Annoyed - AC Issues (5 Viewers)

[Grimmjow]

Hi friends. Posting here to see if any of you have advice before posting to the main forum.

So my AC stopped working a day after I had the radiator replaced in my 91'. Brought it to a shop that rhymes with "Harry's Car Care" to see if a recharge would fix it. $200. Recharged and said they found a few leaks and replaced a couple seals and the dryer $300. Still no A/C and now they said they need to replace the compressor for $1300 OTD. I told them ahead of time wasn't trying to make this a $500 + job as it is not my DD. So much for that...

My question is why would the whole system just go bad? I was working great before. Would a leak cause the compressor to fail? I did find after looking up fixes prior to bringing it in to said car center to check all the connections. The AC relay behind the glove box was unplugged so I plugged it back in, BUT, it was working prior to finding that. Should I unplug it again and see if the compressor kicks on? My concern is it kicks on with no Freon and burns out, if it hasn't already.

Second question is for anyone who had replaced the AC compressor, how much of a PITA was it? I was able to replace my thermostat without any issue, and would rather just find the part and put it in myself to save money. The auto shop has a 30 day period where I can bring it back to be recharged without an additional fee but the clock is ticking.

Any input would be great. I don't know guys, as much as I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this 80 I might not be able to afford the hobby of giving it the TLC it deserves. Maybe i just sell it as is? Ugh that thought of that is crushing. Thanks again in advance for any advice.

 

[yotadude520]

A leak definitely wouldn't cause the compressor to fail since there is a low pressure switch built into the system that disables the compressor when there isn’t enough freon in the system.

I’m not too familiar with an 80 series setup but if it were me I would unplug the compressor, stick a cotter pin in the plug for the low pressure switch (to bypass it altogether) then check the A/C compressor plug with a test lamp and see if you’re even getting power to the compressor. If you are, I’d get a cheapie A/C charge can with the gauge and put it on the low pressure port and see what the Freon reading is. If you’ve got freon in the system and the compressor is getting power, go ahead and plug it in and see if it works with the cotter pin in the low pressure switch plug. That way you know for a fact that the compressor is getting power and you should hear it engage. If the compressor is working than you should be able to feel the large line that goes from the compressor towards the firewall and see if its getting cold.

If its getting cold and you are still not getting any cold air in the cab, then you’ve got a problem with your expansion valve that allows freon into the evaporator coil inside the cab.

I wouldn’t give them any more business because no reputable shop is going to charge you for the work they did if it didn’t address the issue you came in for them to fix. Maybe charge a diagnostic fee but if they offered to charge the system and went as far as to resealing the system they should’ve tested the A/C compressor.

Either way I couldn’t tell you why it quit working after your radiator was replaced, did you contact the shop that did the install of the rad?

Side note, but these rigs are getting close to being 30 years old even at their latest year of manufacture. If you’re not able to work on them or willing to learn (which I’m not accusing you of) than it might be time to decide whether or not you want to keep it. These trucks require quite a bit of maintenance and can add up really quickly if you’re paying other people to fix them, not to mention you have no idea what quality of work is being done.

 

[peneumbra2]

Or, you could skip all that and move to the Arctic...

 

[LongDuck]

Just a thought, as your chronology of events is a little hard to follow, but changing a Radiator doesn't require disconnecting anything on your A/C system, if they knew what they were doing. If you had working A/C prior to that - and after that Radiator replacement - you can cross that off the list of factors.

Next, seeing as how the A/C shop (???) has recharged the system, then - it DID work after that, or it DIDN'T work after that? I'm confused.

Then there's that little bit about the A/C relay never being plugged in, and yet,... it still seemed to work without that (???).

Suggest you contact Scott Higgs (@Cruiserhiggs ) and make an appointment with him. I'd trust him to tell you the truth,

 

[peacesells63]

They cannot charge and test the system without a working compressor.

If the compressor self destructed and sent metal particles through the system (we call that a burnout) $1300 would be in the ballpark. These are not easy systems to flush as you have to pull the evaporator (you cannot flush through an expansion valve). I have only seen one burnout that way and I have done quite a few. Usually either the clutch goes or they sound like a rock crusher but still work.

AC compressor is not an easy DIY job. It is easy to replace, but at a minimum you need a vacuum pump, gauges and an EPA 609 certification.

I highly reccomend you take it to a higgys or at least a reputable toyota specialty shop that uses OEM parts for anything and everything you cannot do yourself. You may pay a little more per hour but it will be done right and you wont be ripped off like most service shops seem to do these days. I am in the process of starting a shop in Flagstaff for just that reason - too many friends being ripped off, lied to, or generally becoming the victims of incompetent work and cheap chinese parts at a premium price.

 

[Grimmjow]

Thanks guys. Solid advice as always. Higgys has been solid in the past so I'll more than likely bring it back to them.