# Car People - What just went wrong with mine?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 1, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892 "2006-05-01T00:08:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/1 "2006-05-01T00:08:59Z")
I drive a 2000 Honda Civic and earlier today I was just driving down the street and I felt/heard a vibrating noise followed by a loud screech. It lasted only a second and then stopped. I didn’t know what happened, but it then sounded fine and didn’t run roughly so I wasn’t completely worried yet.
I later was driving back home and noticed that my air conditioning now wasn’t cooling off and when I switched modes to defrost, it still was sending the warm air out of all the vents. Then I noticed a smoky smell and when I got home, I looked under the hood and it was smoking lightly from the front driver side. I let it sit for a couple of hours and then just went out a few minutes ago to start it up and now when I start it up, I get that horrible screeching noise and it doesn’t stop.
Does anyone know what went wrong here? I’ve called the local Honda dealer to see if I can get it in ASAP tomorrow but they’re closed today and I’m just wondering if I can get a head start on what to expect.
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/2 "2006-05-01T00:16:07Z")
How do your belts look? I’m not sure if your car has a single serpentine or multiple belts but if the A/C belt broke, it might act like you’ve described.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/3 "2006-05-01T00:17:52Z")
Honestly, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to look like - can you describe them for me? I can go look at them and report back.
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### Author:  [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/4 "2006-05-01T00:18:56Z")
Sounds like something happened to one of your belts.
You should be able to see them if you look in the engine bay. Are any of them broken, or visibly loose?
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/5 "2006-05-01T00:25:12Z")
> [@interface2x](#):
>
> Honestly, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to look like - can you describe them for me? I can go look at them and report back.
They’re black and rubber, and go on the pulleys. Look for your a/c compressor and see if there is a belt on the pulley.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/6 "2006-05-01T00:28:57Z")
I just took a look under there and it looks like there are belts on all the pulleys and none of them appear broken or loose. It still smells a little burnt near the driver side headlight.
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### Author:  [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/7 "2006-05-01T00:34:48Z")
I hate to send out an evil WAG, but it sounds like the A/C compressor might have seized, and the screech and smell is the A/C belt, powered by the engine, rubbing past the A/C pulley, which doesn’t want to spin, anymore. If there is a separate A/C belt, not such the big deal, the compressor is already toast, and the belt will sooner or later fail; but if the A/C is run off the serpentine belt, have it seen to quickly, as that belt is now much more prone to failure.
This has only been a WAG.
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/8 "2006-05-01T01:27:39Z")
Here’s what can be deduced from your posts, one of the pulleys is not turning, that is
the source of the squealing sound. It may be the A/C compressor, but not
necessarily. You should not run the engine in this condition. You may have towing on
your auto insurance, but at any rate you should have a mechanic look at it where it
sits, or have it towed to the shop.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/9 "2006-05-01T01:29:08Z")
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, as well. I figure that I’ll have it towed first thing tomorrow morning after I speak with the guys at the shop. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/10 "2006-05-01T21:46:46Z")
interface2x
How about a followup??
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/11 "2006-05-02T03:12:04Z")
I finally managed to get it towed to the shop today (you’d be amazed at how hard it was to find a towing company that had a working number) and I’ve got a rental right now. They’re going to look at it first thing tomorrow morning and hopefully have a diagnosis late morning - I’ll definitely post it when they let me know.
The tow truck guys said that they thought one of my pulleys seized. Whatever it is, I hope it’s _somewhat_ affordable! 🙂
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/12 "2006-05-02T06:04:05Z")
Thanks, looking forward to hear the verdict.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/13 "2006-05-03T00:04:11Z")
And the verdict is …CRAP!
Apparently, my air compressor is coming apart and taking several other parts of my car with it.
The grand total is roughly two grand and a week of rental car. :smack:
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/14 "2006-05-03T00:56:29Z")
> [@interface2x](#):
>
> And the verdict is …CRAP!
>
> Apparently, my air compressor is coming apart and taking several other parts of my car with it.
>
> The grand total is roughly two grand and a week of rental car. :smack:
Sorry to hear that, thanks for the followup.
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### Author:  [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/15 "2006-05-03T04:45:39Z")
So, **Interface2x** , What did you get for a rental? When my 2000 Chevy Metro needed work, I rented a Dodge Neon. I had maybe the only car that could make a Neon seem huge and overpowered.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/16 "2006-05-03T13:03:25Z")
They gave me a an 06 Toyota Corolla which is actually a pretty nice car. I don’t mind driving it, but I’m not much interested in paying for it 😉
Good thing I have rental reimbursement on my insurance so at least I’ll get part of my money back on that part.
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### Author:  [@Fat\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fat_Chance)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-what-just-went-wrong-with-mine/354892/17 "2006-05-03T13:10:21Z")
> [@interface2x](#):
>
> And the verdict is …CRAP!
>
> Apparently, my air compressor is coming apart and taking several other parts of my car with it.
>
> The grand total is roughly two grand and a week of rental car. :smack:
Do you mean air-conditioning compressor?
If so, you may be able to save money if you don’t have a new/repaired AC compressor installed. Depending on the belt set-up in the car, you may be able to bypass the AC, or perhaps just have the pulley freewheel, but not run the AC.
A large portion of the $2K is likely the cost of the AC compressor, and you can save money if you can live without AC.