2003 Caravan A/C Compressor Clutch

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Scott Dudley - 22 Jun 2007 04:20 GMT

The A/C compressor clutch on my wife's 2003 Grand Caravan is toast. Bit
it today in the 114 degree Arizona "dry heat". She wasn't very humorous
about it.

I removed the cowl and see the rubber is completely disintegrated. This
one has a small bolt in the center - smaller than I've been accustomed
to seeing on older vehicles.

We called around to all the parts stores and no one carries it. Is this
not a serviceable item? Looks like it could be replaced as any other.

Thanks.

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Comboverfish - 22 Jun 2007 18:32 GMT

> The A/C compressor clutch on my wife's 2003 Grand Caravan is toast. Bit
> it today in the 114 degree Arizona "dry heat". She wasn't very humorous
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Thanks.

I'll make a semi-uneducated guess that you have a Nippon Denso 6P
series compressor, in which case the clutch, pulley and hub come off
very easily with a bolt and two snaprings. Availability I do not
know. It is getting to the point in mobile A/C parts that everyone is
replacing whole compressor/clutch assemblies with remans anymore.
It's a shame if you have a good, low mileage compressor that just
needs a clutch. On the other hand, did it get too hot and toast the
insulator material in the clutch disc? The whole compressor sale is
being pushed by the CYA mentality to an extent, but also from repeated
bitter experiences of trying to save the customer some money and
losing out on the deal.

Toyota MDT in MO

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Don - 24 Jun 2007 15:56 GMT

>> The A/C compressor clutch on my wife's 2003 Grand Caravan is toast. Bit
>> it today in the 114 degree Arizona "dry heat". She wasn't very humorous
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
>Toyota MDT in MO

And because so often when the clutch eats it the nose of the
compressor gets eaten also. Fortunately, a Denso rebuilt -- which
should be available aftermarket -- will be of impeccable quality.
Pretty much every other rebuilt out there is crap.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

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Hal - 23 Jun 2007 19:55 GMT

> I removed the cowl and see the rubber is completely disintegrated. This
> one has a small bolt in the center - smaller than I've been accustomed
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks.

I've done just a clutch/clutch coil replacement before when the
compressor was still known to be good, but the parts to do the job
always came from the dealer(read: $$).

How many miles on the car? Has the compressor been changed prior to
this failure? If it is a high mileage compressor it might be better to
just swap it out, if it truly is just the clutch that broke and the
clutch didn't break as a result of a compressor lock-up, you could
swap the compressor and vacuum/recharge without worrying about
contamination of the system. The only special tools you would need
would be the line disconnect tools, a vacuum pump to take the air out
prior to recharging, and a set of pressure gauges.

Chris

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