Hey all sorry I first posted this cry for help in the 2nd Gen Probs and issues:

2005 S, seems to run fine as long as I don't turn on the A/C. Friday night though, was a different story. Tooling along fat n' happy, when several dash lights and gauges either lit up or shut off (fuel gauge dropped to the left "E" despite a full tank, etc), and Limp Mode started. I pulled over, shut down and waited maybe 10 minutes, opened the bonnet for a peek, to appear as though i knew what I was doing. Then, the engine started and ran fine (CEL was on, but the fuel gauge was awake again and the other lamps were out). I thought maybe I had accomplished some kind of a re-set, and drove the short distance back to work.

At the time I didn't realize the correlation, but when I operated the A/C, it was only a matter of a few minutes/miles before Limp Mode came back. To get home that night I think I had to stop and restart 2 more times, getting normal engine response each time. The CEL even went out.

Auto mechanic next door loaned me his expensive reader on Saturday morning, and I saw p1688 but he (and me too) couldn't relate that code to a specific cause for Limp Mode. I have the text from the reader here someplace but it mentioned the computer output circuit - pretty useful huh? I don't know which is worse a computer problem or an A/C repair (read on...)

So I ran a few local errands without a problem, until i turn on the A/C then bingo, Limp Mode. Same solution, I shut down and re-started and got going again. Today I just didn't use A/C (which is a PITA! to do without!) and had an uneventful trip of about 100 miles...

Is my A/C compressor seized or the A/C "clutch" likely busted? Could it be a belt issue?

At one point on Friday night's ups and downs, i noticed a "hot engine" smell, and checking the coolant reservoir I could see the ends of the pipes in the base of the container, so I added about 8oz of bottled water but at NO time did the temp gauge in the dash ever exceed normal (middle) range, not even by a smidgen. The smell must have come from some other cause, maybe it's the root problem. There were never any puddles or drips under the car.

So, thank you for coming this far reading my romance novel of a car story... What could be the matter?

Thanks,
Tatt
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