Orange dust around a/c compressor

[cabron]

I have an 01 legacy Gt Ltd. Recently I have noticed an orange dust emanating from the front of the compressor.

 

I am new owner; and thus not sure if this is normal.

 

Any advise?

 

Thanks

[TheBrian]

Yes, it's normal. Just about every older Subaru I've seen has red-orange dust all over the area by the A/C compressor.

I presume it's friction material off the A/C clutch.

[swi66]

Yes, it's normal. Just about every older Subaru I've seen has red-orange dust all over the area by the A/C compressor.

I presume it's friction material off the A/C clutch.

 

To me that would indicate a bearing which is dry and already bad. Like the same colored powder when a U-joint is shot, it is metasl which has been turned into powder and is now rusting.............

 

swi66

[cabron]

To me that would indicate a bearing which is dry and already bad. Like the same colored powder when a U-joint is shot, it is metasl which has been turned into powder and is now rusting.............

 

swi66

 

The compressor runs very quietly; and no vibration... the area where the dust is coming from is not hot either.

[mwatt]

The compressor runs very quietly; and no vibration... the area where the dust is coming from is not hot either.

 

That stuff is, in fact, the metallic "dust" resulting from thousands of on-off cycles of the compressor clutch. It builds up at the front of most compressors but it's more obvious on a longitudinally-mounted (conventional front-to-rear) engine than it is on a transverse-mounted (side-to-side) engine just because of wind blowing it back....