Chrysler Repair: AC problem: screeches, smokes, r 134a, lubricating oil

Question
Roland--
My 1989 Lebaron convertible AC hasn't worked since I bought the car 2 years ago. A friend and I were doing some other work last week and found that the compressor was not plugged in. Well, I plugged it in and turned the car and the AC on. It blows cold air, but the compressor screeches and throws off white smoke. Is the compressor shot? Or does it need lubricated or something?

Answer
Hi Ed,
It could be the clutch bearing or the compressor bearing itself. The system does need some lubricating oil mixed in with the refrigerant, so you could try adding that to the system using the appropriate adapters to do so. It would be good too to determine if the system has been updated to R-134a from the original R-12 as that may be relevant to the lubricant choice. For that reason it might be wise to take the car to an a/c shop for evaluation of whether the need for lubricant might solve the problem and let the experts do it so as not to damage it unnecessarily.
Roland