Usually, it is the outdoor fan that is to blame here. If it can't prevent the overheating of the AC compressor, this may cause the safety to trip. This is true either if the fan is not working properly or has stopped functioning altogether. Also a plugged condenser coil or bad capacitor can be the issue.
You will need a highly reliable residential air conditioning service to take care of the outdoor fan, repair any damages to the compressor, and so on. Just remember, if the coolant does not flow freely through the compressor coils, your air conditioning unit will not work.
If the coils get frozen, it may be due to a clogged filter, leak in the system or simply turning your AC down at night, which is bad for the system.
Burnt wiring can cause fires, so don't ignore them.
You should thus never delay calling an AC repair service to get things fixed, and even after that, you'll need to maintain the unit well, replace the filters when needed, and keep everything clean from all sorts of dust and debris.