AC Compressor Failure

[Utahfj62]

Title says it all. The AC compressor on my truck is nearly dead. It started making noise about 1 month ago. It has never made a peep - and you couldn't tell there was any additional load on the motor when running the AC. Now when you turn the AC on - it now adds load to the motor and increases the RPMs and a vibration can be felt throughout the truck. I thought (and was hoping) it just might be the magnetic clutch on the front - but after I put a stethescope on the compressor when running you can hear the bearings and inner workings failing and failing big time. Needless to say I'm pulling the compressor and replacing it before it explodes and sends crap through my motor.

Found a used one on eBay - off a wrecked truck for about half of new cost. NOS was nearly $700.

Compressor made it 182,000 miles - the first 90K miles the truck lived in Pheonix Arizona so the compressor saw more use than normal. Just curious if others have had to replace theirs and at what mileage?

I'll post up some picks of the removal and replacement.

 

[re_guderian]

...Compressor made it 182,000 miles - the first 90K miles the truck lived in Pheonix Arizona so the compressor saw more use than normal...

the Life-Support compressor... only 110º here now...

 

[Utahfj62]

AC Compressor Failure or NOT

So my AC compressor was dieing - or I thought. I found a AC Compressor off of another truck - ordered it - got to my house. I evacuated my AC system, and began the removal and replacement of the old compressor. Dropped the skid plate and when I was able to get a good look at the compressor - I noticed something missing.

One of the three mounting bolts had backed itself out of the compressor.


The top bolt had walked its way out of the compressor and was completely gone.

I put a new one in - and all the vibrations and whining are gone. AC works again without adding load to the motor. It went from a $400 dollar repair to a $3 buck repair. Nice.

Moral of the story - I just did my timing belt and water pump. Make sure you torque your bolts to spec - unlike me. And I have a nice used AC compressor if someone is looking.

 

[Michael Hanson]

270,000 miles on ours. MIke

 

[1loudLX]

the Life-Support compressor... only 110º here now...

I can deal with that, especially when my sweat evaporates.

 

[fueg0]

the a/c on our truck shakes hard enough to make the rear-view mirror vibrate. I might end sending you a pm for your compressor...

 

[playdrv4me]

Sorry to revive an archaic thread but this is really interesting. Especially what you said about the compressor previously not adding a perceptible load to the motor. I had a feeling this wasn't very Toyota-like.

One thing I have definitely noticed on this truck is that when the compressor kicks on there's a 75rpm or so jump in idle at the time it kicks on. This isn't a huge amount of change, but it sure can be felt through the entire truck when it goes on and off. Sometimes I even FEEL a "pop" come through the truck when it goes off, like the serpentine belt slipped for a moment or something. I now wonder if this is because that same bolt is missing. It blows my mind that the missing bolt can cause the perceptible load change on the RPMs, not sure how that even works.

I was about to start a thread asking "how long did your AC compressor last" as mine has 150k. I guess I'll have to check this out before I go looking to replace the compressor.