HELP PLEASE! - A/C pulley mount broken, can I still safely drive the car?
 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbw2X5PZ3S4

I'm not sure if I used the right terminology as I'm not sure what the part does, but somehow the bottom piece has broken and separated from the triangular top piece. When the car is running, the A/C pulley is nudging against this loose piece, making a feint grinding noise. It seems the inner piece is a soft, foamy/rubber type material. Is this just a noise dampening piece? If so, can I just remove the centre bolt and take it off, leaving the A/C pulley exposed?

I scheduled an appointment with the dealership on Monday to see if it can be replaced under warranty and inspect for any other potential damage to the belt or pulley system.

Thank you in advance for any input.

Your A/C clutch failed. That's... different.

In terms of your health and safety, it's 100% safe to drive. It won't cause an accident or anything. In terms of the car's safety, it's 90% safe to drive. There's an outside possibliity it'll shatter and then fling shrapnel everywhere. It'll all be covered under warranty thanks to the idea of 'consequential damage' though.

I wouldn't drive it any further than to the dealer.

Even at that, I'd suggest you set all dials so that the A/C won't come on.


humfrz

On the top of the AC compressor you'll see a single wire gray connector, disconnect this and zip tie the loose side out of the way and make sure it doesn't get caught in a belt. This is the power to the magnetic clutch, disconnecting it will completely disable the clutch and prevent any potential mayhem from occurring as a result of that. As far as the scraping noise I would leave it alone, removing that bolt exposes the clutch workings.

Thanks for the tips guys! Much appreciated.