My truck squeals whenever the AC is running.....

Aug 5th, 2003, 01:35 PM

I reside in Dallas, TX and I own a 1994 Nissan XE pickup (2WD). I'm new to the board so please bear with me.

I've been here for four HOT summers now. Last year, I noticed that whenever I used my air conditioning, I would hear a quick screech noise and that was it. It would happen every once in a while. But now, whenever I have the AC on, my truck makes frequent and loud squealing/screeching noises every day. And right when it squeals, I can sometimes feel my truck jerk or it will slow down for a second and then pick back up. The noise can last from 1 second to 3 seconds at the most. The sound kinda reminds me of someone slamming on their brakes, but a little more high pitched. This ONLY happens when the AC is running.

I am going to take it to get it checked out, but I wanted to get some advice from anyone who can help me or has had the same problem. Being that I'm not too familiar with trucks/automobiles, I didn't want to go to the auto shop all clueless!

Thanks to anyone who can help!

jadcock · Aug 5th, 2003, 05:10 PM

This sounds like a pretty easy fix. Check the tension of the A/C drive belt or the drive belt itself. The tension is probably loosened or the belt is glazed, causing a momentary slip whenever there's a slight drag on it (when the A/C compressor cycliclly engages). Check this before you take it to a shop because they'll charge you 50 or 60 bucks to do check that for you.

Aug 5th, 2003, 10:25 PM

I agree with jadcock, I've had a heck of a time trying to get a/c belts to not squeal. And in the Arizona heat, a/c is a must! I also had a squeal from the a/c clutch, this usually happens after a rain, so I shot it with liquid wrench a couple of times and replaced the belt and put a little more tension on it. No more squeaks. Good luck with your a/c....

himilefrontier · Aug 6th, 2003, 10:29 AM

I do not believe the problem is the belt.The problem is possibly the compressor clutch.On a KA24 engine,it is mounted low and close to the front crank seal and when this goes, it shoots oil into the clutch and causes it to slip(and bad front seals are a problem endemic to KA24's).If this goes on long enough, it will kill the clutch.The other possibility is that the clutch is going due to a bad cycling switch that is allowing excess pressure to build up and lock the compressor causing the pulley to spin without the compressor moving.