Our team went up on the roof and it was clear. The old Carrier outdoor unit was in bad shape: a worn fan, damaged wires, signs of refrigerant leakage and an overheated compressor.
How We Fixed It
Completely disassembled the outdoor unit to access all key components
Replaced worn components, including wires and fasteners
Checked the system for leaks and vacuumed the circuit
Refueled the system with new refrigerant
Now seems like this air conditioner hums quietly and cools steadily again.