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No AC, Compressor Clutch Seized?


Shankmonkey

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I've had my 2010 Journey 2.4L for 4 years now and the A/C worked when I got it. This summer I turned it on but there was no cold air. I checked the fuses and they were all good. Then I checked to make sure the clutch was engaging with the compressor. It was on engaged and so I turned the A/C off and it was still engaged. I unplugged the wiring harness going into the A/C and turned the car on and the clutch was still engaged. So I'm thinking the clutch is seized. I pressed the valve on the high-pressure side and I couldn't hear or see anything come out so I'm thinking I have a leak now too. 

 

My biggest concern is driving with the compressor always turning, I don't want it to seize and my belt to burn off. I'm wondering if it's as simple as replace the compressor, and take it to a shop to be refilled? 

 

Pepboys has a free leak test they offer but I'm a little skeptical about taking it there to see if they can find a leak.

 

I'm open to any and all ideas on what to do next.

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Are you positive the clutch is engaged?  It might look like it is because the pulley always spins.  If you look at the front of the compressor and it’s not turning the clutch is not engaged.  Please don’t be offended, not sure how familiar you are with the ac system is all.....?

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No offense taken at all haha, I can't count how many times I've started to work on a problem to later realize it was something simple I had overlooked or should have looked at in the first place. I looked at the pulley and it was spinning, and the hub was also spinning. I watched it and never saw it disengage, and even reached down and felt the inside lightly with my hand to feel the hub moving too. I checked it again with the A/C compressor unplugged and with the A/C off and had the same results. I'm also not super familiar with A/C systems in general, but from what I read, it seems like if my compressor clutch was truly seized, then my compressor would have likely burnt up by now as I've done some 7-8 hour drives in the past few months for work. 

 

I suspect it might be a Clutchless system with a Variable Displacement Compressor. This would make sense as in this type of system the pulley-wheel  always spins, even when the A/C is off. I know I have low/no pressure in the system and the A/C slowly got worse over 2 summers so I have a leak somewhere and will probably just get the system evacuated and filled with some dye and then find the leak at the end of summer and fix the leak and go from there.

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But clutchless is newer tec and the Journey hasn’t been updated at all in years. Still a 4 -6 speed tranny and hydraulic steering.

 

Here is a photo of your compressor with a big clutch driven pulley from RoackA. And clutch pic.

 


1596D009-E17C-48F4-8BE7-49A5E48A2FD4.jpeg.e8c1f51674b93a01580a89160657b3a4.jpeg
 

 

 

CC530F32-0BAA-42FE-9D2C-BF58E49BF293.jpeg.04cd1528f2892b485e991fa16c7f401a.jpeg

Edited by John/Horace
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Well now I'm good and confused. I looked up the AC compressor model online and it said it was clutchless, and I can't imagine it running the entire time for the two 8-hour drives I took without seizing. But that is an electromagnet clutch there like I thought. So I'm at a loss now. 

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