A/C Compressor About to go

[RoB51988]

So I got my A/C charged about a month ago and shortly after I started hearing a shaking noise coming from under the hood at an idle or slow speeds. Then it started doing it more and more no matter how fast I was going. I turned the A/C on and looked under the hood to check it out. I could see that it appears that the clutch isnt staying on or something. The pully is turning but the three bolts that spin on the outside when you have the A/C on only spin for a bout 4 or 5 seconds then stop then start going again.

Yesterday it started making a new noise. Its making a loud squeaking noise. I am wondering if its possible to just get a shorter belt and bypass the A/C compressor considering its the end of the summer anyways and I dont feel like spending 300+ dollars to have it fixed. If that is possible, does anyone know how long of a belt I would need to bypass it? I have a 97 Taurus GL DOHC(im pretty sure).

[shorod]

I think you probably have a series of issues happening here.

The rapid cycling of the clutch is more likely due to a low R-134a charge. A set of gauges and monitoring both the high and low sides could confirm that quickly.

The roughness at idle and slow speeds may be just due to the increased load of the compressor. When the AC is turned on, the Idle Air Control should increase the engine slightly to account for the increased load on the engine. If the IAC is not working properly, then the vibration could be due to putting the engine under load and/or alerting you to a misfire. Do you also experience the roughness at slow speeds even with the A/C off?

The loud squeaking is probably due to a dry bearing in the idler pulley or the tensioner pulley. As mentioned, the A/C puts quite a load on the engine. That load is applied via the drive belt. Loading the drive belt puts more load on the idler and self tensioner pulleys, making a dry bearing more noticeable. You may also get a similar noise if you were to turn on the headlights, step on the brake pedal, etc., putting a load on the alternator.

-Rod

[idjikaity]

Originally Posted by RoB51988

So I got my A/C charged about a month ago and shortly after I started hearing a shaking noise coming from under the hood at an idle or slow speeds. Then it started doing it more and more no matter how fast I was going. I turned the A/C on and looked under the hood to check it out. I could see that it appears that the clutch isnt staying on or something. The pully is turning but the three bolts that spin on the outside when you have the A/C on only spin for a bout 4 or 5 seconds then stop then start going again.

Yesterday it started making a new noise. Its making a loud squeaking noise. I am wondering if its possible to just get a shorter belt and bypass the A/C compressor considering its the end of the summer anyways and I dont feel like spending 300+ dollars to have it fixed. If that is possible, does anyone know how long of a belt I would need to bypass it? I have a 97 Taurus GL DOHC(im pretty sure).

I have 2001 Taurus/Vulcan, and some time ago I had a seized AC compressor pulley. I found a way to bypass it with an 66.5 inches
belt, which worked perfectly for me. I am not sure about the Duratec engine...