X5 AC compressor making a terrible grinding noise on cold starts. Should I stop driving it immediately?
Woke up this morning to head to a meeting and the moment I fired up my 2017 X5 the AC compressor let out this god awful metallic grinding screech that lasted maybe five seconds and then went completely silent once the engine settled into idle. The air still blows cold for now which is the only reason I haven’t panicked and parked it on the spot, but something is definitely not happy in there. I’ve read enough horror stories about these N55 equipped cars where the compressor clutch or the pulley bearing fails and then seizes up taking the serpentine belt with it, and if the belt shreds on these engines it has a nasty habit of getting sucked past the front crank seal and into the oil pan which turns a simple AC fix into an engine out disaster. I’m not trying to be dramatic but I’ve seen the photos and I do not want that smoke. I’m looking for some Skilled BMW AC Technicians in Sharjah who can pull the compressor and inspect the clutch assembly before I end up stranded on the side of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road in August. Is this something I can drive carefully for a day or two until I get an appointment or should I just park it and take the wife’s car until someone can look at it properly? The noise is only at startup but I’m paranoid now every time I turn the key.
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