air conditioner problems with 94 (1 Viewer)

[isellfords]

hello to everyone, new to this forum. ive got a 94 cruiser, i love it. 3inch old man emu lift, 285bfgs, (soon to be bigger), arb bull bar, lockers. im having problems with my a/c. i spent about 400 bucks getting it working again, now im having an awful squealing noise when i run it. it blows cold and works, but it smells like im burning a belt. i havent ran it in a few weeks, but it is still hot outside. some have said clutch, some have said compressor, any ideas would help. thanks, chad

 

[Vitesse_6]

Well, I will state the obvious...Is the belt tight? Did anyone spray cleaner on the pullies? Mine will squeek when Ive gotten it wet or dusty. It could be a bad clutch or compressor. What did you spend $400 on?
Good luck

 

[jharrell]

I was experiencing the same symptoms with my 96 LX450. The squealing would start after 15 minutes of driving or after the vehicle reached operating temperatures. Further inspection revealed that the compressor clutch was possibly locking up. Even after the vehicle reached operating temp, the clutch would continue to disengage and squeal. After flushing the coolant and readjusting the belt tension, the squealing ceased for a moment. I also notice that when the squealing started, the low sided ac pressure would increase from 40psi to 60psi.

 

[isellfords]

my squealing starts about 5 seconds after i run the a/c. i bought my cruiser as a trade in here at the ford dealer where i work. it was last fall so i ran the a/c, and it worked. however, this summer it was not working and i let my mechanic look at it and he got it working. im not sure what he replaced. i did stop the squealing with some wd40 directly on the belt but then it also apparantly stopped the clutch from engaging. i have not thought of using a cleaner but i might try that. i would think that during the initial repair my mechanic would have noticed a bad clutch or compressor but im not sure. any other ideas would help. if not, what type of cleaner would you recommend

 

[Vitesse_6]

I didnt use any cleaners, I mentioned that due to some shops using cleaners to make a belt look cleaner or like new, I was just wondering if you used any, It may have left a little residue that may just need to be worn off.
It sounds like you are getting cold air, I dont want to tell you to run it to see if it will clear up, Im only going by my personal experiance, Where are you located, You might be able to find a reputable Toyota dealer in the area, It wouldnt hurt to ask in the chit-chat section here if anyone may know of the dealer in your neck of the wood's
Good luck once again.

Edit....Never mind on the location...

 

[IdahoDoug]

Fords,

There's an idler/tensioner pulley right next to the A/C compressor. These have a limited life and they're very cheap. If its bearing/bushing is wiping out, you'll be able to clearly tell by using a wooden dowel pressed against the assembly while it's running and the other end against your ear. Obviously putting things near moving belts is a hazard so consider the safety issues. This is how I identified this on my truck and for around $20 I put a new Toyota part on and it's dead silent. You can also use the wooden dowel on other components (A/C compressor) to hear if there's a bearing issue on it instead but I'd look at that component. The burning rubber smell could be there's so much friction on the belt from that tensioner pulley. It's a 30 minute changeout with no need to remove the belt.

DougM

 

[isellfords]

thanks for all the advice. i will try to tackle this project this weekend. i will let you know how it turns out.

 

[e9999]

Fords,

There's an idler/tensioner pulley right next to the A/C compressor. These have a limited life and they're very cheap. If its bearing/bushing is wiping out, you'll be able to clearly tell by using a wooden dowel pressed against the assembly while it's running and the other end against your ear. Obviously putting things near moving belts is a hazard so consider the safety issues. This is how I identified this on my truck and for around $20 I put a new Toyota part on and it's dead silent. You can also use the wooden dowel on other components (A/C compressor) to hear if there's a bearing issue on it instead but I'd look at that component. The burning rubber smell could be there's so much friction on the belt from that tensioner pulley. It's a 30 minute changeout with no need to remove the belt.

DougM

be sure you have your head perfectly perpendicular to the dowel so it can come out of the other ear when it goes....! might limit the damage!

 

[actionjackson]

My tension pully for the AC was completely froze/rusted solid on my 94. I got squeeling and cold/hot responses from my AC before I found the real problem. Got it replaced and the belt tensioned correctly and I've had cold AC for a complete year with no problems. Good luck!