BigTang said:
it sounds like the clutch isn't disengaging fully when the compressor cycles off so its burning up. its going to lock up and throw your belt when it burns up the compressor. pop the hood and start the car w/ the AC off when you start the car, then watch what the compressor does, the center should not move. then turn the AC on the whole thing should spin for about a min then the center should stop. i bet yours doesn't stop completely and just slowly turns. you can actually buy a clutch by itself, its a little tricky to set up because you have to adjust the clearance on it but its a lot cheaper than replacing the compressor and the drier and having it charged.
X2.. My old a/c compressors clutch was so worn out, that with the engine running, a/c off, if i turned the a/c on, the clutch would lock
up the comp. and slow down the engine speed so much, it would shut the engine off. I would recommend you replace the compressor as a unit
rather than just the clutch, for easiness of installation. You'll need to discharge your a/c system, remove the serp. belt, disconnect the a/c
lines, and bolts to the bracket, and reverse.. i would also recommend replacing the serp. belt while it's off, seeing as how it
was probably rubbing against a stationary a/c pulley, wearing off some rubber, which could be the smell you experienced.