Been having issues with my AC compressor not kicking it, blowing fuses, etc..Every time the compressor engages, it blows the fuse and cuts off. refrigerant levels are not low. No shop wants to touch just the clutch and want to replace the whole compressor. Can't afford to pay $500-900 for a compressor replacement. The compressor isn't locked up and can be spun by hand. Luckily, I found a clutch on Amazon for $40 and was wondering what you guys think.



06 Impala 3.9L LTZ

Replacing the AC clutch sound like a good idea, however..
The high & low side refrigerant pressure must be within specifications for the compressor to kick in properly. What are the readings on the high & low side?
The clutch coil & associated wiring/connector (as it'* blowing fuses) could be a problem along with a rusted clutch.
I cleaned mine up with emery cloth and used silicone spray to free it up.
Do you get grinding sounds when it does engage, or any metal shavings below clutch seen?
You can also check the gap of the clutch and set it correctly if it is too tight etc..
https://www.gmforum.com/mechanical-1...-plate-278951/
Hope this helps.

If you are good with a DVM and it can measure AMP'*, make your own connector and supply 12v straight to the clutch with the engine running and measure the amps. If the power draw is less than the fuse rating, you have an issue with the harness somewhere.

UPDATE: Bought a compressor clutch from amazon. Took old clutch out, put new one in, tighten it to the consistency and AC blows nice and cold! Whole job took no more than an hour. IF anyone has 06-13 impala with ac compressor issue where it'* blowing fuses, I'd recommend first changing the clutch ($40) vs. AC compressor ($200-$400)

What did the old clutch coil look like? Was it damaged? I had this same problem many years ago. It drove me crazy. I tested switches, I tested wires, I tested connections.....on and on.....for DAYS and Days I couldn't pin point the problem. So much frustration. Where I made my mistake was when I tested the clutch coil for continuity. Continuity was good. So I figured it (the coil) was good. I should have tested it for resistance. For whatever reason, the clutch coil developed an unacceptable amount of resistance, the wire heated up, deformed the clutch encasement and.....yeah, started popping fuses.

Live and learn.

Glad you got your a/c back.

Anybody here ever do thier own a/c repairs for friends, family or to make a few extra bucks on the weekends......well.....

Those little cans or R134a are kinda expensive. Fifty bucks for 20 ounces......and 20 ounces wont fill a whole system. However, a person can buy a 30 pound tank of R134a for $200 from Autozone. No license required. I do it.....I made my own recovery tank from an old LPG propane tank because venting the old R134a out into the atmosphere isn't cool.

And how in the world do you get all of the freon into that propane tank?

And then what do you do with it?

It looked normal. Other than just being a little dirty. The clutch was drawing too much power which was causing the fuses to blow. I first checked freon levels, tested the amps being drawn, checked the wires to make sure they were exposed etc..If you can spin the AC compressor by hand and it'* not locked up, it'* fine. I was getting quotes for $600-800 to replace the whole unit! I did it myself and didn't have to empty the system, refill, measure etc..Very easy to get to the clutch. Take off the tire, the splash guard, untighten the timing belt, unscrew the AC compressor and lower down, get a special wrench (about $15 at autozone) to open get the clutch off. Before taking it off, I took some flat pieces of aluminum and put them between the clutch and compressor so I knew how much it needed to be tighten. Took the clutch off, put the new one (came with gaskets) and did everything in reverse. It'* been two months in 104 degree here in Texas and hasn't failed me yet. Total cost was $65 including clutch, and wrench.

I have an old Robinair upright pump that I bought from shop that was going out of business. It has filter/separates the oil, it can evacuate and hold vacuum.....the only feature that doesn't operate on the unit is the pressure testing and recharging side (which is kinda the $$$ maker side of the thing, but I got it dirt cheap.....the guages work properly.

For the propane tank to receive the chemical, basically what I have is the propane tank with it'* original propane valve>>>>to a 3ft length of propane hose. At the end of the hose I attached the orifice valve from a regular R134a tank. I recycle it at a warehouse where they deal with all kinds of chemicals including different refrigerants from all kinds of things from vehicles, to industrial freezers, to residential a/c units......they collect/recycle other hazard wastes as well. Oils, liquid and aerosol paints, electronic waste, old tires, Farm/Ranch pesticides..

Glad to hear you have a way of recovering and disposing the refrigerant......we generally know what usually happens....