Unfortunately it requires pulling the compressor and doing the measurements on a workbench, since there's no way to get a dial indicator where it needs to be in the car.īefore I do that, I think the next step should be to hook up the gauges and start measuring temps & H/L pressures, and take note of the H/L pressures when the noise comes & goes, while also capturing engine RPMs. There are procedures in the FSM for checking the mag clutch gap/clearance, which is one of the actions listed in the FSM for troubleshooting AC noises. Energized the clutch with a jumper to +12V and the compressor turns with the normal resistance you would expect as it compresses, but the the motion is very smooth and there were no noises to be heard. When de-energized, the pulley spins smooth & easy with no noises. Just pulled the belt and hand checked the compressor & mag clutch. What's an "electronic deslugging protector" and where would I find one? Which I'll have to do if the compressor needs to come out for replacement, or for a mag clutch repair/replacement. This car has a receiver/dryer, which I've been told should be replaced anytime the system is opened & exposed to the air. If it ever stops raining here, I'll have to pull that belt and do the hand rotation tests and see what's up. There's another belt for the water pump & alternator. Belt adjustment is obviously done at the PS pump. Compressor shares a 5-groove serpentine belt with the PS pump, which is mounted up high. The compressor on this Mazda 2.0L is mounted low, fixed to the block. I suppose that if the system lost a little refrigerant over the years, but not enough to make a noticeable difference in cooling performance, the compressor might become more susceptible to slugging given its location. Still wondering how that might occur though. I had to look up "slugging" since I was unfamiliar with the term. So my question to the experts here is could this sound I'm hearing be the death rattle of a failing compressor and/or clutch? And if it is, would it be smart to do a preemptive compressor replacement (new or rebuilt), pull a vacuum & recharge by weight to prevent potential damage to the rest of the system? For the time being I've told the kids they are banned from running the AC while driving - they'll have to sweat it out till dad can fix this one! I haven't bothered to connect my gauges to this A/C system yet, so no pressure data to share. Even swapped the old belt back on and there was no change in the noise. So I pulled out the FSM, checked, re-adjusted & re-checked the belts to factory specs multiple times (using both belt tension AND deflection methods!), so I'm confident this isn't just belt noise. My 1st thought was a too loose or too tight drive belt - since I recently replaced those at 180K miles while I did the timing belt job (DIY mechanic here). It stays silent until the next time the compressor cycles itself off & on again, when the noise repeats. If I rev the engine while its doing this, the pitch & volume of the sound increases, but then abruptly goes silent if I rev high enough and bring it back to idle. Car was handed down to my kids a couple of years ago.Īnyway, recently I noticed that when the compressor engages, I'll hear a metallic shrieking sound coming from the compressor. I've owned the car since new, and the AC system has never needed any service or a recharge. Its AC system still works fine - it cools the car's cabin well enough in hot & humid MD, and the compressor seems to cycle on & off when it's supposed to. Car is a 2003 Mazda Protege5, factory AC with about 182K miles on the clock.
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