YourMotherShouldKnow Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I've been driving a 94' Cadillac Seville SLS and yesterday I noticed the A/C wasn't doing much (it was 97 degrees out) and when I got home and parked the car I noticed a thin plume of smoke coming out through the right slit of the hood. When I walked around the front of the car there was a pungent smell lingering in the air. Something like burning rubber maybe. I talked with my brother today and through a battery of amateurish tests I believe it has something to do with the A/C system. It doesn't do the smoke/smell bad thing when the A/C is off. Only when it's on for a few minutes. Anyone care to weigh in on what it might be? Bad compressor? Bad belt? Low/no Freon? ??? The car has only 45,000 miles on it believe it or not and that's after the 1,600 mile trek from Maryland to Austin, Tx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwestenberg Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Umm, pop the hood, check the belts and hoses from the AC components. Burning rubber under the hood has to be belts or hoses. Lyrics. Wasted space between solos. I can't tell you, but I can play it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Yep, if it's smelling like burning rubber it's likely a belt that's been slipping. If that's so, it's probably due to a compressor starting to fail, or the clutch coil or bearing going south. That's from the information that the thing isn't cooling as well as it did before. This information is not warranted to be the cure for your POS's ailments. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YourMotherShouldKnow Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 Thanks guys. I'll have a look. Everything is crammed together so I can't see anything from the top. I'll find some grass and see what I can see from underneath. What should I be looking for? It's gonna end up at the shop but it's interesting to see how these things work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I remember when my A/C went out... one of the nastiest smells I've ever experienced. Not the rubber belt burning, but the actual compressor went. (Whoo! ) Have it checked out by a technician and don't run the A/C again until it's been checked. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by LanceMo: Thanks guys. I'll have a look. Everything is crammed together so I can't see anything from the top. I'll find some grass and see what I can see from underneath. What should I be looking for? It's gonna end up at the shop but it's interesting to see how these things work.A '94 Seville has the Northstar engine. Those suckers take up a lot of space, don't they? I was on the original Northstar project team in Livonia, MI, and I doubt you'll see much from underneath. But if you do, look to see if the compressor's spinning at a comparable rate. As the car IS 10 years old, the compressor crapping out is a safe bet. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattC Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Reminds me of when my last car's AC clutch went bad. THe motor just seized up all at once and refused to turn. The belts are still spinning, though. The friction created when belts rub across a pulley account for that nasty smell. What you want to look for (and check all of your belts) is any sign of which look "polished" or worn on the bottom. ...think funky thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YourMotherShouldKnow Posted August 21, 2004 Author Share Posted August 21, 2004 Originally posted by whitefang: Originally posted by LanceMo: Thanks guys. I'll have a look. Everything is crammed together so I can't see anything from the top. I'll find some grass and see what I can see from underneath. What should I be looking for? It's gonna end up at the shop but it's interesting to see how these things work.A '94 Seville has the Northstar engine. Those suckers take up a lot of space, don't they? I was on the original Northstar project team in Livonia, MI, and I doubt you'll see much from underneath. But if you do, look to see if the compressor's spinning at a comparable rate. As the car IS 10 years old, the compressor crapping out is a safe bet. WhitefangYeah the Northstar V8 is badass. I'm not gonna run the AC until I have a mechanic to look it over. Sounds like the compressor is toast from what you guys are saying. I'm glad summer is almost over cause I can't handle shelling out $1000 right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysb3 Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Originally posted by LanceMo: I'll find some grass and see what I can see from underneath. What should I be looking for? A roach clip? One thing to remember is that the compressor is probably running when you have the defroster on, even if you have the temp control on hot. This is true of most modern cars, so bear in mind that you'll either need to fix the problem or bypass the compressor somehow if you need the defroster. That won't be for a few months since you live in Austin, you lucky dog. Henry He not busy being born Is busy dyin'. ...Bob Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Originally posted by henrysb3: probably running when you have the defroster on, even if you have the temp control on hot. This is true of most modern cars, so bear in mind that you'll either need to fix the problem or bypass the compressor somehow if you need the defroster. That won't be for a few months since you live in Austin, you lucky dog. HenryGood point Henry. The clutch coil can be easily unplugged though and then if the clutch bearing is still good it'll stop the belt problem until Jode can get it fixed. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.