I'm thinking the bearings in the ac pulley are going out or need oil. It's a tight fit so I'm not sure which pulley it is, but I think it's the one on top. It makes noise then when I turn on the ac it gets quiet. Is there a way to fix just the pulley? Is there any instructions or anyone have the same problem? thanks

 

ok so I looked at the belts and pulleys while the ac was on and off and I could see what looked like the ac pump toward the bottom front of the engine area. When the ac is on the front of the pulley is rotating as fast as the belt, but when the ac is off the pulley is moving fast with the belt, but the front of the pulley is moving slow. It seems to be moving with the sound of the swoooshing. I could be wrong, but I think the front of the ac pulley should not be moving at all. It's clutch should be disengaged. I've seen ac clutches engage and disengage many times before. There must be bearings that ride between the clutch and pulley and maybe they are going out. Does anyone know how to fix it or can I add oil?

 

I jacked the car up and sprayed some gun lubricant that I had on it at a hard angle. Not even sure if much made it inside the front. It should be better than wd40. I cranked up the car and no squeaking or wooshing. I turned on and off the ac and nothing. Perfectly quiet. The front of the pulley still keeps moving when the ac is off. It must have been metal flexing or making some kind of contact. I sprayed some heavy duty silicone oil or something that I had that is also supposed to be better than wd40 and listened to the car and it stayed quiet. So if anyone out there has a similar problem you might have a squeaky ac pulley. I'll post if it squeaks tomorrow when driving.

 

Good info Jeff. Let us know how long this quick fix lasts?

 

The bearing on the tensioner in my X5 is pooched, but a quick fix is doing as you did. Works for a few days and then comes back. If you are feeling industrious you can remove it and repack the bearing and it should be a longer fix, but likely it is a re and re job.

 

Yeah, the noise came back after 2 days and I got a better look and sprays some more oil. I think you're right, need to take off and repack the bearings. I can't even reach the front area around the ac pulley. I wonder how are we supposed to change the belt if it breaks. So hard to reach. I should probably take a pic in case it does break so I'll see how it goes back. Is there any instructions online, I'll google and see.