Need important advice before I spend $800 at 8 AM tomorrow***

QueensLacMan · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 09:44 PM

I have my car in the shop scheduled to have its AC compressor replaced tomorrow morning. The total bill I'm looking at is $822. That includes a new compressor ($450), accumulator ($95), serpentine belt ($65), and labor ($165) and some other thing I don't recall. I'm going to sell the car this weekend and all of this fell in my lap. Not happy.

I'm wondering whether or not I need this done. This is the situation:

I drove the car around last week and didn't have a problem although I did hear a weird noise coming from under the hood. The next day I took the car out again and I got a "Battery Low Charge" message, and I had no power steering. I looked under the hood and found the serpentine belt shredded to pieces (thanks to Ranger for pointing this out). A day later, with no belt in place, the car wouldn't start. I could turn it on, use the lights, power windows, etc., but I couldn't start the car. I called AAA and they towed it to my local mechanic, who knows as much about Cadillacs as I do about the rate of algae mutation in the Arctic Circle. The mechanic looks under the car and tells me the AC compressor is shot, and that's what caused the belt to shred.

This seems very possible, but considering that my mechanic isn't that great, it's also very possible something else aside from the AC compressor caused the belt to shred. I had the water pump changed a few weeks back and they removed the upper and lower hoses, and in the process might have moved something around the serpentine belt. Maybe they put a washer or bolt in the wrong way... I don't know.

Previous to this incident, I have never had a problem with the belt or AC. The car does have a blown head gasket (still hard for me to accept this). Is there any connection between the AC compressor and the car overheating? Is there any connection between the bad serpentine belt and the head gasket?

I'm selling this car this weekend, and I want to be 100 percent sure this car needs this work done. I asked my mechanic if it could be something else, and he said no. I'm not sure. If I just put a new belt on, will it shred again? Probably. Maybe it was just loose or misaligned? Couldn't I just put a new belt on and then see what happens? Maybe once a new belt is on and turning, they can see where it's getting caught?

The belt was shredded. It was the original belt. 11 years old.

Let me know what you think about this. The shop opens up at 8 AM. He may have ordered the parts already, but I'm sure he can just return them and get his money back. I want to be sure I NEED this.

Thanks again.

QueensLacMan · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 09:50 PM

The car is a 1996 STS with 47,000 miles. Would an AC compressor go bad at that mileage?

rockybalboa11 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 10:01 PM

dang. that sucks man. sorry to hear. :-/

p.s. i wouldn't spend the money. won't bump up the resale value at all.

QueensLacMan · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 10:47 PM

Ranger thinks it could just be the clutch. When I turned the car on -- with the belt off -- I smelled something burning.

I just hope I don't spend $830 tomorrow and find out it was a power steering issue or some other pulley that tore up the belt.

Mountie · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QueensLacMan

The car is a 1996 STS with 47,000 miles. Would an AC compressor go bad at that mileage?

If it was me...... Put on a new belt & see what happens. I always try the simple fix first. You did say the belt was the original.

Also, if you aren't sure of the mechanic, have him put it on ( if you will be there anyway?)

The labor estimate doesn't seem like he's trying to get a freebee.... ( R&R an A/C isn't the easiest thing to do) In my opinion.

If you want to replace the belt yourself, you can replace it by removing the battery, or if your wrists are not thin, remove the front wheel and you have better access around the balancer.

Mountie · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QueensLacMan

Ranger thinks it could just be the clutch. When I turned the car on -- with the belt off -- I smelled something burning.

I just hope I don't spend $830 tomorrow and find out it was a power steering issue or some other pulley that tore up the belt.

If the belt is off, turn all the spinning parts and feel/hear any odd sounds or a wobble. That might give you a better idea?

**Ranger** · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 11:35 PM

Quote:

I had the water pump changed a few weeks back and they removed the upper and lower hoses, and in the process might have moved something around the serpentine belt. Maybe they put a washer or bolt in the wrong way... I don't know.

The water pump is not driven by the serpentine belt. It is on the other end of the engine and is driven by a separate belt driven off of the left bank intake cam.

Quote:

Is there any connection between the bad serpentine belt and the head gasket?

No.

Quote:

Couldn't I just put a new belt on and then see what happens?

No. Whatever seized and shredded the first belt will shred the new one. Could be the idler pulley bearing, tensioner bearing, alternator bearing, A/C clutch bearing or the compressor, but you said in your PM that the A/C was not on when this happened so I would tend to rule out the compressor.

dwight.j.carter · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 11:42 PM

could have been the bearings in the alternator you did say you got low voltage first.

SLS GOLD · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-07, 11:44 PM

I agree with changing the belt and see what happens. Replacing the AC when not sure its bad - get second opinion. My belt went to shreads when tensioner went bad. Bearings were crushed. I was just driving along and I lost power steering and low battery message. Have mechanic check tensioner. My car is 96 sls with 79,000 miles. PS: When my compressor went bad it made loud rattling noise for several months before I replaced.

cadillac_tech · #10 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger

but you said in your PM that the A/C was not on when this happened so I would tend to rule out the compressor.

I was thinking up until reading this that the compressor locked up. If your A/C was off though....hmmmm. Several things here: Why does the mechanic say it is the compressor (specifically). Did the comp. lock up, the bearing seize, or bearing totally come apart?, and did he check for a free pulley while the key and A/C were on (you wouldn't be able to turn by hand because it's engaged)?; Also, if this is the 96 and if the comressor was weak, you may have turned the compressor off but it remained on hence the compressor could have seized and thrown the belt with A/C 'turned' off. I'm not sure about your 95 but on a 96, if the compressor is weak but is engaged, it will not turn off until you turn the key off.
You're in a tough spot. The machanic is not trying to get rich with those prices though. Just hold his feet to the fire. If he's wrong he holds the bill.

Krashed989 · #11 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 12:33 AM

I agree with Ranger. If the A/C was off, then the compressor pulley should have been freewheeling. You can replace the clutch/pulley separate from the compressor.

cadillac_tech · #12 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krashed989

I agree with Ranger. If the A/C was off, then the compressor pulley should have been freewheeling. You can replace the clutch/pulley separate from the compressor.

Key words 'should have been' and I absolutely agree with replacing bearing/pulley/clutch or whichever combo it needs. I'm into the least expensive repair. When my 92 started smoking because of a weak compressor coil, I scrounged up a used coil and it works fine 3 years since. My cost $0.

QueensLacMan · #13 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 01:54 AM

Thanks guys. I'm going to call him the second the shop opens up, and tell him to check out the tensioner and pulleys. I don't know why he believes the compressor gave out. He just put the car on a lift and looked up in the general area with a flashlight, and said the compressor was busted. He squeezed something a few times and it made a "pss" sound as if air was being pumped out of something. I asked him a few times, "are you sure it's the compresser?" And he said, "yes."

The thing is NOBODY knows these damn Cadillacs except for the dealers and you folks - the owners. So I don't know.

The belt was completely shredded to pieces though. I smelled some burning. When it was happening, I heard a song from under the hood like there was a shoelace smacking around inside a washing machine. It was probably pieces of the shredded belt being whipped around and hitting stuff.

The car has just been sitting there for at least a few weeks. I haven't used the AC. The last few times I used the AC it blew ice cold and came on right away.

If a serpentine belt costs $80 or whatever, I'd rather just put one on with the sole intention of letting it spin so I can see what's shredding it. Then if it's in fact the compressor, OK, I'll change it. There's little difference between spending $820 and $900 when you're as miserable as I am right now.

The guy who is buying the car is a mechanic who also owns a dealership. I mean, I sold the car cheap because of the head gasket. This guy is going to probably fix it himself for cheap. I just want to get the car out of my hands and into his. I don't want to screw him up any, but there is the chance I'll throw $800 at this problem, only to have it happen again a week from now. I'd rather it just be his problem, tell him about it, and tell him to take $300 off the price.

Krashed989 · #14 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 04:39 AM

In that case I would just slap a smaller belt on it and reroute it to bypass the A/C compressor... The belt you would need to bypass the compressor would be #5060755 (Write it down somewhere because it's not in any autoparts store's databases. I had to wrap string around the pulleys and measure it to find the right belt when my compressor seized up a couple years back. I still need to fix mine, but over here it's always around 82 degrees so I just drive with the windows down. lol)

Also, here's how you would reroute it:

z06bigbird · #15 (**permalink**) 07-13-07, 11:01 AM

Most of us think it is not the compressor. It is not the P S pump. It is not the harmonic balancer.

Possible problems: tensioner pulley, alternator, a/c clutch.

Call potential buyer and tell him/her that you think you are having a problem with one of the pulleys. Ask if you can delay demo for a couple of days. In the meantime, you could show the car to them if car is available to show.

Then GO TO ANOTHER GARAGE. They can check tensioner pulley and other pulleys by hand spinning them.

Some Cadillac mechanics moonlight. Make quick trip to dealer and quietly ask around.