A/C Condenser

msaul37 · June 1, 2020

currently have a '14 LT crew cab with the 4.3. (backstory)back in January, a tree fell onto my right headlight/hood area. it mashed down the area a bit, and popped the grille out a little. still drove it for a week until insurance had did their part and the dealership ordered the parts.

fast forward a month or so later after the repair, I start up my truck.. feels a little sluggish and a little vibration pops up. I hear a squeal noise and go a half mile more and park it. I smell something burning but see nothing and no warnings come up. I then drive onto work.. no smell, no vibration, no sluggishness.

fast forward again to first week of may. no a/c. thought it may be out of coolant, so I buy some ac pro and go to hook it up...then I see the ac belt is broke and melted a little-how it hasn't fallen out of the compartment, I don't know. so I google the part, buy one at autozone.. turns out to be too long than the original belt, get one from napa, still longer than the belt but far too tight to put it on by myself-it calls for stretch fit belts. then go back to autozone and buy a shorter belt.. it fits, but it could be tighter. anyway, I see the clutch is spinning and all that, so I thought 'cool, I should have a/c in 5 minutes!'... wrong. no ac. so then I get the can of ac pro, hook it up.. no cool air. I followed the directions, read the system pressure and have none. I put the gas into the system-it briefly charges, but immediately drops out. so I have a leak somewhere, whether it be in a hose or line, or the condenser, or somewhere else.

I can do some minor mechanical work, but I was looking to trade this truck in soon anyway. i'm not spending a bunch of money on something that i'm not going to have much longer, HOWEVER, it's june. i'm stuck as to either attempt to fix it myself and get over my head, take to a shop and get screwed in price, or leave it and take the hit in trade in value.

silveradosid · June 1, 2020

i have read through all these pages and have not seen anyone replacing the amount of oil you lose when you change the condenser. i have worked on automotive a/c for 40 years and have learnt the hard way. you should be pouring the oil out of the condenser and replacing the same amount with fresh oil. it is recommended to add 2 oz's of oil when replacing the condenser. it will save your compressor. read the post from tbarn

blownZ71 · June 7, 2020

Anyone source one of these that were actually black in color like the factory original unit. I have seen several online that show as black but end up being raw aluminum when I go to pick it up. Makes me nervous to order online, and potentially have the same issue. Are the OEM GM parts still black in color? Also, what is the latest part number for one of those units?

pannell77 · June 29, 2020

2015 Sierra with 74k miles just had the same issue. Dealer quoted $1300 for repair and gave me part number 84621302. Is that the correct part? Lots of strange information online as to if that part has been replaced or it replaced the original part.

2 friends of mine had the same issue with a 2015 and 2016.

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jaysen · July 2, 2020

Well, add me this debacle!

2014 Sierra w/ 106k mi - original owner

Just completed the DIY route. Total cost was about $150 and about 5 hrs of labor (1.5hr of that was vacuuming system and holding). I took my time watching the video posted and following step by step.

Some observations in my journey;

Went through two condensers, first one was bent. Luckily Amazon offers easy returns. Like many I received a silver/bare color but installed anyway- Honestly can't tell much difference.

Take note to your elevation, this may be a reason why you cannot obtain a 30inhg (500microns) vacuum. I am at about 2650ft above sea level and could only hit 28inhg. Unless it was my cheap harbor freight gauges/pump... Most importantly it held.

Be very careful when tightening down Hi/Lo lines, you can easily overtighten.

Add about 2 ounces of Dexron VI tranny fluid actually inside upper cooler before installing

On a 1500, 0.6kg of coolant is needed. Translates to 21.1 ounces, or almost two (12) ounce cans.

I couldn't figure out an easy way to add PAG46 oil, after vacuum, so it might be wise to add first. Someone may chime in on this.

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Timmy Gil · July 2, 2020

I just fell victim as well with just over 49,000 miles. Has anyone tried welding theirs?

Yvo · July 9, 2020

What type of refrigerant is used in the 2016 gmc Sierra. Anyone know ?

Snoringbear · July 9, 2020

On 7/2/2020 at 3:05 PM, Timmy Gil said:

I just fell victim as well with just over 49,000 miles. Has anyone tried welding theirs?

Well, the way I see it you’ve got nothing to lose except some time if the weld doesn’t hold. I would recommend though, being the material is thin that you try brazing. And, be careful you don’t burn up the metal you’re brazing or welding. Btw, I’m no expert, my experience is limited to welding and brazing farm equipment on my grandfathers farm which was heavy duty stuff and pretty forgiving to amateurs.

benelli · July 10, 2020

11 hours ago, Snoringbear said:

Well, the way I see it you’ve got nothing to lose except some time if the weld doesn’t hold. I would recommend though, being the material is thin that you try brazing. And, be careful you don’t burn up the metal you’re brazing or welding. Btw, I’m no expert, my experience is limited to welding and brazing farm equipment on my grandfathers farm which was heavy duty stuff and pretty forgiving to amateurs. H

benelli · July 10, 2020

2017 and my warranty is up in august. Anybody try using a pry bar and gently prying it to make the weld pop. it would be a way to see if its weak.

Edited July 17, 2020 by benelli

irish4life8911 · July 26, 2020

On 7/24/2019 at 5:06 PM, carnau said:

You can literally do this job yourself, under an hour for less than $300. I could understand if GM had this huge engine related failure where the truck was a complete loss unless you had extensive Mechanical knowledge. But it's not. You could literally do it with your girls box of tools. Lol. Also, It's the air conditioning. Nothing that's going to prevent the vehicle from running.

$300 and one year of middle school shop class and you can do this job. And $300 is expensive.

$120 condenser - https://amzn.to/2K10zH0

Ac System service to charge system to 1.32lbs - $75 - $100

$100 to buy any tools you don't have.

1 hour of your time.

And watch this video.

So I'm the latest victim of crappy condenser.

I have a 2015 Sierra with 53000 miles on it and weld in the upper right corner where my condenser was leaking from.

Thanks to carnau's video and instructions, I was able to do it myself in about two hours plus time to vacuum and charge.

Thanks Carnau!

carnau · August 2, 2020

On 7/26/2020 at 4:22 PM, irish4life8911 said:

So I'm the latest victim of crappy condenser.

I have a 2015 Sierra with 53000 miles on it and weld in the upper right corner where my condenser was leaking from.

Thanks to carnau's video and instructions, I was able to do it myself in about two hours plus time to vacuum and charge.

Thanks Carnau!

Great! I am glad it helped.

mongoose71 · November 9, 2020

I done mine myself back in the summer with ease. However, it's more like a 2 to 3 hour job.

paxamus · March 1, 2021

Looks like I'm about to have to do it on my 18 Silverado! Unfortunately mine has the 1234yf coolant, which is much more expensive. Has anyone done it with this one?

Beer Belly · March 24, 2021

Yep, I got bit by the Condenser just yesterday, have an appointment Monday for the dealer to replace it.....$374+ tax, I believe thru GM Goodwill, otherise they quoted $1,200....doesn't hurt to ask for a little help, especially when you have a good rapport with the dealership. 2015 GMC Sierra 61k on the clock

Edited March 27, 2021 by Beer Belly