Deviant117

Used the a/c dozens of times so far this year in my 99 civic dx. Today I was hearing a steady chirp at idle and as soon as I gave it gas it was screaming like a banshee. I turned off the a/c fearing the compressor would tear my belt to pieces. Can't really afford a remanufactured compressor ($269 w/ $15 core from Napa) since there hasn't been any OT at work lately.

Wondering if I keep running the car with the a/c off will the compressor still lock up eventually and destroy the belt or can I keep running the car without a/c and be fine until I have the cash?

On a side note, how hard are ball joints to replace? I need at least 1 on each side

strategy400

Cut the belt its only ~$10 for a new one. Stop using the A/C until you discover if it really is the compressor or just the clutch. If you continue using a bad compressor you'll contaminate the system worse. You can maybe get away with just replacing the compressor, receiver/dryer and condenser (~$400) at this point if it was still getting cold before the problems.

You'll need a vacuum pump, scale (grams), measuring cup (.oz) for the PAG oil, a set of R134a gauges, 2 cans of R134a, wrenches, torque wrench, specifications for your system, patience and skill in order to do the repair/weigh in the exact amount of oil and refrigerant yourself.

As far as ball joints you're probably best off replacing the entire suspension arms so you get all new bushings etc. but you can press in the lower ball joints with a tool from autozone the uppers its best to replace the whole arm. Be careful not to ruin the seals in your steering rack while wrestling around with your suspension. Support the tie rods straight and carefully while working on it.