Is it safe to drive with a noisy AC compressor pulley?
A noisy or squealing AC compressor pulley with play risks seizing up and destroying the serpentine belt and surrounding components. This sudden noise leaves drivers unsure whether the play is normal, whether to replace just the moving part or the entire assembly, and if they can safely keep driving.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Replacing the whole compressor instead of just the pulley or moving parts.Did this help you?
- 2waiting for replacement parts to arrive while continuing to driveDid this help you?
- 3checking the belt tensioner or belt tightnessDid this help you?
- 4Take the belt off and spin the pulley by hand to verifyDid this help you?
- 5Get a rebuild kit and try repairing itDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Sound only happens with AC on (it works). 1985 Jaguar XJS V12, I think this is a Harrison A6 AC compressor. I’m not very good at describing sounds, but in person I’d say it sounds kind of like a really old airplane.”source ↗
“The Delphi DH5 compressor pulley has some play and makes a noise (clack, clack, clack) when the air conditioning is off; is this play normal? Should I replace the entire pulley or just the moving part?”source ↗
“My A/C compressor suddenly started squealing loud as hell.”source ↗
“Can I safely keep driving it for a week with the A/C compressor making this noise whether it's on or off, or am I gambling with the compressor/pulley seizing and destroying the serpentine belt and everything else?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 20AC making loud noise again after repair
- 3AC compressor making weird sounds after servicing
- 9Why does my car A/C compressor keep turning on and off?
- 28Why does my car run terribly and stutter after a long drive?
- 5Why does my car make a clicking noise and not start?
- 9Why is my engine pulley wobbling and making a grinding noise?