Whine/whirring from AC Compressor

[HustleHard]

Alright so I'm pretty sure I know what's up but I just want to get everyone's opinion. When I turn on my 4runner and have the air turned on, every 15 seconds or so I get a whine/whirring from the engine bay. I popped the hood and it's coming from the AC Compressor. Every 15-20 seconds the AC Compressor pulley spins and makes the noise, then after 15-20 seconds it stops spinning and noise disappears.

I'm thinking bad pulley bearing? I had a dealership do the timing belt last year or the year before, so not sure if they replaced all those (I'll have to look at the maintenance form).

What's the time frame on getting this fixed? Can I drive it for a bit till I have the time to deal with it? Easy fix to do in the driveway? Worth bringing to a shop?

Thanks guys

 

[Mike07SE]

The cycling of the AC compressor is completely normal and they tend to "whir" when they engage. Is this an excessively loud noise? If it's more of a "whine", it could possibly be the compressor going bad and be the unit or belt slipping and causing the noise as well.

I've seen Denso units (OEM brand) go for under $200. However, you will need a shop that has an AC machine to service this if it is bad. I would say a competent mechanic should be able to do this in about 4 hours or so (I'm guessing).

 

[HustleHard]

The cycling of the AC compressor is completely normal and they tend to "whir" when they engage. Is this an excessively loud noise? If it's more of a "whine", it could possibly be the compressor going bad and be the unit or belt slipping and causing the noise as well.

I've seen Denso units (OEM brand) go for under $200. However, you will need a shop that has an AC machine to service this if it is bad. I would say a competent mechanic should be able to do this in about 4 hours or so (I'm guessing).

It's pretty noticeable. You can hear it from outside the vehicle and it doesn't go away after awhile. Maybe I just started noticing it. If it goes, is it going to mess up the serpentine belt?

 

[Mike07SE]

It's pretty noticeable. You can hear it from outside the vehicle and it doesn't go away after awhile. Maybe I just started noticing it. If it goes, is it going to mess up the serpentine belt?

If it goes and the clutch seizes, then yes the belt can be toast.