A/C Condenser

22’s · March 8, 2019

I bought a 2014 Ltz about two months ago with 67k on the clock. Is there a way to tell if the condenser has been replaced(different bracket, color, shape, anything)? I bought it in a Minnesota winter so I couldn’t test to see if the ac worked or not, and reading this whole subject is worrying me. I have already had to replace the oil pump, if I gotta do ac parts too, I may just drive it off a bridge.

Tx_operator87 · March 10, 2019

I bought a 2014 Ltz about two months ago with 67k on the clock. Is there a way to tell if the condenser has been replaced(different bracket, color, shape, anything)? I bought it in a Minnesota winter so I couldn’t test to see if the ac worked or not, and reading this whole subject is worrying me. I have already had to replace the oil pump, if I gotta do ac parts too, I may just drive it off a bridge.

Just had to change mine a couple weeks ago at 61k miles. Mine was a 2015, a guy I work with has a 2014, both of our stock condensors were a galvanized looking color. The after market I got from O'Reilly's was black, the stock look cheap and look just tack welded on the sides. The condensor was $150 at O'Reilly's and about $100 worth of freon (a large bottle and a small bottle) was what it took me. You'll need a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the system to make it easier to recharge. Takes about 2 hours. Pull off the plastic, take the 2 bolts that hold the radiator and lean it back, you'll have to pull off your air filter for easier access to the metal cross member. 3 bolts on the left and 3 on the right hold the cross member on. Kind of a pain to get to them. Disconnect the 2 lines at the top from the radiator to the condenser. Unbolt the coolant lines (bottom of condenser on left side) disconnect the lines and the system will depressure. Pull old condenser out and repeat steps backwards to put new one in. Not too hard, just need an hour or 2 and some patience

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22’s · March 10, 2019

7 minutes ago, Tx_operator87 said:

Just had to change mine a couple weeks ago at 61k miles. Mine was a 2015, a guy I work with has a 2014, both of our stock condensors were a galvanized looking color. The after market I got from O'Reilly's was black, the stock look cheap and look just tack welded on the sides. The condensor was $150 at O'Reilly's and about $100 worth of freon (a large bottle and a small bottle) was what it took me. You'll need a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the system to make it easier to recharge. Takes about 2 hours. Pull off the plastic, take the 2 bolts that hold the radiator and lean it back, you'll have to pull off your air filter for easier access to the metal cross member. 3 bolts on the left and 3 on the right hold the cross member on. Kind of a pain to get to them. Disconnect the 2 lines at the top from the radiator to the condenser. Unbolt the coolant lines (bottom of condenser on left side) disconnect the lines and the system will depressure. Pull old condenser out and repeat steps backwards to put new one in. Not too hard, just need an hour or 2 and some patience

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Sounds like a PITA. And a job that should be done with so little miles. I did look through my grille on my truck yesterday and mine is completely black. Maybe mines been done already.

texasaggies16 · March 10, 2019

1 minute ago, 22’s said:

Sounds like a PITA. And a job that should be done with so little miles. I did look through my grille on my truck yesterday and mine is completely black. Maybe mines been done already.

Sounds like a extreme PITA, im all for unbolting and bolting new in but the FREON and vacuum part are beyond my comfort zone..

Tx_operator87 · March 10, 2019

Sounds like a extreme PITA, im all for unbolting and bolting new in but the FREON and vacuum part are beyond my comfort zone..

It was a PITA but a lot cheaper and quicker than the dealer. And the vacuum and freon isn't bad. You can rent a vacuum pump at O'Reilly's or AutoZone, you just hook it up to the low pressure port and turn it on, pull a good vacuum about 25-30mmhg and take it off and hook the freon bottle up to the same port and follow the instructions on the can. If it's under warranty and you got the time then just take it to the dealer, I just like fixing things myself, makes me feel good and I like to learn new things

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cajunduck1 · March 11, 2019

I am fixing on changing my condenser, along with a list of things that I need to fix, and don't you have to add some sort of oil or something to the system? I thought I ran across that somewhere. Thank you in advance.

Yustinaaron · March 11, 2019

On 3/9/2019 at 8:25 PM, Tx_operator87 said:

Just had to change mine a couple weeks ago at 61k miles. Mine was a 2015, a guy I work with has a 2014, both of our stock condensors were a galvanized looking color. The after market I got from O'Reilly's was black, the stock look cheap and look just tack welded on the sides. The condensor was $150 at O'Reilly's and about $100 worth of freon (a large bottle and a small bottle) was what it took me. You'll need a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the system to make it easier to recharge. Takes about 2 hours. Pull off the plastic, take the 2 bolts that hold the radiator and lean it back, you'll have to pull off your air filter for easier access to the metal cross member. 3 bolts on the left and 3 on the right hold the cross member on. Kind of a pain to get to them. Disconnect the 2 lines at the top from the radiator to the condenser. Unbolt the coolant lines (bottom of condenser on left side) disconnect the lines and the system will depressure. Pull old condenser out and repeat steps backwards to put new one in. Not too hard, just need an hour or 2 and some patience

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A big bottle and little bottle of refrigerant seems like a lot. I've replaced the condenser, compressor, and radiator and didn't use more than 2 small bottles of refrigerant, plus the compressor oil. How can I tell if I need more refrigerant (other than the AC not cooling)???

Tx_operator87 · March 11, 2019

I am fixing on changing my condenser, along with a list of things that I need to fix, and don't you have to add some sort of oil or something to the system? I thought I ran across that somewhere. Thank you in advance.

The top connections that go to the radiator has what looked like tansmission fluid in it (I'm no mechanic) but not much comes out when you disconnect them.

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Tx_operator87 · March 11, 2019

A big bottle and little bottle of refrigerant seems like a lot. I've replaced the condenser, compressor, and radiator and didn't use more than 2 small bottles of refrigerant, plus the compressor oil. How can I tell if I need more refrigerant (other than the AC not cooling)???

I probably would have been fine with one big bottle or 2 smaller ones, I just wanted to make sure I had enough. I just use the gauge off the refrigerant bottle to check the pressure and as long as it's in the green you should be plenty charged, then I'd just check it 5 or 6 days later and see how much has changed

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njs2247 · March 11, 2019

6 hours ago, Donald Plaisance said:

I am fixing on changing my condenser, along with a list of things that I need to fix, and don't you have to add some sort of oil or something to the system? I thought I ran across that somewhere. Thank you in advance.

GM recommends adding 2oz of PAG 46 oil to your AC system when replacing the condenser. GM doesn't give the specific weight of the oil you should use, but every place I called or looked up online said it was PAG 46. You can add it through the pressure gauges you rent from Auto store.

This is the perfect time to add UV dye to your system. Get the PAG 46 oil with the UV dye in it.

Edited March 11, 2019 by njs2247

woody6725 · March 16, 2019

I bought a 2014 gmc sierra a few years back. in august of 2017 my a/c condenser went bad. the standard leak that all the 2014's developed. i was still within the 3 year part of the warranty, but i was over on the mileage by about 3000. i contacted gm, and they had me take it to maroone chevrolet in pembroke pines. the repair bill came to $1000. gm agreed to pay $800, and i paid the remaining $200. i was happy with this. now, 19 months later, the new condenser went bad in exactly the same spot. i contacted gm to see if this would be covered at all, because to me they replaced a defective part with another known defective part. i was told to bring it to vera cadillac/gmc for diagnosis. they verified it was the condenser that failed and told me the repair would be just under $1900. i contacted gm to see if any assistance would be available, seeing as this is a well known and well documented defect. i was basically told too bad, the part only had a 12 month warranty. i told them to put it back together and i would be down to pick it up, because there was no way i was going to pay $1900 for another inferior part that might last another 18 months. i expect parts i get from advance auto to last longer than that. i was then charged $85 dollars for a diagnostic that i never needed, which i actually wasn't as mad about as i could've been, because when i took the truck in they told me the diagnostic was $170. i went to oreilly's and bought one for 147.99 with a lifetime warranty. gonna put it in tomorrow morning and see how that one lasts.

jonesumd · March 16, 2019

58 minutes ago, woody6725 said:

I bought a 2014 gmc sierra a few years back. in august of 2017 my a/c condenser went bad. the standard leak that all the 2014's developed. i was still within the 3 year part of the warranty, but i was over on the mileage by about 3000. i contacted gm, and they had me take it to maroone chevrolet in pembroke pines. the repair bill came to $1000. gm agreed to pay $800, and i paid the remaining $200. i was happy with this. now, 19 months later, the new condenser went bad in exactly the same spot. i contacted gm to see if this would be covered at all, because to me they replaced a defective part with another known defective part. i was told to bring it to vera cadillac/gmc for diagnosis. they verified it was the condenser that failed and told me the repair would be just under $1900. i contacted gm to see if any assistance would be available, seeing as this is a well known and well documented defect. i was basically told too bad, the part only had a 12 month warranty. i told them to put it back together and i would be down to pick it up, because there was no way i was going to pay $1900 for another inferior part that might last another 18 months. i expect parts i get from advance auto to last longer than that. i was then charged $85 dollars for a diagnostic that i never needed, which i actually wasn't as mad about as i could've been, because when i took the truck in they told me the diagnostic was $170. i went to oreilly's and bought one for 147.99 with a lifetime warranty. gonna put it in tomorrow morning and see how that one lasts.

woody6725,

That's what I'm afraid will happen to me. My 2016 (I bought new) had it's condenser replaced at 2,089 miles (yes, that mileage is correct). It's been in the shop 6 times now for the AC not working and I have under 6,000 miles on my truck (don't drive it much). They replaced my condenser with the same faulty 1st gen model so I expect it to fail again soon.

RACERX7775 · March 16, 2019

Yup. So is there really an updated part or is it just the same one everywhere. I just used the A/C in my truck for the first time this season yesterday and BAM, its warm air. I put die in it along with a pound of freon today and i see the condenser is leaking. Its the typical spot on the drivers side towards the top. I took a pic of the green dye. I also see there is different condensers. Anyone have the correct part number? Its a 14 LTZ Z71 5.3. But NOT the max tow. Thanks all...

Tx_operator87 · March 16, 2019

Yup. So is there really an updated part or is it just the same one everywhere. I just used the A/C in my truck for the first time this season yesterday and BAM, its warm air. I put die in it along with a pound of freon today and i see the condenser is leaking. Its the typical spot on the drivers side towards the top. I took a pic of the green dye. I also see there is different condensers. Anyone have the correct part number? Its a 14 LTZ Z71 5.3. But NOT the max tow. Thanks all...

This is what I replaced mine with. The OEM one is clearly cheaply made when compared to this one. The weld where mine cracked looked like yours, the new one looked solid and I was very comfortable putting it in and not worrying about it giving out like the factory did.

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