Now that it's getting hot out, I'm thinking about fixing my A/C. My truck seems to have all the necessary parts, but when I flip the switch over to A/C it's just the vent air. Is there some common problem to look for? I bought the truck with 268,000 miles, and the a/c didn't work then. It's been a year and a half, and now I live in a warmer climate so it would be nice to have it.

 

You can start with something basic like checking to see if it has enough freon in it. If the the system does not have enough freon it will not turn on the compressor.

 

yeah, flip it to the a/c and if its low on freon, you'll hear a faint "jackhammer" noise coming from the hood. thats your compressor cycling. recharge the a/c system and if you believe there to be a leak, run dye in the system. after that you can check with a UV light, i believe and look for leaks along the system.

i am in the same situation. my compressor, evap core, and maybe condensor is leaking. i'm going to take my truck tomorrow to get the dye looked at again so i can know for sure whats leaking and i can order those parts. its getting warm in Georgia..

 

I haven't noticed a jackhammer noise, but I'll try it with the hood up and see. Is the a/c serviceable by normal people? I've seen the different freon at the store. Which is for our trucks?

 

It should be marked somewhere in the engine compartment. I think all Automobiles were switched to 134a in 1995-1996(I Can't remember for sure)
Most of the time if there is no freon in the system there is a leak somewhere. This is not really an easy fix. If you don't put a vacuum on the system after you fix the leak it will not cool correctly and there can be water vapor in the system. Most of what I have heard it tends to be the evaporator that has the leak. You have to remove the dash to fix that one. While you are in there it is a good idea to replace the heater core.

 

yeah its 134a in newer vehicles, double check for your yr, but they changed it just as raptor said.

+1 on replacing heater core during this fix.

what i plan on doing is fixing the evap. core, heater core, and compressor with a friend. however, im taking it a local shop to do the a/c. i don't know much about it, and 134a is a PITA. real finicky.

 

Thanks. I really don't know crap about a/c. Back in Wa I had a friend that worked for a company that did building a/c, and he could do car a/c, refrigerators, freezers, whatever.

So, is the best way to go about it to fill the a/c, put in the dye, find the leak, and go from there?

Also, if there is no leak, is it possible for it to wear out? The truck has 170k miles on it, but I don't know how much the previous owner used the a/c. I bought the truck in w. wa (don't use a/c much), but if it was mostly in e. wa (a/c gets used a lot) I don't know.

 

It is possible that it is just low enough to not allow the compressor to kick on.
I have seen on some vehicles that the leak is so slow that you can just charge the system and be fine.
Most of the time it isn't like that.

I would personally take it to a Mechanic since I don't have the necessary tools to do it (A/C Machine).
You could try to charge it and then put dye in to find the leak.
Most auto parts stores will have a can of coolant with a gauge on it.
This will connect to the low pressure side.
I can't remember the pressure it is suppose to be.
I would have to look that one up.
I would almost bet that you still wouldn't be able to see the dye.
I think it would be hidden in with the evaporator.

 

Ya, I'll probably just have a shop do the work...

 

i had trouble with my ac,turned out that the coil had a pin hole in it.ripped the dash out and changed it along with the blower motor.rather then buying 134a i opted for dura cool.vacumned the system down had no leaks then dumped 2 cans of dura cool in.that was 4 years ago and have been a happy camper ever since.