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Can a bad ac compressor pulley damage my truck? It's a 21...


Can a bad ac compressor pulley damage my truck? It's a 2103 Toyota Tacoma, manual transmission. Mechanic's Assistant: Has the clutch been slipping? Are you having any trouble shifting? No, clutch is good. We are planning ...

Can a bad ac compressor pulley damage my truck? It's a 2103 Toyota Tacoma, manual transmission. Mechanic's Assistant: Has the clutch been slipping? Are you having any trouble shifting? No, clutch is good. We are planning to drive from Colorado to Oregon. We won't need ac, but probably heat... Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your Tacoma yourself? What have you tried so far? I will do the work myself. I just replaced the serpentine belt and found that the ac pulley sounded grainy and seemed to not spin as freely as the other pulleys when I spun them. Mechanic's Assistant: Anything else you want the Mechanic to know before I connect you? That's about it I think.

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Responses

Automotive Expert
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Typing is fine
Automotive Expert
Hello, the only damage it can do is if the pulley locks up and throws the belt. If the belt flies off it can damage parts around that area and the vehicle can stop charging and also overheat. If the ac is working ok and not making any noise when it is on or off it should be ok.

when I turn on the truck or the [engine](/topics-engine-toyota/) is running in a low rpm it make a whirring noise. It goes away when the rpms are higher and withing 16 seconds after I start it. Can you boil the ac pulley to make avoid it seizing up?Not boil, oilWhirring noiseSorry, my phone sabotages me
Automotive Expert
No it is not meant to be oiled. It has to lock together the clutch hub and pulley for it to work. if it is noisey, then it should be replaced.

Ok, is it dangerous to drive 1000 miles with it making noise?
Automotive Expert
If it is making noise, I would have a shop inspect it to be sure. Otherwise I would replace it to be safe.

Ok, when I replace it, I am not understanding how the fluid balance works. Can you advise on that?
Automotive Expert
For the ac system? If you are replacing the whole compressor and you are not sure or have not done this before or have the proper tools. A vacuum pump, ac gauges and freon. I would let a shop evacuate and recharge the ac system.

Ok, what's the normal cost for that?
Automotive Expert
Prices vary from shop to shop with different labor rates. You can phone shop your local garages to get the best deal.

Ok, well thank you.
Automotive Expert
If they change the compressor and do everything it will be a big repair cost. Just charging the system would probably cost a couple hundred bucks tops. I hope you find this information helpful. If any part of my response is unclear, please let me know. It’s my goal to deliver excellent service, so please let me know if there is anything more I can do. Thank you for using our site.

Can the noise just be from the new serpentine belt?
Automotive Expert
A belt noise would squeal, not grind.

Ok, well thanks again. I'll have my mechanic check it out.
Automotive Expert
You are welcome, Have a nice evening!

Hey, are you around tonight?
Automotive Expert
Good morning..how can i help?

Oh, well we made an appointment to get our ac compressor replaced in salt lake city and sure enough it goes out in Price, Utah. The belt split and the ac pulley won't turn, so that means that it seized up, correct?
Automotive Expert
that is correct.

Could that have been caused by me changing the serpentine belt?
Automotive Expert
Doubtful. If it was making noise before it was a warning sign like we discussed.

Yeah, exactly. I read something online that said you ac compressor can be out but as long as the old belt tension hasn't been released, it can kind of be sitting in a sweet spot. Once you put the new belt on, it knocks it out of place. But if the ac was never working, it's probably been screwed up for some time don't you think?
Automotive Expert
I advised to have it inspected before making your trip because you said it was grinding. Once it makes noise it is a warning it is about to probably fail. No sweet spot once something is making a noise..the pulley always turns. The compressor itself when on put more of a load on the pulley.

Yup, I was one the same page as you with that. My partner wanted to just get in the car and drive, so we compromised and scheduled the change in Salt Lake 1/3 of the way into it trip, but we were just 120 miles short, sadly. Hopefully he will learn to trust my intuition and expert advice like I'm getting from you!

Is there a work around yo bypass the ac compressor with a smaller serpentine belt? They're having trouble finding my parts today.
Automotive Expert
Not sure if they make a specific belt for without ac or installing a dummy pulley. A parts store would have to assist you on that part of a repair.

Ok thanks
Automotive Expert
You are welcome, good luck.

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