Trueno102

iTrader: (1)

hey guys my air conditioning compressor clutch is not moving anymore, its a 1991 n/a rx7

i was working today, i deliver to many homes and its very hot so i have my a/c on and all of a sudden my car starts steaming. This has never happened to me so i guessed maybe it was low in water or something so i topped it off and yet again it was overheating.
I figured out that it was when i turned on my A/C it would start to stumble, so i checked and my air conditioning compressor clutch is not moving
could this have cause my car to over heat and should i not turn on the a/c compressor until i replace it with a good one, when the a/c is off its not stumbling at all, has anyone had this happen to them

Molotovman

iTrader: (49)

Does it still overheat with the AC off? It sounds like your compressor is locked up, but that should not cause the car to overheat.

Are you positive it was overheating and it wasn't the refrigerant coming out from a leak in gas form?

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

If you checked the AC compressor by watching it with the engine running and it looked like it wasn't moving, then that's the wrong way. If you actually grabbed the clutch with the engine off and tried moving it, then it actually is locked up. I highly doubt the AC compressor being locked up will cause your engine to overheat.

Trueno102

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I know guys it's very odd, but it does not overheat with the compressor of, it only happens with the compressor on, when I leave the compressor or while I drive the radiator hose build up air ad I think that's what causes it to over heat,
Does the car work harder when the ac is on, if so maybe I have a small water leak I can't find and that's what causes the car to fill up on air with the water leaking, it's very odd but as long as I have the ac off I'm good

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Back to the question I asked. How do you know the compressor is locked up. Can you physically grab the clutch and not be able to move it? If that's the situation, then why are you even turning the AC on? That would engage the clutch, then burn up the belt.

Yes, the AC being on does cause extra load on the engine. Extra load on the cooling system too, as it's rejecting all that heat through the condenser which happens to be right in front of the radiator. Now you have hotter air being drawn through your radiator.

Trueno102

iTrader: (1)

I moved the a/c with my hand and it moves freely it's not locked, I try to find the reason why the radiator hose would fill up with air with the ac on and my water hose bursted open, the good thing was that I was not near the car when that happened, when I check inside the water thermostat there was no water inside the car, I think that the thermostat is no good, maybe I need to buy a original thermostat from mazdatrix bc I have a new 3rd party thermostat inside, I still find it odd it only does it when the ac is on

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Like I said, the AC is extra load on the engine, and it rejects its heat right into the radiator. If the radiator hose split open, it was probably just its time to die anyways. Replace the thermostat, flush the coolant, and change the radiator cap(s) if necessary. Do you still have the plastic undertray? I've not really experienced it myself, but apparently it helps keep the temps down.

Does the AC not work any more? If the compressor is not locked up, then you probably have a leak or a bad pressure switch not allowing the compressor to kick on.

Trueno102

iTrader: (1)

The a/c works fine, I think it just overheated bc of the thermostat, I replaced the radiator hose and bought a new radiator cap, I ordered a new thermostat from mazdatrix, I will check a/c hoses just in case maybe check vacuum for no leaks

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

OK, so now the story's starting to make sense. So what you're saying is that it's had no cooling issues before, AC worked fine as always. One day it started overheating, but only with the AC on. Now I get it.

This is a pretty common occurrence. Make sure your fan clutch spins with some resistance, but doesn't just freely spin. Make sure you have a fan shroud, plastic undertray, etc. Check/replace all radiator caps. Inspect the front and back of the radiator for any kind of airflow blockage (i.e. plastic bag, grass, etc.). Once you get the thermostat replaced, rent a pressure tester from a parts store. Pressure test the cooling system and look for leaks. That should pretty much cover any cooling system problems you may have.