Nmax92

I started hearing a rattling noise coming from the front of the engine. I think its coming from the compressor mainly because while the car is running I can feel the rattling inside the compressor.

Is this a common problem with the compressor? And all this on the eve of my state inspection.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Not real common, but it does happen. probably the compressor pulley bearing.

Pearl93VE

iTrader: (14)

+1 to Greeny, but also check the tensioner pulley for the compressor. My bolt somehow got loose on the back and was wobbing back and fourth, made a lot of racket, more than you think a piece that big should be able to make.

Double0Max

i got a 95 and when mine rattled it was the bearings..and after like maybe a day of driving around town..it got worse of course and somehow the clutch and pully seperated and i had no power to the car running off the battery...to fix it i jus did a pully bypass and run no ac but i got heat lol

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

ah.. luckily for us the VG and VE run separate belts.. i guess the VQ has a single serpentine belt.

I had to replace my tensioner once so far. It sounded similar to sticking a piece of paper into a fan.. i originally thought it was my engine experiencing an oil problem but i changed the oil, sound persisted, changed the tensioner, sound disappeared. I ran without an a/c belt that winter just because I didn't have a replacement pulley (parts car) until February.

Nmax92

so the engine can run without an A/C belt? The sound I'm getting is like something metal tumbling around in a metal cylinder. If I can run the engine without the A/C belt I'll start there to tell if thats the problem.

Pearl93VE

iTrader: (14)

Yeah, you just loosen the tensioner pulley and take the belt off. It is the last one on the crankshaft pulley so you can remove it with ease, tighten back up the tensioner pulley and start the car.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

yeah you can run without it. You can't run without the PS belt since you need that belt for the water pump (you can't bypass the PS pump either since the tensioner depends on the PS pump being there). the other belt is for the alternator.. you kindof need that too, except at a dragstrip. But the a/c belt is the outermost, as Pearl stated, and is not necessary at all. Mine kept my fan company for a few months in my bedroom...

Nmax92

It didn't work. it may be coming from the underdrive pulley area.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

disconnect the other 2 and run it for a short time with no belts (let the car cool down first to prevent overheating.)

then add belts back until you find the noise.