My compressor died mid-job on a Subaru yesterday

Was laying down a final coat of clear on a 2018 Outback bumper when the compressor just seized up. Sounded like rocks in a blender for about 2 seconds then nothing. Had to borrow my neighbor's backup unit to finish the job and lost 3 hours. Anyone else had a compressor fail at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseythompson1mo ago

...and honestly, I think a lot of people overlook the electrical side of these things. It's not always about the compressor itself being worn out. I've seen a couple of cases where a bad capacitor or a voltage drop from a dying battery in the shop was the real killer. The motor draws way more amps trying to start under a heavy load like spraying clear, and that extra strain can fry the windings if the electrical supply is weak. You ever check what your outlet voltage is doing when that compressor kicks on? That might be worth looking at before you drop cash on a new unit.

martin.riley1mo ago

Respectfully, I see it a bit different. In my shop I've run all kinds of compressors on old wiring and sketchy breakers and never lost a motor to voltage drop alone. Usually if a motor is that sensitive to startup load its windings were already degrading from heat or age. The capacitor thing I'll give you - seen a few bad caps that just made the motor hum and trip the thermal overload. But most residential compressors can handle a pretty ugly startup voltage sag as long as the running amps stay in range. Have you ever put a clamp meter on it during a long spray session to see if the current spikes up after the initial start?

wendy8201mo ago

Honestly, you've got that backwards. Voltage drop on startup is usually worse for the motor than during running.