A/C shakes car, not bad engine mounts?

11085 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Chevy Customer Care, Jul 15, 2016

JayTyler

Discussion Starter · Jul 14, 2016

I have a 2012 1.4 that I can't use the a/c because it shakes the whole car from engine vibration.

For the last 2 years I haven't been able to use the a/c over the 2nd fan speed or the fan stays on until I shut the car off and unhook the battery cable. I used the a/c on a 6 hour trip in May and as soon as I got home the water pump started puking dexcool. I replaced the water pump for the 4th time, and also swapped out the belt tensioner this time. Now I can't use the a/c at all because the compressor causes the whole car to shake when it kicks on. It's a similar shake as if the engine mounts are bad but they're not and they're torqued correctly. Is this a compressor issue? 2012 1.4 RS, 84k miles.

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jmlo96

· #2 · Jul 14, 2016

How bad does it shake the car? Mine it definitely shakes a little bit and makes it idle a little rougher. Changing to the Copper NGK spark plugs helped smooth it out a lot. Remember that engine only makes probably 20 HP at idle and the AC compressor takes about 5 horsepower to run.

Speaking of which, have you changed your spark plugs? If your motor isn't running up to speed adding that extra load on it may be causing it to run even worse. Should be done at least by 60k on the stock spark plugs, if not sooner. You could be do for a new set.

Now, if its your compressor that's physically shaking and messing up other belt driven things like the water pump I'd say you probably have a compressor issue. Is the compressor making any noise?

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JayTyler

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 14, 2016

It shakes bad enough that I cant comfortably drive the car.
I changed the stock plugs at 74k. I put NGK BKR8EIX Iridium plugs in it and have to regap them every few thousand miles because they blow out and vary .032-.040.
The compressor makes a fairly loud humming noise, you can hear it with the hood closed.

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Patman

· #4 · Jul 14, 2016

Sounds more like a belt/tensioner(to tight) issue than a compressor problem. The compressor is just making the overriding problem worse since it is requiring more "power". I will let others chime in but to me it sounds like the belt is adjusted too tight and causing undo strain on the other components including the water pump and thus also causing the pump to break down.

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JayTyler

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 14, 2016

I went through 3 pumps prior to the new tensioner. My dealership told me if the car is burning through water pumps, the stock tensioner is too tight and should be replaced. So i did that and it made the a/c issue worse.

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jmlo96

· #6 · Jul 14, 2016

Reading this through again, I'm thinking you are suffering from multiple problems. The part with the fan staying on is odd. If you are not getting a message saying engine overheating, then that fan should not be staying on. That sounds like a relay for the fan is going bad. There was a thread about this from a month or 2 ago.

The other part that is concerning is why are your spark plugs experiencing blow out so quickly? Iridium plugs should not be wearing that fast. If they are gapped at the stock .28, then they should be good for at least 45k.

The humming noise is normal for the compressor. If it sounds like an electrical humming noise, then you are fine. If its a loud grinding noise, then the bearings in the compressor are shot.

My advice would be to take in in the dealer for a diagnosis. My dealer charges like 60 bucks to do this. If it really is the compressor that is bad, you don't want it to totally fail or you will be replacing every part in that AC system. You would probably have to have a shop replace the compressor anyway, unless you have a way of evacuating the system and putting a vacuum on it after the compressor was replaced. This way you know what's wrong instead of playing guessing games.

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Chevy Customer Care

· #7 · Jul 15, 2016

JayTyler said:
I have a 2012 1.4 that I can't use the a/c because it shakes the whole car from engine vibration.

For the last 2 years I haven't been able to use the a/c over the 2nd fan speed or the fan stays on until I shut the car off and unhook the battery cable. I used the a/c on a 6 hour trip in May and as soon as I got home the water pump started puking dexcool. I replaced the water pump for the 4th time, and also swapped out the belt tensioner this time. Now I can't use the a/c at all because the compressor causes the whole car to shake when it kicks on. It's a similar shake as if the engine mounts are bad but they're not and they're torqued correctly. Is this a compressor issue? 2012 1.4 RS, 84k miles.

Hello JayTyler,

We understand your frustration towards your A/C and do genuinely apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced. We wouldn't be able to advise on what may be occurring as we are not trained technicians, but would be happy to contact your dealer on your behalf if interested. We're available via private message and would need your VIN, contact information, and preferred dealership to get started.

Jasmine
Chevrolet Customer Care

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