Hello everyone,

I have a Honda Civic EX 1999 (Automatic) and I was driving down the highway just like any other day. Sometimes to get extra speed I will use my automatic as a manual (it has D4, D3 and 2). While switching from 2 to D3, I heard something break loose under my hood and fly off of my car. It looked like a flat, circular brown object withmaybe a holein the middle of it surrounded by a bearing (I didn't get to see it up close because it was gone within a flash). It almost looked like a gear, but it isn't. It spun on it's end andflew off the road (luckily it didn't hit anybody); Anyway, now my A/C doesn't work at all. Everything else in my car (including my transmission) works perfectly. I was wondering if anybody here could identify the part so I could get it replaced.

 

ummm..... you might wanna look under your hood to make sure that your ac pump pulley is still there. thats about the only thing i can think of from your description

 

The A/C compressor is mounted on the bottom front of the engine and has its own belt and pulley system. The belt goes around the engine and compressor pulleys and a smaller idler pulley on top with a screw to adjust the belt tension. If the belt is slack or missing now you probably lost the idler pulley, if the belt is still there and the compressor pulley turns, it could've been the clutch plate from the end of the compressor.

 

When I first read your post, it sounded like the idler pulley flew off. I'd follow mk378's suggestions.

 

Thanks a lot everyone. I looked at both the parts mentioned on Advance Auto Parts and the clutch plate and the idler pulley both look like what I described. I am gonna look at my car up close when I get a chance.

One more thing I forgot to mention; when I press the A/C button I can hear my car loose power (the compressor turns on), but there is no cold air coming out.

Also, could using the automatic transmission as a manual like I was cause this to happen?

 

Using a Auto like a Manual should not cause anything with your A/C.

 

Hey, I had my Idler pulley sieze, which caused the belt to pop... look under the drivers side, and see if there is a belt on the A/C still... Idle pully is an easy part to replace, only problem is you have to take the other belts off because it's the rear most on the crank i believe...

If your idler pulley cam off the belt should not be there, or it would be hanging... but if you feel the ac engage, then maybe the compressor came apart inside...

Also my Civic doesn't seem to like using the auto as manual anymore, it slips now, i used to do that all the time... helps you speed up faster, because you can rev higher before shifting... good for at the track, not good for the tranny to do that all the time though...,. BTW is it bad if your auto 4dr sedan can chirp going into second? Mine does that on occasion if I take off hard, doesn;t seem like that'd be too good for the tranny...

 

It's hard on a car overall to drive like that, the transmission will take most of the damage but you can also end up over-reving the engine especially if you don't have a tach.

It helps to disengage the A/C before trying to accelerate fast, because it sucks power from the engine.