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Hi everyone, I'm new to these forums. I have to admit that I don't own a Honda myself, although I've owned many in the past. In fact, my favorite car ever was my '93 Accord coupe 5 speed. But that's neither here nor there.

My girlfriend currently owns a 2000 Honda Civic which began having a very strange problem yesterday. While she was driving to work, she said that out of no where the car began making a noise like she had run something over and was dragging it behind her. She pulled over, checked the car and nothing seemed wrong with it; no flat tires, etc. She began driving again and after a few minutes, the car shut off in the middle of the road. She turned the A/C off and the car started right back up, but when she tried to turn the A/C back on, the car made a horrible screeching noise and shut off again. Apparently any time the A/C is running, the car wont. This is particularly bad news, because we live in Arizona, where lately temperatures have been in excess of 110 F.

Has anyone experienced this before? Does anyone know what might be going on? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 
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Sounds like her compressor went bad. When the compressor engages, its a magnetic clutch that actuates to spin it with the rotation of the engine. Since the car makes a god awful noise and then dies when the A/C gets turned on, it means she's had some sort of catastrophic failure in the A/C compressor. Something has gotten spangled inside of it and FUBAR's the car when she tries to turn it on.

Best be telling her to not turn on the A/C (or defrost) until you either remove the compressor or replace it.

 
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And to think that the Foos has an A/C compressor just lying around.

 
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No. It's going back on the car damn it. Eventually.

 
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Yeah, ummm, the A/C pump is fairly easy to get out. Just relieve pressure from the belt using the tention screw on the gold pulley. Check the belt tension before you loosen it, to see if there is any belt slippage.

Check at a junkyard for a new pump, preferably low miles.

 
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Thanks for your help guys. I hope I can find a compressor at a junk yard or something. That poor little car has just had a rough life. She bought it brand new in '00, drove it for a few good years, then got in three hit and run accidents over the following few years. The damage is very extensive, including a missing drivers side mirror plus about $4000 in body damage. After that, the radio crapped out on her, then the power windows stopped working, and now this. I don't know whether to feel bad for my girl or the car.

 
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Did she ever get a replacement radio?

 
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Foo's beat me to it. My guess would have been the compressor also. Either dont run the AC or get it fixed.

 
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Good LUCk On Finding A Ac Comm.. Its Really Expenise,, That Happen On My Integra I Got A Quote On Replacing The Ac Comm They Told Me It Would Be Lil Over 800 Cnd.. Soo I Sayed F** It Than Cut The Belt.. Reason Why I Cut The Belt Way The Noise Started To Happen Even Tho The Ac Wasnt On