Help diagnosing AC compressor noise!

https://youtu.be/2lg7i5QA9fo

 

Drag is normal, I would check your line pressure. Thing is your a/c can leak super slow to the point where mentally you may not notice it's fading- then internal noises can arise. Clutches don't go out as frequently as mentioned, sandy environments can eat them up. Bearings generally go bad with stress on the belt items (ie idler issues).

As cheap as it is to pop on a gauge for the pressure line, I would start there, and if it's low fill it-most every recharge bottle has oil in it.

To be honest when I do an a/c job, it's orfice tube, accumulator and compressor, sometimes new lines- hook it up to the recharge machine and go. I understand that's out of your current $$.

 

It's going to be recharging with refrigerant/oil combo, just oil, or bearing. I don't think clutches fail in a way that make that much noise as they're connected to the internal of the compressor. The bearing could be it but who wouldn't drive to walmart/auto parts store and spray a can in it if it could be a thing that could fix it.

edit: I have that same car and mine has that much drag. The drag is because the ac runs hard and uses a lot of energy to cool the air.

 

Yep, and most R134A cans have a guage on top now too. But if you have an old hose with the guage sitting around, that's what I use before going to the manifold guages.

 

Hmm.. how much pressure should it have? Do I hook up the low side, turn on the truck, turn the AC on and charge till the pressure reads correct?

The thing is, my AC still seems to blow pretty cold. I'm stumped.

 

It could still blow cold with low refrigerant/oil. The gauge usually reads low so i would just add like half the can in your situation. Your correct on turning the ac on before reading pressure like 5 mins of ac running. Make sure you turn can upside down every 5 seconds to get the oil in the system.

 

Like stone said, it may be cold, but could also be leaking slowly to the point of the internals being worked harder, creating noises. You would want to check both lines pressures, but in your case just the low line for now, and also check the temperature in the vents I aim for below 45, sometimes you can only get below 50 due to the evaporator age. Guessing your truck is at the minimum 14 years old- if you get a bottle to refill and noise goes away, then you will want to see how long the pressure stays after your recharge. If it drops, you have a leak, which means its likely the internals are getting worked harder (ie never run a pump dry). Turning it by hand won't tell you much unless you have a seized compressor and sometimes belts won't squeal (or if the pulley is about to fall completely off). The quickest way is doing a line check, but if this truck is a 1st gen with it's original compressor expect to do some work soonish. Following a full a/c job at a shop: check pressure on high and low, leak detection test if needed, orfice tube aka expansion, accumulator, recharge and recycle. A/C systems are best to keep clean due to the way they function, so if you open lines be clean- that's why recharge lines have quick connects and don't loose the plastic cap.

This is your $20 get lucky option:
1) First, I check the line pressure- sounds like you don't have a hose so this is to help you test and see if noise goes away, get a bottle with a guage:
This isn't me...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_IhGe0Kip8. As he says pressure depends on temperature. http://rechargeac.com/how-to/ac-system-pressure-chart. I keep those spare hoses so I can check when I'm diagnosing for people- just like he shows you in the video. I used to have a boss to who made us thermometer the vents until we got below 45F inside the vents. You can see how the compressor noise changes as you're working if the noise gets better, jump for joy and hope that it lasts for a few more years until it burns up from whatever slow leak you have in the system. I've had some go for another 2 years. or I've seen them get 2 days down the road before customer calls.

Your $500 option, maybe do it yourself for $250:
Over time you'll either have a leak or the compressor is wearing out (even if the clutch or bearings are bad, it's simpler generally to replace the whole compressor, OT, Accumulator recharge and go). Almost every service I've done, it starts with a leak, and then noises or change in temperature occurs and since I generally have to make sure it's good and buttoned up, that's why you got a $500 quote for the listed items above and labor. That's also hoping the rubber a/c lines aren't bad.

All we're trying to say is get the can, and see what happens. After that, repairs get bigger.

 

If I do need to replace the compressor, would it be wise to replace the condenser and expansion valve as well? Or should I only replace if there are some other non-related issues with my AC? I know I should replace the drier if I have to evacuate the system.

 

compressor only had 15ml of oil in it. Replaced compressor with new one, put 100cc of oil in it. Should be a happy new compressor

 

Definitely would have stopped that noise if you just added oil. Told you the oil would displace/loose its properties over time. Most likely $20 would have had saved you the $200 for a new compressor. You probably also noticed how the clutch rotates is integrated into the compressor. So if the clutch isn't catching it's not going to be the clutch its the compressor.

 

Yeah, I realize that. However, I think the compressor was too far gone. The oil in it was an orange color, not clear. I think the damage had already been done. Even if I added oil, it would be like adding oil to an engine with worn rod bearings or scored cams.... a ticking time bomb.

FWIW the clutch was fine, when I turned it though, it felt very gritty, not smooth. Seemed like the internals of the compressor were basically shot. Thankfully no debris in the system, which would have been another total gamble if I just added oil and didn't remove and inspect the internals.

 

Old post but for future the best fix to "try" was more oil first. But' its best to release some freon and add the small can of "compressed" oil sold by itself not the mixed freon/oil. Then top it off with straight freon. Most mixed cans don't have enough oil in them to do much good really, more for topping off than filling a very low unit like this. Low oil issues can come from the factory where it wasn't topped off enough or the compressor was turned on its side so some oil leaks out before its installed.
Low from the start, just not low enough to make noise until it aged. As its freon was lost enough oil seeps out with it so the noise starts.

I know Toy does things way better because I helped build their OEM car parts and know their QC very well but I worked at Whirlpool for yrs building window AC/Fridge/Freezer etc. for yrs.
I installed almost 2 thousand compressors a shift most days and it seemed every skid of compressors we opened had different levels of oil in them with oil layered in the bottom of the skids from leakage/spilled/over filled you name it. One day we shut the window AC line down for a good while just because we had so many we had to top off before installing them. Line was already down before my shift began so idk how many were low but several hours were lost from it on 2nd shift alone. That was early 80's when they first came from China/Mex. Whirlpool bounced around for yrs manufacturing its compressors in USA, Mex or China to save a buck. My guess many are still low from the start but Toy would care much more about catching these issues than other corps care to do I know thats true. Most corps will slap them on without a care so customers pay to replace/fill after warranty ends, bet on it...
I try the cheapest fix first myself, nothing but a few more bucks lost by trying more oil first here?