rattling noises and a/c compressor

jabberjaw

https://files.catbox.moe/1uj0ib.mp4

The above video, I believe, shows my a/c compressor locking up. Or is that just normal behavior? Because it looks like the belt is moving, but the compressor is not.

I think simply taking a knife and cutting the belt would be sufficient to solving the problem, for now. Cold weather has finally arrived (I nearly froze to death the other day on a hike not prepared for a temp drop from 55f to 20f) and I have no need for A/C until the spring. But maybe I'm wrong on the internals of the EJ25 engine, and something else needs to be done?

Also, at 0:22 there is a quite disturbing rattling sound that is eerily similar to a water pump bearing gone bad. I'm just asking because maybe someone knows it's just a normal sound and I should just not worry about it.

thecardoc3

That possibly is the compressor pulley bearing making noise, but trying to figure that out from a video is unreliable at best. While you don't use air conditioning for temperature concerns during the colder months, the AC is used to dehumidify the air and that makes the defogger system work a lot better. If you cut the belt and don't have the problem repaired, you will lose that capability. If it is the pulley bearing that is the only failure, that can be replaced without replacing the compressor or even discharging the AC system.