What is this? Passenger side lower main pulley... AC?

[NightmareMoon]

What is this part? My car started making odd noises and burnt rubber smells on the way home. Is it the AC?

It looks like some grease or melted rubber is coming out of it.

Picture is taken from the front of the car near the radiator overflow tank.

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[fmc_smt]

A compressor , looks like it locked up.

 

[Deleted member 35786]

That my friend is called your compressor clutch.. It has burned up. So you have two options here. 1. Look online and buy just the clutch and change it out, OR 2. Buy full compressor with clutch included.
Compressor itself with clutch will run anywhere from $200 - $330 depending on where you buy it. Amazon, Rock Auto etc..
Clutch will be about half the price. However on Rock Auto they list it for $170.. So shop around, ebay etc..

 

[fmc_smt]

With it melting the rubber out of the center , I would bet that the compressor is locked up .

 

[Deleted member 35786]

Buy a new compressor and take it to a local shop and have them swap it out.. Way cheaper than the stealership!!
Compressor:
https://www.amazon.com/UAC-CO-11316C-C-Compressor/dp/B00SLKEWF0/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Ford|54&Model=Mustang|688&Year=2017|2017&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive

Compressor Kit:
https://www.amazon.com/UAC-KT-4807-Compressor-Component/dp/B07D45QNMM/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=uac+kt+4807&qid=1555988544&s=automotive&sr=1-2-fkmrnul

Unless your still under your 3yr/36 bumper to number warranty.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Im out of 3yr/36k warranty.

Thanks for the help, thats about what I expected.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Anybody know how bad it is to replace the AC Compressor yourself? Something you can do at home? I'm not too scared of suspension work, but I assume you have to replace the refrigerant too?

The only thing I'm really worried about is if the bumper has to come off... Does the bumper have to get removed, or just the undertray?

 

[Deleted member 35786]

Anybody know how bad it is to replace the AC Compressor yourself? Something you can do at home? I'm not too scared of suspension work, but I assume you have to replace the refrigerant too?

The only thing I'm really worried about is if the bumper has to come off... Does the bumper have to get removed, or just the undertray?

Google it. There are a few videos in which folks replace compressors just by pinching the lines to prevent the refridgerant escaping. Not the ideal way for sure, especially if you have hard lines.
Removal looks fairly easy just by removing the undertray and the radiator fill container up top. Lots of room in front of the motor to work with.
Save you the hassle and take it to a reputable shop and have them swap it out. Should only be a few hundred bucks at most.

Perhaps someone can post the removal/install steps from the repair manual online for you to look at.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Yeah, mechanic wants $980 to replace the compressor - 220 labor, 560 for the compressor and clutch, and 200 for a R134A recharge. Neither of the mechanics I normally would use are willing to let me provide the part. One says its an expected part of their profit margin, and the other says they dont want to deal with parts they cant warranty.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

With things like this, you need to evacuate the system so that the refridgerant doesn't escape into the atmosphere. I've seen my father-in-law (a mechanic and licensed HVAC tech) do it before on both automotive and residential systems with a vacuum pump. All the refridgerant is vacuumed into a pressure vessel, the parts are replaced, then the refridgerant is replaced in the system (and topped off, if needed).

JR

 

[Deleted member 35786]

Yeah, mechanic wants $980 to replace the compressor - 220 labor, 560 for the compressor and clutch, and 200 for a R134A recharge. Neither of the mechanics I normally would use are willing to let me provide the part. One says its an expected part of their profit margin, and the other says they dont want to deal with parts they cant warranty.

Sorry to hear that. Ask some friends for recommendations or google a few, stop by and ask them, you will eventually find someone that will replace it.. $560 for a compressor..... daaammnnn what a rip off.. That is double the price..

It might just be the ac clutch in which you can do yourself for alot less money..
9 times out of 10 most AC compressor failures are actually the clutch.. I had the same thing happen in my Honda, driving down the road, air got warm and smelled something burning. Popped the hood and the ac clutch was toast... But with hardly no access to change it I winded up doing the compressor.. Mechanic gave me my old compressor back and it was fine, just the clutch was melted. Sucks I could not have just changed it at the time. Lesson learned.
However I did change my sons ac clutch and its good as new in his car at 120K miles.. sooo there is that.. lol

But the mustang has tons of room in there to just swap a ac clutch out.. looks fairly easy.. Have good snap ring pliers.

 

[NightmareMoon]

That's promising. Replacing the belt seems tricky with no tensioner? Clutches are less than half the cost of the whole Compressor package.

I just don't know how to diagnose it to the compressor or just the clutch (without replacing the clutch and hoping that does the trick).

I'd hate to spend $140 on a clutch (plus shipping) from Levittown, only to have to go right back for the whole $400 Compressor/Clutch combo. Levittown is so far the cheapest place I've seen.

Thanks a bunch for the help. If its a good chance the clutch will fix it, that might turn a $1000 mechanic bill into a $140 home install.

 

[Deleted member 35786]

That's promising. Replacing the belt seems tricky with no tensioner? Clutches are less than half the cost of the whole Compressor package.

I just don't know how to diagnose it to the compressor or just the clutch (without replacing the clutch and hoping that does the trick).

I'd hate to spend $140 on a clutch (plus shipping) from Levittown, only to have to go right back for the whole $400 Compressor/Clutch combo. Levittown is so far the cheapest place I've seen.

Thanks a bunch for the help. If its a good chance the clutch will fix it, that might turn a $1000 mechanic bill into a $140 home install.

Open the hood and look at the air conditioning compressor. Make sure the serpentine belt is intact, properly tensioned and not damaged. With the car's ventilation controls set to "off," start the engine and look at the clutch/pulley assembly on the front of the compressor. The clutch should not be engaged -- the outer pulley driven by the belt should be turning, but the inner hub should not. If both are turning, the clutch is seized.

Now, turn on the air conditioning and look again. Both the outer pulley and the inner hub should be turning, indicating the clutch is engaged and driving the compressor. If the compressor is seized, the entire clutch assembly will be stationary and the belt will be slipping, squealing, smoking and, in a very short period of time, failing.

I showed you the amazon link where the AC compressor is less than $300 from UAC. They have a 1yr warranty, same as Ford so no need to spend $400.
PM me if you need more info on what to do. I have done this a few times.

Here is a video of an older Mustang.. But you get the idea..


Keep in mind he did not change the ac clutch coil in this video.. I will bet yours is toast going by your picture.. So get the full clutch kit from Rock Auto or Ebay.

 

[fmc_smt]

To see if the compressor is locked up , put a socket on the bolt in the center of the hub . If it turns the the hub the clutch failed , if it doesn't turn the compressor is locked up . The Ford part has a 2 year unlimited milage . There is a trick to get the belt on . I'll send you the instruction for replacement in the morning when I get to work .

 

[NightmareMoon]

2 years huh? Ford did replace the Compressor and Clutch under factory warranty 22 months ago already. I'm guessing I'm still SOL for a factory warranty, because I didn't pay for the first replacement.

The compressor turns fine (easily even) with a small ractchet and ubiquitous 10mm socket. The clutch is toast, visible melted plastic. It engages when the AC is turned on a spins the compressor a little, but visibly wobbles a lot between the stable inner compressor shaft and the outer pulley (which looks stable and fine as well).

So that makes me sound like a clutch replacement is worth a try, yes?

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