of summer. Driver side axle, DS bearing, ball joints, brakes, battery, and on and on.

Problem:
I am having slightly rough idle and poor shifting when the A/C is engaged. It is very obvious that the A/C or the clutch assembly is going bad because when the A/C clicks on, there is a grinding sound just before and just after engagement. During operation it is at acceptable noise levels for a 14-year-old system. The A/C is cold and all controls work properly. It happens on hot days, warm days, and even cool days.

Within minutes of turning on the A/C the engine loses noticeable power (more than normal with A/C on) and it begins to shift like crap. The shifts are sloppy, engage softly, and sometimes there is a slip between second and third gears (Gibbons flush completed 6K ago and B4 done). Once I shut the A/C off a few minutes will go by and presto, running great again.

I replaced spark plugs, replaced air filter, checked all ignition connections, and cleaned the MAF. The engine ran better (without A/C on) once these items were replaced/cleaned/checked. However, with the A/C engaged I go back to the same symptoms.

My guess is the A/C clutch is going bad but that is only a guess.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Cameron

[Astro14]

I don't see how a bad clutch could put extra load on the engine. Clutch engaged = normal AC load. Clutch bad/slipping = less load. Sounds like you've got MORE load on the engine...and that makes me suspect the compressor itself.

Hate to say it....

[Cam]

Well, I guess it was wishful thinking on my part. Heck, it’s only a hundred or so dollars more (parts only) to replace the whole compressor assembly. Lucky for me, winter buys me some time and I will only use it for defrost.
It did surprise me how many issues it caused. That’s why I guessed that the clutch first because I thought it could have been putting more of an electrical load rather than a physical load.

Thanks for the quick answer, Astro14!

[Astro14]

You might consider disconnecting the compressor clutch and seeing if the problem goes away...

IF so, then it's your compressor...if not, well, hey, at least you're narrowing things down...