do i need a compressor or clutch or both???

my car has been hesitating lately. sometimes it would turn over slow & then work perfectly, tonight i drove an hour & as i pulled into a parking lot i got a wiff something nasty, i parked & did not think any thing of it.
after my convention was over about 5 hours later i went to leave & the car could hardly turn over like a dead battery, so i tried jumping it with a relatives car, same thing, turned real slow & no starting, now it is after 10:00pm, i am 1 hour from home & my kids are complaining, so off to walmart to buy a temp battery to get home since i figured it must be the battery, i got the closest fit i could find, put it in, now it turns faster. its starts & a belts starts slipping & smoke start belowing from the front of the engine. got the light, had the wife start it again. yet the a/c belt is slipping, i got a knife & cut the belt. car starts right up & runs perfectly. the power band felt like never before.
my wife & i noticed lately that the car was running rough & lacked power, but i figured it was just me being picky.
it through a check message yesterday & i had my mech check the error codes with his computer & it showed no errors & the check message was no longer appearing.
so what do i need? a clutch? a compressor? or both?
thanks
tim s.

same thing happened to me last year..it's the ac compressor stucked up..you have to change the whole compressor with the clutch

The clutch should release if the a/c isn't on. The compressor is definately stuffed, perhaps the clutch is seized also. Chances are the clutch took a beating trying to turn the dying compressor so I'd buy both, hopefully as a unit so you don't need to bother installing the clutch.
This is a pricey one I'm afraid.

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Originally Posted by Ross

The clutch should release if the a/c isn't on. The compressor is definately stuffed, perhaps the clutch is seized also. Chances are the clutch took a beating trying to turn the dying compressor so I'd buy both, hopefully as a unit so you don't need to bother installing the clutch.
This is a pricey one I'm afraid.

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Don't forget the reciever/dryer cost and you should look at the expansion valve/orifice tube (which ever one your car has) as the compressor probably sent shavings through your a/c system.

Brian

my mech pulled the clutch & the compressor spins freely.
i could only purchase it together, so today i went to install the compressor, dryer, new belt, & recharge system, but found i needed a low pressure valve due to it leaking after i removed the cap to connect the gauges.
i did replace the expansion valve when i installed the new heater core 1 1/2 years ago.
so i installed the compressor today & the rest will have to wait until the new valve comes next week.
thanks for the input.
tim s.