A/C compressor went out within two weeks

Tiny
JOSE254
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 HYUNDAI ACCENT
  • 1.6L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 108,000 MILES
I have replaced the AC compressor and it went out within two weeks the "clutch" locked up in both compressors. What am I doing wrong here? This car model the condenser also needs to be replaced with the AC compressor.
Sunday, May 20th, 2018 AT 4:39 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
For the clutch to fail, it can fall apart due to the rivets holding it together rusting out, or the coil can develop a break in the circuit. If you find it has been seriously overheated and melted wires are sticking out all over, the compressor locked up, and the clutch kept on trying to make it run. The horrendous slipping then is what burned up the clutch. You would have to examine the old compressor to verify it is seized.

If you do find the old compressor was seized, there will be a whole pile of metal chunks and powder circulating in the system, and those made their way around and back into the compressor and caused it to seize as well. What needs to be done is all the hoses must be removed, then all the parts flushed out at a minimum, or better yet, replaced. There are complete kits for this purpose available for a lot of car models, but you might have to go to a radiator repair shop or an AC specialty shop to find them. It is not uncommon, once this happens, to be chasing debris in the system for a long time. The best way to insure the quality of the repair is an expensive one. That is to replace the compressor, condenser, evaporator, receiver/drier, and expansion valve or orifice tube, and flush all the lines and hoses. There are also inline filters you can slide into the inlet hose to the compressor. When those become blocked, the cooling will no longer occur, but it can save the compressor from another failure.

You might get some more ideas from this article:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-air-conditioner-compressor
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Sunday, May 20th, 2018 AT 8:06 PM

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