A/c compressor locking up

A weird thing happened on my a/c. I don't use the truck much and the last time I used it maybe 4 months ago, the a/c worked and cooled fine. I crank up today, see the a/c light flashing, and smell the drive belt burning. Got a helper to turn on the a/c and the compressor turned maybe an inch and stopped but was still trying to turn. I wonder why it worked fine before, usually when an a/c compressor goes out or locks up, it does it while being used not with my condition. I know, anything can lock up at any time. Any thoughts guys?? thanks

 

Maybe the oil leaked out along with most of the refrigerant. Look around for green stains assuming there was dye in the system.

 

Clutch failure is possible

 

It's a known point of failure on 2nd gen tacoma, often its just rusty, has poor contact and starts to grab when its not supposed to, or slip when its not supposed to.

 

Just another thought.

A long time ago an old geezer told me a story about a vehicle AC System and why the compressors fail. Many people tend to not run an AC all the time due to it causing more for fuel, even more so in today's market. When it isn't running and circulating refrigerant and lubricating oil things tend to get gummed up. Then when it is turned on only occasionally the failure rate is higher due to poor lubrication.

I run my AC compressor all the time hot weather and cold weather and just use the heater controls to regulate the temperature. I have never had a compressor seize up. I guess this is just my personal experience. It makes sense to me and has worked (knock on wood) for 50 years.