air conditioning compressor clutch gone bad
 

my car: 95 pontiac grand prix se 3.1L

so my air conditioning decided to go out on me on one of the hottest weeks of the summer :( After inspecting it (and getting an opinion from someone who knows what they're doing), we determined the clutch on the compressor has gone bad. It doesn't engage when I turn AC on. It also seems rather loose and rickety.

My question is, do I have to get a whole new compressor? If not, is it possible at all to install a new clutch on my own (without any tools only a mechanic would have)? Any other tips on this would be great as well. Also, is there any way that I can test to be 100% positive that this is what is wrong with it...I was gonna just let a mechanic check it, but I'd much prefer not to take it to a shop. Thanks

just a thought,but if the compressor,is not coming on its possible its low on freon. any howling or sqeiling when it quit working ?

way to check: get a refil kit and try it... if it sucks the freon out of the bottle, the compressor is working. if not, it's probably the clutch or a sensor for the clutch and yes you'd need a new compressor unfortunately.

Clutches are rare to go.

But they can be replaced independently, you shouldn't need a new compresssor, but you should replace the bearing at the same time as you replace the clutch.