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Air conditioning on my 1997 Chevy truck
Sent to Car Experts June 09 04:55 PM

Hi guys,

I have a 1997 Chevy C1500 I bought a couple of months back. It was winter at the time, so I couldn't test the air conditioning very well. Now that it is hot, it definately doesn't work. The compressor use to cycle off and on about every 5 - 10 seconds when I turned on the AC. However, now it doesn't even do this.

I have a couple of questions. I realize the compressor will not engage if there is not enough refrigerant in the system. Could it have all leaked out? Or is 10 years of use enough wear for this to be that low? Also, will I need to bypass the compressor clutch to refill, or should I just take it to a tech. and have them do it, check for leaks etc? I'm trying to use a "booster" but can't do it if the compressor doesn't engage. I think the compressor is okay, since it use to cycle. If I took it to a tech (one of you) how much does this service usually cost if no "hard" parts are needed. I have R-134A refrigerant. Please be thorough. I WILL accept. Thanks.

 

Optional Information:
1997 Chevrolet C1500 5.7 Vortec

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $15
Answer
June 9 5:13 PM (17 minutes and 54 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
I would definitely suggest you bring your car in to an ASE certified mechanic to have the A/C system checked out.

I'd advise this because you haven't had a chance to see it fully operational for a long period of time. This means that it would be hard to tell exactly how the A/C got to the point of not working at all which is what would tell the most about what has gone wrong.

For instance, if the A/C has gotten warmer and warmer over time with no other issues it could signal that the coolant simply needs to be replaced and that the compressor not working now might just be a case of a relay going bad in the system. On the other hand, if the system had been making certain noises and suddenly stopped blowing cold it could be that the system has been clogged by condensation which would require a completely different repair than a relay.

If you bring it in to an experienced mechanic they can perform full diagnostics on your system and check for coolant remaining, pressure in the system, electrical issues, clogs preventing flow through the system, condensation, and a number of other issues all at once before performing the necessary repairs whether it be replacing a leaking line that allowed the coolant to escape or replacing a relay.

In my shop, I charge $59.99 for a full A/C system diagnostic check and then I would charge for any necessary repairs from there. This can vary greatly depending on a number of factors but I'll try to give you some what-if scenarios.

Let's start with a worse case. Let's say your Compressor has frozen up and needs replacing. A compressor for your truck would run about $115.00 and it would be around 3 hours labor to replace the compressor and recharge the system. I charge $50.00 per hour for labor so you'd be talking about $265.00 for that repair.

Next we could assume the Evaporator core has been clogged. That would run you about $145.00 and roughly the same 3 hours labor for a total of around $295.00.

If it's something small like the compressor relay we might only be talking $10 or so for the part and 1 hour labor for the part and recharge so roughly $60.00.

Again, this is just an estimate depending on a number of different factors. The system check alone at my shop would be $59.99 plus $20 if you need the system charged (which you would assuming nothing else is wrong) for a total of $79.99 (Plus the cost of additional R-134a coolant if the system is empty and this would run as high as maybe $30 if the system is bone dry).

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Matt Kesler -- Auto Mechanic -- 100% Positive Feedback on 415 Car Accepts
ASE Certified - 20+ Years Experience
Reply
June 9 5:23 PM (10 minutes and 40 seconds later)
         

Awesome answer. Thanks a lot. I guess I was thinking it would be a lot more expensive regardless of what needed to be done. I guess I'll quit putting it off. Thanks Matt, and if you ever have a Home Improvement question, I'd love to try and return the favor.

Josh

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
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