noise from AC compressor? 2003 EX

Oliver882k

New Member
Hello all Im new to the forum. Ill start by saying im not a very experienced mechanic but I can do your average stuff.. Oil changes/ thermostats/ struts etc .. ive even done a valve cover gasket job on my old car.

ok so I acquired my moms old Honda Civic and she never really drove it just been sitting in a garage forever. Its a 2003 civic Ex. I got it with 67,000 miles in October of 2015... so a little over a year later im beginning to have some issues. First I noticed around the summer of 2016 the A/C was not blowing cold so I added a bottle of the a/c refill bottles you can buy at autozone. Problem fixed a/c was running great. a few months later it was becoming weaker so I checked the level of the a/c refrigerant and noticed it was low so I added some more. A/c was fine again.. blowing cold.

The Battery died on me this last December(2016) and I was going to replace it myself and realized its a Honda Battery with a 100 month warranty so I took it into the Bastards at the Dealership.. While I was there I asked the Vile creatures in there to see if they could identify the noise I was having. They said I would have to pay a 120 dollars for them to look into it. So anyways I said no. The guy was already being kinda of shiesty with me on the battery... he got mad and said they didnt have it in stock so I had to leave my car over night. basically it took them like 24 hours to replace a battery. go figure.

The problem I am having now is that I am have a squealing and grinding/ rattling noise coming from the engine. I know this is the serpentine belt.. I am assuming it is the A/C accessory. The A/C still blows cold although ever since I began to notice the squealing I stopped turning it on. Usually I will barely hear a grinding noise and I can drive just fine with no noises.. With the A/C on it is more evident. Sometimes as I speed up The squealing starts up until I reach the speed I want to be at and then it goes away as the RPMs level out. When im idling I notice a slight grinding/ rattling noise and I assume this is the cause of the squeal. After doing some research I believe it is the A/C clutch bearing is going out. I think the condenser is still good as it blows cold air. The computer isnt putting out any codes. So I am not sure. The belt seems pretty new it was probably replaced around 40-50k miles but im pretty sure there are two belts. both should have been replaced at the same time. I am now at 84k miles

My question is this... Assuming it is the A/C clutch bearing how long will it take for it to complete fail? What happens if it does fail.. can I still drive the car? will it just be a No A/C kinda thing? Will the squeal become so intolerable and make it sound like the engine wants me to put it out of its misery?? will it cause more problems if I do not fix it? Reason I am asking is I am getting ready to move 1000 miles away and I dont have time to fix it right now. (btw the engine feels very good as far as acceleration and gas mileage is pretty good. I do keep up with oil changes every 3k miles)


Any Help/ input would be greatly appreciated as this is something I havent dealt with in the past. Thanks I will keep checking for replies frequently.
 
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Ep3po

Respected
I couldn't have said it better myself. Except for the fact he lives in Texas I think fixing it and not deleting it is in his best interest. I think a car with no ac would be unbearable down there most of the year. Good luck
 


Oliver882k

New Member
Im about to make a 1000 mile drive to Colorado. I wont need a/c up there but Id like to get the problem fixed. Only thing is I wont be able to hvae it fixed till late February. Im simply just asking will it be ok till then? and what should I expect if the A/c pully assembly is going out?

Also I just checked the A/C refrigerant liquid and it seems to be right in the middle where it should be according to the gauge. There also was no noise. no squealing no rattle/ grinding. The a/c was blowing cold air.

I notice ill get the squealing when it gets really cold outside like below 40 F. Im not sure if that helps. It may not be the a/c at all. I really dont know whats going on o7
 
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Ep3po

Respected
If the pulley goes you will lose your surpentine belt which means you will have no power steering, alternator or water pump you will overheat the engine within minutes!!!!! It's not a risk I would be willing to take if it was me.
 


daperez13

Respected
...so I took it into the Bastards at the Dealership.. While I was there I asked the Vile creatures in there to see if they could identify the noise I was having. They said I would have to pay a 120 dollars for them to look into it. So anyways I said no. The guy was already being kinda of shiesty with me on the battery... he got mad and said they didn't have it in stock so I had to leave my car over night. basically it took them like 24 hours to replace a battery. go figure.
That is why I despise those (_|_)holes! They are unprofessional, unethical, dishonest-thieves who don't know sh*t (for being "certified mechanics")...and on top of that, they get on this high horse like they know quantum mechanics.

...I know this is the serpentine belt.. I am assuming it is the A/C accessory...After doing some research I believe it is the A/C clutch bearing is going out.
Good job on doing some research, a lot of people come here expecting spoon-fed answers without doing some homework.

I would definitely start by checking belt tension (as mentioned by ctag) but if you're hearing grinding, it probably is the compressor. Do you hear the sound on and off as the compressor activates/de-activates?

If the car has a serpentine belt, then you will not be able to do this but if it has an individual belt for each accessory, then simply remove that belt.
 

Oliver882k

New Member
I believe it has 2 belts... Yes I hear the noise even with the A/C off. But like I just mentioned It didnt make the noise just now. It seems to be a moody noise where it comes and goes as it pleases. So whatever is happening is barely just starting and the car is letting me know something isnt right.

Ok so I just went to take a good look. I can clearly see the clutch bearing for the A/c engage and there doesnt seem to be any abnormal vibration in the belt. Yes there are 2 belts. I began to hear the chirping noise immediately after the secondary fan turns off. Theres a clicking sound when the A/c kicks in and off and then the fan either turns on or off. The sound happens after the fan turns off. Im beginning to think its the alternator.
 
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daperez13

Respected
You can remove the belts and apply power to each component individually (I hope I don't have to stress that you need to be really careful here) to test them.
 


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