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A/C Condenser

thewhitestallion
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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

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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.

 

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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. 

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