Is my a/c compressor toast or can I just replace the clutch?

[wretched73]

I turned the a/c on and popped my hood. Took a video of the a/c compressor trying to run. I noticed when I was driving down the highway it was working, blowing super cold, then when I stopped and idled, that the a/c wouldn't blow cold. Figured it was just low and needed to be recharged. Before I got to that step, it wouldn't work at all.

I don't want to pay someone to fix this because it is easily going to be $500 or more. I just want a few opinions on just replacing the clutch.

[video=youtube_share;2mwInVO4a00]http://youtu.be/2mwInVO4a00[/video]

That is not the video running choppy either. That is just how the a/c compressor is trying to turn.

 

[Huck]

Interested to hear opinions as well, I have the same problem on my Cobra, just not quite that bad. Will yours catch and spin normally if you rev it up while sitting still?

 

[Cheeny23]

They wouldn't warranty mine without full replacement.

 

[Trevor F]

Pretty sure you can buy/replace just the clutch, but i think the clutch alone cost near as much as the compressor with clutch. Id go for the full setup. Compressor,accumulator,and orifice tube. Most likely needs a full compressor replacement when its struggling like that.

 

[wretched73]

It was catching at higher rpm yesterday. But today it would not

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[Adjusted]

They wouldn't warranty mine without full replacement.

Pretty sure you can buy/replace just the clutch, but i think the clutch alone cost near as much as the compressor with clutch. Id go for the full setup. Compressor,accumulator,and orifice tube. Most likely needs a full compressor replacement when its struggling like that.

These are both true. Youre going to go through almost an equal amount of work either way, and these parts are not extremely expensive if you can do it yourself - then you have the peace of mind (and warranty) for the future. It cost me around $375 to do this to my truck last year, vaccum/recharge cost me $80.