# a/c noise



## jrrsmith18 (Apr 3, 2011)

have a question about the a/c, for the two years that ive had my cruze there has been a rhythmic metallic grind/crunching noise, not that noticeable but there didn't bother to take it in lol. the noise speeds up with engine revs as well. the a/c has always worked so i never really suspected it but was reading something on the internet and decided to investigate. took off the accessory belt and the noise was gone, all the pulleys spinned freely there was a small wobble in the tensioner but when the belt is on i dont notice any wobble. it wasn't until i noticed turning on the a/c and the clutch grabs that the noise stops, turn off a/c and noise comes back so im guessing something is wrong with the a/c. now that i know that the a/c is acting up i want to be proactive before im stranded on the road. dont really care about the a/c so if it breaks whatevs i was wondering if i could get away with a shorter belt. and has anyone else experienced something like this?


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

If the noise stops when the A/C is on than it most likely isn't the A/C itself. Check that all the pulleys including the A/C have no noise coming from them. Best to open the hood with engine running and A/C off and try to locate the sound. Be careful not to get caught by moving parts including the belt. Good luck.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Sounds like a bad A/C clutch. GM was known for this back in the 1990's on the 3.1/3.4/3.8 V6's. The "fix" on those cars was to adjust the clutch out a tiny bit using a specialized tool. There is likely such a tool for the Cruze also, and your dealer should have it. If it is still under warranty, give it a shot.


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## jrrsmith18 (Apr 3, 2011)

ive checked/spun all the pulleys not sure what i was looking for but i didnt feel anything out of the ordinary so im guessing theyre good? i tried calling my dealer and a/c falls under bumper to bumper warranty which im out of. if this noise has been there for like ever since i can remember lets say would it be right in guessing that maybe it just needs to be adjusted and the a/c isnt "bad"? n00b at a/c's


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## Mike220 (Jan 5, 2011)

I had the same thing and let it go for 2 years lol so I know exactly what your talking about. I took it in for my regular service interval and told the service writer they inspected and found the noise coming from the a/c compressor. They changed the air conditioning compressor and that fixed the ticking noise. My a/c always worked so I never did anything. I did notice with the climate control off I could hear it a lot at idle and it was very annoying.


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## v8318cid (Oct 3, 2012)

+1 to A/C clutch assembly. This sounds suspiciously like the bearing in the main compressor pulley/clutch assembly. If the bearing in the pulley is worn or improperly mounted due to defect in manufacturing or assembly, this could explain why the sound is promenent when the A/C is off. When the clutch engages, the vibration is minimized due to less/no clearance between the clutch hub and pulley assemblies. Since the issue is likely in the clutch itself and not the compressor body, the A/C would run as expected as long as the unit is still capable of energizing the magnet that engages the clutch hub. Replacing the entire compressor would eliminate the issue, but is overkill if it is just the clutch that is bad. Only catch is whether or not the clutch can be purchased separately. If so, that would be the way to go, especially since the vehicle is outside its factory 36mo/36k warranty. Just my two cents though.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Anybody know what sort of A/C compressor is on the Cruze? That way we can find out what clutch is on there, and whether the old-school GM trick of adjusting the A/C clutch out until a credit card can be slipped in between the pulley and the rest of the clutch still applies. Also, what tool is needed to take the clutch itself off...


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## jrrsmith18 (Apr 3, 2011)

so i called up the parts department at my local dealer and they say you cant purchase the clutch separately, and the entire compressor runs 420 plus the 350 labor...ouch. needless to say im going to wait on having it fixed. in the meantime where would i start to try this adjusting the clutch? and if it is just the clutch bearing making noise is there any harm in letting it wait more?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Your car is still under the 36 months for the B2B warranty. How many miles do you have on it?


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## Atomic (Nov 5, 2011)

This is a known issue - I had my AC compressor replaced under warranty for this same problem around 30k miles. 

From a PDF on GM Techlink website, down on page 8... http://enterthezone.net/techlink/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/april_techlink_2012.pdf


*PI0673 - 2011-2012 Cruze — A/C compressor noisy when not operating | Replace A/C Compressor | Replace any Engine Components*


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## jrrsmith18 (Apr 3, 2011)

mannn... wish i saw that bulletin when i was still under b2b. got 55k on meh cruze. i went looking on gmpartsdirect.com and saw they had the compressor for 220 bucks. and i looked in the service manual and to change the compressor seems fairly easy. i guess im going to end up changing it myself, so overall doesnt break the wallet lol.


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