AC troubles!! help appreciated!!

whats up everyone? i'm glad i found a forum so i can finally express my love of my car to people who can actually relate!!

but before that...i have run into a little problem. On my way back from work, i had my AC on high and heard some rattling noises. It went on for a little and the brake light and battery light became illuminated and my AC lost its cool. When i got home i popped the hood and tried to see what could be wrong but the only thing i found was the fan wasnt moving. Does anyone have any insight to what the problem could be? (besides the fan)

anything is appreciated. Thanks

Well, I'm thinking you probably have 2 unrelated issues.

First off, did the AC slow down, or lose it's low temp? I'd check your accessory belt, because a loose belt or pulley could have caused the noises, and that in turn could have slowed/killed the AC and slowed your alternator charge...setting off the battery light.

http://www.stealth316.com/2-alt-drivebelt.htm

I don't see how that would be related to the brake light though. The most common reason for that is low fluid. If it only blinks on when you acclerate or stop, and then it goes off, it is normal, you are just a bit low on fluid, due to brake pad wear, and the pistons having to be pushed further out. Top it off and keep an eye/ear on your brake pads.

Now if it is staying on all the time, the first thing I would check is your fluid level, again. Where is it? Do you still have a strong pedal, or is it spunggy/falling to the floor?

Give us a bit more info on teh brake light situation, and also on how your accessory belt looks like. How many miles are on your car and when was the last tuneup, belts and pulleys should be changed every 60k/5 years. If the belt is dry/brittle/or cracked, it needs to be replaced.

Welcome to AF, hope you like it. I'd also recommend checking out www.3si.org/forum, it is free to sign up, just don't use a free web-based email address, such as yahoo or hotmail...they don't allow it. But it is another forum, completely geared towards 3000gts and stealths. Also I'd recommend checking out our FAQ, it has lots of great info and links.

Well, I'm thinking you probably have 2 unrelated issues.

First off, did the AC slow down, or lose it's low temp? I'd check your accessory belt, because a loose belt or pulley could have caused the noises, and that in turn could have slowed/killed the AC and slowed your alternator charge...setting off the battery light.

http://www.stealth316.com/2-alt-drivebelt.htm

I don't see how that would be related to the brake light though. The most common reason for that is low fluid. If it only blinks on when you acclerate or stop, and then it goes off, it is normal, you are just a bit low on fluid, due to brake pad wear, and the pistons having to be pushed further out. Top it off and keep an eye/ear on your brake pads.

Now if it is staying on all the time, the first thing I would check is your fluid level, again. Where is it? Do you still have a strong pedal, or is it spunggy/falling to the floor?

Give us a bit more info on teh brake light situation, and also on how your accessory belt looks like. How many miles are on your car and when was the last tuneup, belts and pulleys should be changed every 60k/5 years. If the belt is dry/brittle/or cracked, it needs to be replaced.

Welcome to AF, hope you like it. I'd also recommend checking out www.3si.org/forum (http://www.3si.org/forum), it is free to sign up, just don't use a free web-based email address, such as yahoo or hotmail...they don't allow it. But it is another forum, completely geared towards 3000gts and stealths. Also I'd recommend checking out our FAQ, it has lots of great info and links.

Hey thanks a lot for your help. I was actually having some problems with the belts earlier so im not too surprised. They were squeaking a decent amount when i started the engine up mostly and would eventually die out as i continued driving. I brought it to the mitsu service and they couldnt do anything but fix the idle since it was a little low and now its a decent amount higher for some reason. Before that however, i brought it to another auto service place and they said i might need a pulley for one of the belts, so it sounds like your on the money. I had a feeling if nothing was done something like this would happen. Also, i just realized the coolant light stays on when the car is running so maybe the coolant is low and the ac shut off while i had it on high (explaining the noises) dunno =/

but to answer your questions:
-the AC lost its temp after i had it on high for a little while and those rattling noises occured
-the pedal is completely fine, everything else in the car seems to be in working order other than the ac at this point.
-it has about 52000 miles and i'll have to double check when the last tuneup was, i had just bought it from a private owner a month ago

Sounds like it's time for the 60k tuneup. Your belts are probably 11-12 years old now. Not good. Mine are about the same (96 with 57,000). I'd seriously start thinking about the 60k tuneup. Your one belt is already showing its age..if your timing belt goes too...you are looking at a very costly repair, as you could really damage your valves and need to replace the heads. There is a section of the FAQ regarding the tuneup, and a few threads about where to get the parts the cheapest (if you do a search for '60k' you'll find them)

Also are you sure its your coolant light and not your windsheild wiper fluid light. When I first got the car I got them confused...so check your manual. If you are low on coolant, fill it up. If you are seriously low, you should replace the thermostat too.