A/C compressor sticking

[billschroeder5842]

My stock (yet rebuilt and newish) A/C system has a quick that needs exploring...

When I first flick on the A/C system the compressor pump will intermittently stick or freeze. The engine continues running and the belts spin. I rev the motor and it seems to unfreeze the system and things begin to spin. When warmmed the compressor seems to work as designed (with requisite sucking of power from the engine).

Belts are tight and everything seems to be in order. Do I have anything to worry about or is this just a poltergeist that I must learn to live with?

Thanks!

[Cooter]

Whoa, whaddya mean "Stick/freeze"? No way or the belt would be smoking and squeeling. You sure it's not just "Cutting out" as designed? The compressor doesn't run all the time or the system would "Freeze"[READ actually Freeze from cold] up due to too low Evap. temp. The system has a High and Low pressure switch tyo control this. Pressure too low, cuts out...pressure too high, cuts compressor out until pressure drops again, and over and over the cycle goes.

[John_Kunkel]

Newer systems with a binary pressure switch will disengage the compressor at high pressure but the muscle era systems only have a low pressure (40 psi) cutoff switch. Since the OP failed to mention what kind of car he has it's ..........

A locked-up compressor with smoking belts is usually because the compressor is "slugging" i.e. trying to pump liquid instead of gas which is often the result of no/restricted airflow across the condensor.

[billschroeder5842]

Let me be clear...the compressor gets stuck; stops spinning...locked. the belts keep pulling around the locked pulley, squeeling a smoking briefly. Again, when warmed, everything is normal.

[cdr]

possibly over charged,what kind of car,what kind of freon

[Cooter]

Wow, sounds like Possibly the bearing or inside of compressor is coming apart. You Possibly may need a compressor and a total clean out of system. If you've even seen what the inside of system looks like after a compressor has come apart, you'll see what I mean. Debris everywhere. In the dryer, in the orifice tube(Filter), (although your has an Expansion valve that does the same thing and can get debris stuck in it), in the Evaporator, in the condensor, etc. I hope for your sake it is only an air flow problem.

Hope it helps.