Sorry, I forgot to mention that I wanted to remove the belt only if I had a serious problem with the compressor (like you mentioned, the clutch seizing up). Something similar happened to me on another car years ago.
Good idea about using a shorter belt to just the power steering pump. Thanks!
Any idea what that engine-idle-speed-device-when-AC-is-on is called?
My 98 Mazda Protege is having air conditioner problems. When I first noticed it, the A/C wouldn't work at low RPMs (driving around town), but worked fine at highway speeds. I also noticed that the engine was idling pretty low when the A/C was on. Then one day, when the A/C was on and I was stopped at a stop light, the engine died.
I'm guessing the problem is either the compressor or compressor clutch. Since this is not a DIY repair, I was wondering if I could just remove the belt for the A/C. The belt also drives the power steering pump, but I'm not sure if anything else is a part of that. So is it safe to remove the belt?
