Bad AC Compressor or Alternator?

[ryboto]

So, I'll try to have a shop look at it on Monday, but for right now I'll ask here.

Recently I've been trying to recharge my AC system. Today while doing so the ac compressor started kicking on and off, and it was freaking me out because of the drastic amount of vibration it causes when idling. I've got a k24 with harder mounts, so I tend to not run the AC while idling.

Soon after that, I started hearing a metal whirring noise as I slowed down. I worried it was my clutch, but it happened with the clutch in, out or with the car in neutral.

Just before the last turn home, the car died. I tried restarting it a few times and it was very slow to turn over, indicating the battery was being drained. Well, luckily, it finally started, I looked to my head unit because it shows the alternator voltage, and while it's normally 13.8-14.2, it was around 12.4v.

As I started to drive it came up to 13.5v, but dipped below that and never came back to normal operating voltage.

The whirring noise was still there.

So, is this a bad alternator bearing? Or could a bad AC compressor clutch be dragging on the belt, in turn causing the alternator to spin less? There was a really bad smell also, I wondered if it was burning clutch at first, but now I think it may be burning rubber from the belt.

Thanks.

[Her-Name's-Ally]

If its making a bit of noise and your car spudders sometimes its likely the ac compressor. My car would sometimes almost turn off when it was going bad. You can try to bypass it with a 2005 altima serpentine belt. If it fixes the issue you will know what the issue is.

[ryboto]

If its making a bit of noise and your car spudders sometimes its likely the ac compressor. My car would sometimes almost turn off when it was going bad. You can try to bypass it with a 2005 altima serpentine belt. If it fixes the issue you will know what the issue is.

Not sure if that's the belt I ordered, but I bought one that's 6-rib that other Ephatchers recommended as a bypass. It wouldn't be permanent as I'd like to eventually fix the AC.. Now I have to decide if it would be cheaper to buy an entire AC system, or just fix the compressor and pay out the ass at a shop to have it flushed/refilled.

[Her-Name's-Ally]

shi is expensive. I ended up just keeping the bypass.. It feels like it runs a littttle quicker after