AC compressor clutch failing? Need diagnosis help.
Hey all, any idea what's happening here? 02 F-350 7.3L, about 175k miles. Truck sat idle for a week while I was out of town and now I'm noticing the AC compressor engaging/disengaging pretty frequently. Doesn't feel or sound like normal behavior and I haven't seen or heard it do this before.
From what I've read, potential causes can be:
- Clutch coil failing
- Air gap too large
- Low refrigerant
- Compressor itself starting to go
In a tight spot financially right now so looking to repair myself if possible. Any tips on where to start diagnosing? And this isn’t normal behavior, correct?
One thing I noticed: it happens most frequently with AC set to cold, max fan, max AC. But I'm also seeing it happen when set to heat with the fan on. Doesn't happen when AC/heat + fan is turned off entirely.
Also — is it alright to drive with AC off for now until I figure out the fix? Don't want to cause any longer term damage. Thanks!