How to Tell If a Car's Compressor is Broken?

[DiReese]

Car compressor damage manifests most simply as the air conditioning not cooling. Here is relevant information: 1. The air conditioning compressor plays the role of compressing and driving the refrigerant in the air conditioning system. Once the compressor is damaged, the most obvious manifestation is naturally the air conditioning not cooling. Apart from reduced cooling effectiveness, the simplest method is to check whether the engine speed increases when the air conditioning cooling switch is turned on. 2. Another possibility is that the engine speed increases and the compressor clutch engages, but if the compressor seizes, it means the compressor is scrapped. Additionally, it could be due to refrigerant contamination with water or oil seal damage, causing incompressible liquid to enter the compressor and resulting in compressor piston damage.