Belt Smoking??

[rvaldez1]

Hello All,

This weekend I started my CVLX sport with the air on, and I heard a loud groan, I though nothing of it. I drove about 20 feet to a stop sign and smelled something weird, I looked left, then right and saw smoke. Immediately I pulled over and turned the car off, smoke seemed to be coming from the AC compressor. I cranked the car with the AC off, pulley spins. Then, I cranked with the A/C on, the compressor engages fine and runs fine, no other problems, smoke, etc. I drove for 30 minutes with the air running and everything seemed to be ok. I have not been able to recreate the scenario but the reason I worry is I have smelled this before in heavy traffic, it never occured to me that it could be my car. and I am scared the pulley will seize and I will get stuck somewhere. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[jimlam56]

Idler pulley?

[Local Boy]

Take a look at the belt...Is there signs of scuffing/wear? Is there black (rubber) dust around a specific area/part? If so that is where you should look...This needs to be located...or risk being stuck on the side of the road (torn belt)...

ALOHA

BTW: Alot of us changed out our tensioner...Check that...as well as the idler pulley

You will need to remove the belt and turn the pulleys by hand to see if there is drag (hard to turn)...Don't forget the alternater pulley too....If hard to turn... You found the problem...Good Luck...

[Zack]

Sounds like the compressor seized momentarily.
Could be low on refrigerant oil

[Local Boy]

I was just wondering if it was possible for the compressor to sieze momentarily...That's where I would look first...Black (rubber) dust there?
Thanks Zack...

ALOHA

[rvaldez1]

Sounds like the compressor seized momentarily.
Could be low on refrigerant oil

Sounds like the only reasonable answer, I have also had a remote problem when the car is in reverse and the wheel turned that the BATT light comes on for a quick second the car bogs and everything is fine.

Either way the car is going to the shop tomorrow morning, and the bastards keep giving me crap about being under 25 and getting a dealer car.

[larryo340]

In NY you have to be 21 to get a loaner or rental.


Sounds like the only reasonable answer, I have also had a remote problem when the car is in reverse and the wheel turned that the BATT light comes on for a quick second the car bogs and everything is fine.

Either way the car is going to the shop tomorrow morning, and the bastards keep giving me crap about being under 25 and getting a dealer car.

[rvaldez1]

In NY you have to be 21 to get a loaner or rental.

Over here you can actually be 18 at some places, however, you have to take full responsibility. Meaning, you will give your own insurance and credit cards.

Dealers tell me the same thing everytime, they cant do it. Understandable, unless it is the dealer I bought the car from. Then the sales manager goes back and approves it everytime, hell, I am a potential life-long customer.

[Hadamustang1]

Hard to keep lit...

[Aren Jay]

It may seem obvious but did you pull the belt and check all the pulley points?

Or have your trusted Mechanic do it for you?

I had this happen once when my radiator fan slipped off and wedged itself into my radiator.

Black smoke poured from the exhaust, or atleast thats what it looked like, smelt of burnt rubber and when I opened the hood I saw what happened. I had the car towed back to the dealership and made them admit they left the bolt for the fan off and fix it for free. New rad, new fan and belt. They denied it at first but admitted it later. I've never been back there.

[rvaldez1]

Just came back from a FLM dealer. They replaced the tensioner and idler pullies, the mechanic was very condecending and said because I demanded, it the items were changed( simply a suggestion on my part when they had the car for 2 days with no solution) not necessarily because they were bad. My reply was that I could not believe a professional like himself would take the advice of a kid with no mechanical know how, and replace parts that supposedly were fine. Either way the car runs a bit faster, a bit smoother and the lights dont dim as much with accessories running.

Thanks for the info peeps.