A/C pulley & belt
 

Ok, so I turned on the car yesturday and it started to make this squeeling noise from the engine followed by some really bad burned rubber smell in the cabin. I turn the engine off and look in te engine bay( Yeah like I know what the hell I am looking for lol) anywho I saw pieces of the "plastic" pulley on the engine and the belt was torn. My question is this: Do they make a metal rather than plastic so this doesnt happen again? (I realize I have to get to the root of the problem/find out what may have caused this) I guess Subaru put in plastic, so plastic it shall be. yes I searched but came up empty handed, I will continue my search because no A/C is NO F.U.N...
Thanks guys..

Sounds like your A/C compressor, or the clutch in the pulley seized. At best you're replacing the pulley and the belt, at worst, you're replacing the entire A/C compressor.

Awesome thanks Scott.. I will try to get pics today for you but It sounds like you know exactly what it is.. :)

Sounds like your compressor seized up and you are spinning the belt on a frozen pulley and burning it up. Turn off the AC so you don't break the belt. (assuming the clutch will disengage)

If it was just the clutch, rubber wouldn't be burning, just a ton of squealing metal on metal clutch action.

well I turned the A/C off and took it on to the nearest shop that I could find at like 6pm(South Meadows area) and the guy at the repair shop came out, looked at the belt, Cut it off and said, "Ok you can make it home and bring it back when you can so we can fix this.. I was like huh?????

Uh, doesn't that serpentine belt go around the alternator and water pump too? :?:

A/C is on one, powersteering and alternator share the other belt.

Oh, nice. He's not crazy then Boo. :)

:lol: Thats the first thing I thought.. Thats why I posted it here, to see if this was acceptable..


So, what would cause this, of course other than typical wear and tear?

Typical wear and tear and a hot climate.

Pick up one on the web and have your local Nissan dealership install it. They do good AC work. ;)

:lol: I'll keep that in mind... Thanks Dean :)

I had to do the same thing with my Eagle several years back. . . I was living in Reno and driving in to Carson, AC compressor seized partway through town, and I had to cut the belt to make it back to Reno. It left shredded belt all over my engine bay and smelled terrible for a couple days. I didn't even know it had happened until we stopped at a light - there was no noise, but a lot of smoke! :lol:

As I sit here with my shredded A/C belt in hand... I think your car made my car sick.

:lol: Sorry man!!! Must be Contageous.

Jumping on the A/C bandwagon.

My clutch was slipping, so I took it off this AM. removed one of the three spacer washers and put it back together.

That is probably the only one I can take off before the rivets holding the clutch material on start rubbing... :(

As far as I can tell, you cannot buy just a clutch, you have to buy a whole compressor, so for any of you who run into a slipping issue, I suggest this method.

Next time it starts, I may call Reno Brake and see if they will put new material on the clutch plate...

I had to tighten the belt...super easy to do.