Today my a/c seems to have quit working. I figured before I start looking around, I'd get some advice on where to start from the experts. Couple of things: 1. Not blowing completely hot - there is a little cooling 2. It seemed to happen once or twice in the past couple of weeks, but came back quickly. 3. No condensation under car. This is always there, no matter if a/c is on or not. It's not normal for me not to see the puddle of condensation. The way I understand it, in the LT1 the a/c is always on, and what you get in the cab (heat or cold) is just a function of where the doors are positioned. 4. Heat still works normally Any tips on what to look for, or opinions on what might be happening, are appreciated. Thanks
First thing to check is with the engine running, hood up, and temperature set at the lowest setting... is the compressor turning. If yes, then it is a fan / blower issue. If no, then put a jumper wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the power terminal of the compressor, and the compressor should start turning. If it doesn't turn, then the compressor clutch is bad. If it does, let it run for no more than a minute, and put your hand on both pipes coming out the rear of the compressor. One should be hot / warm, and the other should be cold. If both are warm, you probably have a freon leak that needs to be repaired by a professional. Running the compressor without refrigerant, can cause permanent damage to the system, so be cautions. If the system uses R134A, then you can put a can into the system, but stay away from the replacements that have sealer in them. They will gum up the system faster than anything else. Pure freon without any additives
The compressor will cycle on and off if you have low refrigerant, and stop if it is too low. To check for operation do as instructed above, and if it works, add refrigerant. You may have a slow leak, and if you do, it would be best if you had it fixed correctly. The parts stores have hoses with gauges on them for about $20, and sometimes come with a can of refrigerant for about $35. The gauge lets you know when you have the correct amount of refrigerant in the system.
.......if still blew ice cold then the freon is OK and you have no leak. Problem sounds electrical. Check the plug on the compressor and any switch /sensor you can see on the a/c system.
