Jump to content

A/C Condenser

thewhitestallion
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 628
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

thewhitestallion
thewhitestallion

Add me to the troubled condenser list...   About a month ago I was driving to work on a sticky Houston night, about ~75*f or so with probably 80% humidity when I noticed that my A/C was not blowin

Spurshot
Spurshot

Hopefully your ac is working great now?     I don't think I'd join one of these class suits over $1k. GM will settle for a fraction of the class costs and most of that will go to the slimey lawyer

Andy2016
Andy2016

Add me, 2016 Serria Denali 60k no ac, but I moved from Maryland to South Carolina and didnt have the time to get it fixed and we made a few trips now have 67k. I bought used at 53k, had the trans flus

Posted Images

Sierra 14 Enthusiast

Sierra 14

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Mpost26 said:

Has anyone had to add tranny fluid after the condenser change? 

I added a little just because I knew I lost some. According to the dipstick I didn't need to add any?.

Mpost26 New Member

Mpost26

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Sierra 14 said:

I added a little just because I knew I lost some. According to the dipstick I didn't need to add any?.

Yea I figured. I changed my condenser after a tranny drain/fill. Fast forward a few months my tranny has a hard shift from 2nd-3rd. It has been doing it for a couple weeks so I finally checked the fluid level and it’s low low. Like don’t drive low but I have no signs of a leak anywhere. I have an appointment at the dealership tomorrow and have a feeling that they going to say it my fault. I think they didn’t add enough fluid. 

Snoringbear Enthusiast

Snoringbear

Posted
Posted
On 8/18/2019 at 8:21 AM, Sierra 14 said:

I added a little just because I knew I lost some. According to the dipstick I didn't need to add any?.

I’m confused, why would you loose tranny fluid when changing the condenser?  And about the dipstick; where the heck is it?  I can’t find it and am under the impression there isn’t one and the tranny is factory sealed.  Lastly, how did you add fluid and where?  Eager to learn...

ksiesel Enthusiast

ksiesel

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Snoringbear said:

I’m confused, why would you loose tranny fluid when changing the condenser?  And about the dipstick; where the heck is it?  I can’t find it and am under the impression there isn’t one and the tranny is factory sealed.  Lastly, how did you add fluid and where?  Eager to learn...

The condenser is also a transmission cooler.  It has two flow circuits in the same component so you’re going to lose a small amount of ATF when you remove the condenser.

 

As to the dipstick, my understanding is that the 6 speed has a dipstick in the K2 trucks, but the 8 speed does not.  On the 8 speed, there is a stand pipe on the plug in the pan and you fill through that pipe, but only after the fluid is up to temp and with the engine running on a level surface.

Sierra Dan Senior Enthusiast

Sierra Dan

Posted
Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, Snoringbear said:

I’m confused, why would you loose tranny fluid when changing the condenser?  And about the dipstick; where the heck is it?  I can’t find it and am under the impression there isn’t one and the tranny is factory sealed.  Lastly, how did you add fluid and where?  Eager to learn...

Because the condenser works for the a/c system and is also a transmission cooler.

The transmission cooler lines are located on top of the condenser on both driver/passenger side. They are held in by clips.

If you take the condenser out carefully, you can transfer the existing condenser transmission fluid over to the new unit which is what I did.

Edited by Sierra Dan
Frankielozano214 Senior Enthusiast

Frankielozano214

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

Because the condenser works for the a/c system and is also a transmission cooler.

The transmission cooler lines are located on top of the condenser on both driver/passenger side. They are held in by clips.

If you take the condenser out carefully, you can transfer the existing condenser transmission fluid over to the new unit which is what I did.

Don’t they do that when they vacuum and recharge your AC system?

Sierra Dan Senior Enthusiast

Sierra Dan

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Frankielozano214 said:

Don’t they do that when they vacuum and recharge your AC system?

I replaced the condenser myself for around $200 all in.

Didn't want to pay a shop $700-$1200

Pulling a vacuum only involves Freon, not transmission fluid

The A/C and Transmission lines are separate.

Frankielozano214 Senior Enthusiast

Frankielozano214

Posted
Posted
51 minutes ago, Sierra Dan said:

I replaced the condenser myself for around $200 all in.

Didn't want to pay a shop $700-$1200

Pulling a vacuum only involves Freon, not transmission fluid

The A/C and Transmission lines are separate.

I had a shop installing the condenser including vacuuming and recharging my AC system as it leaked it all out 80$, the part was like 170$ But didn’t have to come out of pocket for any of it. If I would of had to paid still seem like a reasonable price. 700$-1200$ I would of probably kept looking for a different shop

carnau Enthusiast

carnau

Posted
Posted
On 8/19/2019 at 2:51 PM, Sierra Dan said:

I replaced the condenser myself for around $200 all in.

Didn't want to pay a shop $700-$1200

Pulling a vacuum only involves Freon, not transmission fluid

The A/C and Transmission lines are separate.

That's right. The ac and transmission lines are separate, but the transmission cooler is in the condenser so it is good to add 1/4qt of fluid just to top off the condenser.

Sierra Dan Senior Enthusiast

Sierra Dan

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, carnau said:

That's right. The ac and transmission lines are separate, but the transmission cooler is in the condenser so it is good to add 1/4qt of fluid just to top off the condenser.

I added fluid to the new condenser from the old condenser, as my transmission fluid had just been changed a few months earlier.

I saw no need to go buy a quart just to use some of it when there was already fluid from the factory condenser that would work fine.

 

  • Like 1
Truston Gunter Enthusiast

Truston Gunter

Posted
Posted

I have a 2015 LTZ Z71 with 41,100 miles and seems like I am leaking refrigerant from the condenser. Really sad that this truck is having these kinda issues and of course, no help from the dealership. Warranty expired May of 201920190827_181648.thumb.jpg.05d2435b81b21ff5d766bb8cf9fd7665.jpg

20190827_181739.jpg

Frankielozano214 Senior Enthusiast

Frankielozano214

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Truston Gunter said:

I have a 2015 LTZ Z71 with 41,100 miles and seems like I am leaking refrigerant from the condenser. Really sad that this truck is having these kinda issues and of course, no help from the dealership. Warranty expired May of 201920190827_181648.thumb.jpg.05d2435b81b21ff5d766bb8cf9fd7665.jpg

20190827_181739.jpg

Same spot mine was leaking from I bought a aftermarket condenser price “179$“ , vacuum and recharge 80$ With installation, AC IS ICE COLD AGAIN ? ❄️ 

 

hope u get it fix man I know it sucks having the windows down too damn hot out here especially over here in Texas not sure where your from. 

C90AB348-7CCD-4B80-BA58-26549B27F3DA.jpeg

Truston Gunter Enthusiast

Truston Gunter

Posted
Posted

Yup, I'm located in corpus so its definitely too hott!!! Prolly attempt to do the repair myself, great prices from rockauto but do I purchase OEM ac delco or go aftermarket?

Frankielozano214 Senior Enthusiast

Frankielozano214

Posted
Posted

Oh I went aftermarket just cuz I got it for really really good deal “free” lol my mother law works at auto parts place so I didn’t have to come out of pocket, I think the OEM just has a piece of havc tape on the corner area where it tends to leak at kinda like a heat shield. 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • KARNUT
      AFM Experience

      By KARNUT · Posted

      When I bought my 14 GMC I turned it off with an handheld programmer. With my 16 Odyssey I left it on solely because I didn’t have much money in the vehicle. There’s a device to turn it off that’s a little more involved. The GMC at 72 MPH the deactivation was on very little the deference was 1/2 mile per gallon. The Odyssey is on over half the time at 72 mph. 
    • BCShopAuto
      07-13 interior door swap to Denali

      By BCShopAuto · Posted

      Anyone ever thought about switching the interior door panels from the base model to the Denali style? I’ve seen that you basically have to cut, sand, mold, paint, the window switches together to get the look right. Is that the main reason people don’t bother doing the swap? Seems like the only method that is easy I guess, without having to mess around with wiring and stuff.
    • garagerog
      Low fuel pressure after installing new fuel pump

      By garagerog · Posted

      Replace the fuel pump with an OEM AC-Delco.
    • Gilkey96
      Low fuel pressure after installing new fuel pump

      By Gilkey96 · Posted

      Hello, first time posting here. I have an 03 Chevy 1500HD with the 6 liter gas engine. The truck ran fine until the fuel pump died on me and had to get it towed. Replaced the fuel pump with a precision pump from O’rileys and changed the fuel filter while I was there. The truck will run and drive now but it wants to idle around 500 rpm when in drive and it tries to stall if you touch the gas. It drives fine though, just doesn’t want to idle. Put a fuel pressure gauge on the rail and only have 50 psi. I guess these trucks should have 55-62 psi to run right. I thought the regulator might be the issue because when I would unplug the vacuum hose it jumped to 56 psi. Replaced the regulator and no change. The only thing I can think of is that I was sold a faulty fuel pump. Any help would be appreciated because I’d rather not have to take the bed off again if I don’t have too. Thank you!
    • diyer2
      AFM Experience

      By diyer2 · Posted

      I've been wrenching on GM trucks for 17 years. And I need to get something off my chest because it's been weighing on me for a long time. After all that time, all those motors, all those people standing in my bay, I've figured out there are really only two kinds of owners. The ones who already know about this. And the ones who are about to find out the hard way. A guy came into my shop a few weeks back in a 2018 Silverado 5.3. Sharp guy, maybe 35. Knew his truck cold. He'd been on the forums, read the threads, done his homework. He only rolled in so I could double-check a little module he'd already plugged in himself. Wanted a second set of eyes on it. Ten minutes, in and out, drove off happy. Two days later, a completely different story walked through the same door. Older fella this time, in a 2016 Sierra. Gorgeous truck, clearly babied, not a scratch on it. Wedding ring. Looked like a guy who took care of his stuff. He was in because his engine had started knocking on the way to work. And by the time I got the valve cover off, I already knew it was too late. Lifter collapsed. Cylinder 5. Camshaft chewed up. The whole top end shot. Same kind of truck. Same motor. Same roads, probably the same dealer. The only thing separating those two men was information. I've been at this since 2008, and I've worked on everything GM puts out. Silverados. Sierras. Tahoes. Yukons. Suburbans. Escalades. The 5.3 and the 6.2. Doesn't matter which badge is on the tailgate. They all carry the same problem. So here's the information one of those guys had and the other one didn't. It's called Active Fuel Management. AFM. GM started building it into their V6s and V8s back in 2007 to squeeze out a little better mileage on the highway. Maybe a mile or two a gallon. All to hit government fuel economy numbers. The way it works, the motor quietly shuts down half its cylinders when you're just cruising along. And the little lifters that pull that off have a tiny pin inside them that's constantly clicking in and out. Lock, unlock, lock, unlock. Hundreds of times a drive. Thousands of times a week. Eventually one of those pins wears through. The lifter drops. And it starts grinding the camshaft down like a chisel on butter. And what nobody tells you is that the shudder you feel around 40 or 50 mph? That's the system cycling. Every single time. Here's what really gets me. The pre-2007 trucks, the ones without AFM, they're bulletproof. I've got customers still daily driving them with 260,000 miles on the odometer. Not a problem in the world. GM took a perfectly good motor that would have lasted a lifetime and bolted this system onto it. And it is wrecking engines that should have run forever. The guys who hang around the forums already know all of this. So do the techs. They handled this years ago. They didn't sit around waiting for the dealership to mail them a warning letter, because that letter is never coming. It's the guys who figured somebody would've told them who end up on my lift. And I want to be clear, because this part matters. Maintenance has nothing to do with it. I've torn down motors with barely 30,000 miles on the clock. I pulled apart a Tahoe last summer with 24,000 on it. Practically a brand new truck. Owner had it less than a year. Spotless oil. Best synthetic money can buy, changed early every time. Made no difference. I've seen guys with full dealer records, every interval stamped. Made no difference. The oil changes were never the problem. The pin was. And no amount of babying that truck stops that pin from cycling every single time you drive. That's the part that eats at me. These are good motors. Take the AFM out of the equation and a 5.3 or a 6.2 will run 300,000 miles and never blink. So a few years ago I started telling every single owner who comes through my doors the exact same thing the smart guys already knew. Get yourself a FullForce disabler. It plugs right into the port under your dash. Couple of seconds and you're done. It just tells the computer to leave every cylinder running, full time. No more cycling. No more beating those lifters back and forth every time you turn the key. It doesn't reprogram anything. Doesn't touch your tune. And unplug it before a dealer visit and there's absolutely zero trace it was ever installed. I've had customers come back at 40,000, 60,000, 80,000 miles after I put one in. Zero issues. The trucks run smoother. And the lifters aren't getting beaten to death every single drive. I won't sit here and tell you it's magic. A lifter that's already damaged is a lifter that's already damaged, and this won't un-ring that bell. But it takes away the one thing causing all that wear in the first place. That's the whole game. You don't need a five-thousand-dollar delete. You don't need an expensive tune. You don't need to tear anything apart. You just need to stop the cycling. I'm not writing this for any company. I'm writing it because I'm tired of watching the guys who didn't know pay four and five figures for it. I'm tired of being the guy who has to break the news. I'm tired of knowing that the guys who did know fixed the whole thing for the price of a tank of gas, and the only difference was that somebody told them first. If you drive a Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban, or Escalade from 2007 or newer with a V6 or V8, you've got AFM. You've got those lifters, and they're cycling every single time you drive. So be the guy who already knew. Not the one I'm scraping metal out of next month. EDIT: A bunch of folks asked, so here it is. The one I put my faith in is FullForce. This is where to find it: https://www.tryfullforce.com/products/fullforce™-afm-dfm-disabler They back it with a 60-day guarantee too. I've handed out more than I can count and not one's ever come back to me. Not one. See less

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...