Rep Power: 0

Recently my husband and I took a trip in our 2001 honda civic LX manual 5 speed. We were sitting idle in a parking lot and turned off the AC both the bottom and the output from the vents. As soon as we did so the car started to shake and turned off. We started the car again, revved the engine and as soon as the RPMs went back to the 1 on the meter the car stalled again. we didn't think too much of it and went about our night, parked the car and about 3 hrs later went to leave. The car wouldn't turn on. The battery was dead. Jumped the car it started and made a HORRIBLY LOUD screeching noise until put into 2nd gear. in the middle of our 2 hr drive the air repeatedly stopped blowing out of the vents if turned on low speed until turned back on hi and then back to low worked for a bit and then would stop this went on for about 45 min and then the air completely stopped blowing out of the vents. I had no idea what to think and the stalling problems kept up while we were in traffic but only while in 1st gear and if below 1 RPMs. When we got home popped the hood and noticed the Ac hoses were BRIGHT WHITE with frost. Over night they defrosted and the next morning we tried to start it but again the battery was completely dead. Put a new battery in it and went to drive off, still the stalling was happening and then a loud noise followed by a spurt of either freon, oil, liquid of some sort hitting the hot catylatic converter and smoking out both wheel wells. We took the fuse to the ac compressor off ran the car and didn't have any stalling problems or anything of that sort. What does this mean? we'd like to find out before we spend $300 on a new ac compressor and that not be the problem. The car seems to run without stalling with the ac on and only starts the stalling problems when the car is ON and the ac has been on and then we turn the ac off.

 
Rep Power: 199

The screeching is probably the belt. It sounds like you have a couple problems. It sounds like your a/c compressor is trying to lock up making the screech. It would also make it hard for the starter to crank it. Does the starter just strain when the battery is "dead", ie lights work etc, just won't crank? When the vents are intermittent do you hear the motor or does it stop completely. I know its hot, but does it do the same thing on heat?

 
Rep Power: 0

yes the starter just strains, the lights work, radio, all of that.
We were on the freeway so I wasn't able to hear the motor or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. We tried to troubleshoot the net day, The strange thing is is that even tho the ac button was off and even if we put it on heat the ac hoses/pipes were still getting cold. We didn't try heat while driving it home that night so Im not sure about if it does it while heater is on.

 
Rep Power: 199

The clutch or it's relay must be stuck on, when the button is off the compressor should not be on ever, the lines shouldn't get iced, that is the purpose of the thermostat. I suspicion that the evaporator was iced up, therefore it didn't have the capability to blow threw it, this is even more confirmed with the ice no matter what. The starter straining is probably due to the a/c issues too. Jumping it just gives it more juice to put to the starter and overcomes it. The shop should think to check that, but unhook the power to the clutch and see what happens. It is the connector on the drivers side of the radiator fan shroud. If it is hot LET IT COOL the proximity of it to the exhaust plus just the head of the radiator/engine means OUCH. On a 2001 it is a one wire connector. That will rule out if you have some electrical problem or a mechanical problem with the compressor.