SOS broke down overheat?

Freelander 1 TD4 2001. Parked up in hot sunshine with dogs so aircon was on. After half hour car shook somewhat from engine bay. Immediate loss of aircon coolness and power steering. Car sounded very lumpy. Stopped engine. Engine bay roasting hot, very unusual. I let all cool down for hour and started normally and power steering back

Scared to limp home and damage engine without asking advice any idea what happened? All temp gauges show normal and oil and fluids good, regularly serviced

Dogs need to go soon ;-\. Any ideas?

Idea? - post you location for one!

Have you looked underneath to see if anything has escaped? I.E. oil or coolant?

failing that, RAC, AA etc.... or LZIR?

Thanks - had to get GreenFlag out.

Seems the AirCon Compressor has given up the ghost, intermittent seizing up, clunky mechanical mashing sounds, and burning the Compressor's drive belt (the heavy rubber smell).

Slow drive back home was okay, as long as the AirCon button was not switched on.

Wonder how much this will time in labour fees? Compressors are available on auction sites.

dampsox said:

Thanks - had to get GreenFlag out.

Seems the AirCon Compressor has given up the ghost, intermittent seizing up, clunky mechanical mashing sounds, and burning the Compressor's drive belt (the heavy rubber smell).

Slow drive back home was okay, as long as the AirCon button was not switched on.

Wonder how much this will time in labour fees? Compressors are available on auction sites.

Click to expand...

Not hard to change a compressor on most cars, well within the scope of an average DIYer. Kwik Fit will do a test and regas for about £50.

Sounds like an aux belt/tensioner to me but I know nothing about FLs

Ah....Please ignore this

blue beasty said:

Sounds like an aux belt/tensioner to me but I know nothing about FLs

Ah....Please ignore this

Click to expand...

No I won't ignore you Is this a classic symptom? I hope so as looking around, decent re-manufactured compressor units will cost me £400 up.

When I first looked into the engine bay, I noticed the belt-wheel of the compressor drive belt (and another belt-wheel next to it) were showing a bare shiny polished metal surface, as if the drive belt had moved away was not seated on them properly. A short time later, I could not see any shiny metal and the belt looked back 'in place'.

The rubbing could be the belt moved to one side.
Can't remember the Td4 set-up but most cars drive the power steering and air con compressor oft the auxiliary drive belts. This and the rubbing would make me look in that area first. The air con compressor pulley wheel the belt goes round will spin freely with the air con oft, and the belt removed. When the air con is on, a wire feeds the lectric to the electro magnet to join the pulley to the air con compressor, to make the belt/pulley drive the air con compressor. If the compressor is seizing etc, the belt comes oft and rubs against something or the extra stress on the belt due to compressor problems causes it to slip, then I would expect symptoms as per your original description.
You need to get the air con de-gasses before you disconnect the air con pipes if you change the compressor. The gas is a bit like mustard gas when it gets hot. Run the engine and get someone to turn on/oft the air con while you watch the belts. Keep yer fingers out the way or the belt/pulley will rip them oft.

I thinks your pully wheely thing has brokened!

Thanks for the extremely helpful stuff here. Will have it checked before ordering any replacement units. I'll post back what is was in due course.

Me, I'd just pull out the AC fuse while waiting for a replacement AC compressor to come up for sale at sensible price.

If it's just the bearing playing up these can be changed. Some of them don't allow the bearing to be released from the pulley wheel so you change the pulley which has the bearing in it, instead. That's assuming it's not the contents of the air con pump that's fek'd.