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98 Sable - A/C Compressor Kicks On - Belt Gains Slack

Whenever the compressor kicks on in my 98 Sable 3.0 OHV, there's a clacking sound and the belt "ripples". I mean the belt just vibrates something terrible. This just started happening in the last few nights after I got it back from an $1,133 transmission repair...or at least that's when I first noticed it.

I can't tell if the compressor is actually working or not because (a) it's so damned cold, and (b) I have a clogged heater core, so the air is always cold, anyway. For example, if the windshield is easily defogged, the dry air created by the compressor and condenser does more to dry the windshield than plain warm air, which will work to fog the crap out of it without a compressor. But since I have no warm air, I can't defog (or defrost) the windshield.

When a compressor goes out, does it cause the pulley to lock up on it? Could that be why the belt "vibrates" so violently when the compressor kicks in?

Damaeus

Reply to
Damaeus
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It could be a couple of things. One, one they did the trannie, somehow the belt alignment did not get restored properly. Or maybe some oil or fluids was spilled on one or more of the pulleys. You can simply unplug the electrical connector on the AC compressor to keep it from coming on at all.

Did you try to get you heater core flushed thourohly before you pay the big bucks to get it replaced???

Bob

Reply to
BOB URZ

Reply to
trainfan1

In news:alt.autos.ford, trainfan1 posted on Wed,

01 Dec 2004 17:02:28 -0500:

If so, it's something that just happened recently because it's been normal before then... or maybe not. It seems to go through belts pretty fast. I think this is the third one I've had on there in 65,000 miles and it squeaks a lot in damp weather, when raining, or when I've splashed through a puddle.

The tensioner does spin, however. But perhaps it's in a bind nonetheless and isn't spinning as freely as it should.

Damaeus

Reply to
Damaeus

I just had a tensioner grenade on mine. It was making a steady with RPM metallic whine noise before it let go. If you have the belt off, look for junk in the pulley groves and fluid contamination.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Urz

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