Hi there. I have a 2003 Honda CRV with 121,000 miles. Just today, I was driving along and my air conditioning was not blowing out cold air. It started blowing cold air again, and then stopped all of the sudden. The compressor is still running, but is now making a bad noise, sounding as if it is loose and about to fall off the car! Kind of a metallic noise. I'm suspecting it's mechanical failure of the compressor, but how should I go about diagnosing and fixing this problem? If I fix it myself, should I buy a compressor kit with a condenser as well, or would it be best just to bring it to a mechanic and have them fix it for like double the price? I want to make sure this fix lasts. Also, any brand suggestions for compressors if the best option is replacing it myself? Thanks!
If the compressor is making grinding noises that means it has almost certainly contaminated the AC system with metal pieces. Pretty much everything needs to be replaced when that happens.
