Ack! A/C compressor spitting melted plastic

[Ferret]

I set off back home this morning from a long weekend at a friends place... about a 250-300 mile drive. Hit the motorway and this interesting burning smell starts up... having just got a cheapo phone charger from ASDA, I gave that a careful sniff and discovered it was making a burning plastic smell. Fair 'nuff, plugged it back in and let it fry for a bit as my phone was totally flat and I needed to call home.

What I didnt realise was that the charger was masking a much stronger burning plastic smell coming from under the hood. About halfway home I realised that the A/C had stopped functioning totally, and was producing warm humid air.

Pulled off at the next set of services and popped the hood, to be met with a blue haze.

"OShi...."

On all the hoses around the A/C pulley there's shards of melted/splattered plastic. This isnt just like burned rubber or rubber dust, it's hard crispy bits of plastic.

The pulley is still turning on the pump, and the A/C system still has one hell of a lot of pressure in it. (I nearly blew my face off, er, 'testing' it.)

The A/C system wasnt working brilliantly for about a month prior to this, so my question is, is this likely to be the compressor or the clutch, and is the clutch a separately replaceable part?

Looks like I'm gonna have to hit ebay for an entire new unit ;.;

[Ross]

Sounds like the clutch burned up. It might have been trying to turn a compressor about to seize. I don't know what the friction material is made of, I wouldn't think plastic.
Did something perhaps get caught in the clutch/belt like a plastic bag? Maybe some combination of refrigerant oil and the clutch?
BTW, why would you deliberately plug in a device you know to be burning?

[winfred]

the compressor is toast and a clutch if that's all that is wrong will cost as much as a whole compressor with a clutch, makes sence doesn't it?! sorta like how a burger and frys costs as much or more then a combo with a drink

[Ferret]

the compressor is toast and a clutch if that's all that is wrong will cost as much as a whole compressor with a clutch, makes sence doesn't it?! sorta like how a burger and frys costs as much or more then a combo with a drink

Ha!

Just been quoted £226 + VAT for reman compressor plus clutch... dont know whether that's a reasonable price... (with the VAT added, it's going to be about £275)

[Ferret]

BTW, why would you deliberately plug in a device you know to be burning?

It was more the 'hot bedding in electronics' smell if it were hugely overloaded I would imagine the voltage regulator inside going with a loud bang.