A/C out on 5.3l Chevy 2007 Express - common cause?

[Oro_O]

Please help me out a bit because I rarely work on A/C.

Very good condition/maintained 2007 Chevy express ~150k miles, my retired parents' 2nd car for utility needs. Currently sees only about 5/6k miles a year so sits a bit. A/C last used a few weeks ago and worked a-OK. We used it yesterday and no A/C, compressor not attempting to engage/simply nothing. We swapped fuses and the relay but nothing. Got home and checked pressure, was 150/60 my dad said. He tried putting freon in and it just equalized across, 100/110. I googled causes and found nothing common other than low-pressure switch electrical pigtail, checked it but it did not look bad and playing with it made no difference as most people said that jiggling it would get it to kick in.

So, new compressor? Or try...?

 

[mk378]

Check if voltage is reaching the compressor clutch. If it is, you may just need to reduce clutch gap.

Pressure not equal at the first test must mean the compressor ran at least a little.

 

[Oro_O]

OK, thanks. We just jacked it up and will take a look at the compressor itself.

So the clutch is adjustable?

 

[CT8]

Pressure test to see if there is a leak?

 

[Gokhan]

A/C is one of those things that require specialized shops and isn't meant for DIY. It requires vacuum pumps (purging is required every time the pressure is too low), leak detectors, welding equipment to fix leaks, and other specialized equipment. You will not only waste your money if you try to do it yourself but will do a poor job that won't last long and harm the environment. Trying to repair an A/C system yourself is like trying to fix a sinking boat with duck tape.

 

[mk378]

If you can do this safely: start engine and turn A/C on. Use the handle end of a hammer to tap on the edge of the clutch plate, strike it toward the pulley. If it snaps in and starts spinning (and air gets cold), you need to do clutch adjustment.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Gokhan
A/C is one of those things that require specialized shops and isn't meant for DIY. It requires vacuum pumps (purging is required every time the pressure is too low), leak detectors, welding equipment to fix leaks, and other specialized equipment. You will not only waste your money if you try to do it yourself but will do a poor job that won't last long and harm the environment. Trying to repair an A/C system yourself is like trying to fix a sinking boat with duck tape.


Yes.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
A/C is one of those things that require specialized shops and isn't meant for DIY. It requires vacuum pumps (purging is required every time the pressure is too low), leak detectors, welding equipment to fix leaks, and other specialized equipment. You will not only waste your money if you try to do it yourself but will do a poor job that won't last long and harm the environment. Trying to repair an A/C system yourself is like trying to fix a sinking boat with duck tape.


Yes.


Not always.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted By: Gokhan
A/C is one of those things that require specialized shops and isn't meant for DIY. It requires vacuum pumps (purging is required every time the pressure is too low), leak detectors, welding equipment to fix leaks, and other specialized equipment. You will not only waste your money if you try to do it yourself but will do a poor job that won't last long and harm the environment. Trying to repair an A/C system yourself is like trying to fix a sinking boat with duck tape.


Not true. I taught myself using the internet and books. I bought all of the right equipment and have fixed about 10 vehicles in the last 10 years, four of them my own. The AC in all of my personal vehicles still work fine after 10 years to about 5 or 6 years on the last repair.

If you can read and watch videos and have the right equipment, a DIYer can fix AC systems and make them last.

Wayne

 

[Black_Thunder]

it varies by state laws etc. but are you able to buy refrigerant over the counter at a parts store or department store?

in my area it never used to be legal unless you were certified to buy refrigerant but in the last couple of years things have changed and you can buy it anywhere and some cans even come with a free gauge to kind of give you an idea of how much refrigerant is in the system by attaching it to the low side port, and if so possibly fill it to the point where it would start working and give you a starting point of that the system has a leak somewhere, could be a large leak or a small leak and some refrigerant brands have leak sealer in them, unknown how well that actually works.

but anyways you could start there and if you find anything substantial then you continue from there. but yes for any kind of real repairs a set of gauges and a vacuum pump is ideal.