Now at FIVE AC system failures in four weeks...

[Lonny]

Hi team -

My 2017 GMC (52,000 miles) is going on its third new AC compressor in as many weeks. I just dropped it off at the shop yet again a few hours ago. Apparently there is much more going on under the hood than meets the eye and the mechanics are mystified.

I'm definitely beginning to get frustrated at the situation - mostly at the amount of time this is consuming, and my out-of-pocket costs on a rental (fortunately, AC is covered under my extended warranty).

Wondering if there are any avenues that haven't been considered here- and of course, the Keep Trying to Fix It vs. Sell It equation is on my mind a lot right now. Would love thoughts here.

 

[OR VietVet]

Quality of part is suspect. Story behind the initial replacement and then why the 2nd and 3rd compressor has failed. Or, is the next one going to be the third compressor? Any time a compressor is replaced, the accumulator should be done as well as the orifice. What did the orifice look like on the initial and next replacement? I would suspect that if the compressors are a decent/good quality, that the system did not get the accumulator as it should have and that the system was not flushed when opened. The condenser and evaporator likely have debris that keeps getting in to the new/replacement compressor.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

^^^^^x2^^^^^ If the debris from the first failed compressor is not fully removed from the system, they will destroy any new compressor.

 

[OR VietVet]

I have a feeling that the extended warranty company covers the compressor but not the other recommended components, accumulator and orifice, and that they will not pay for the a/c flush for the debris. The owner, OP, MAY have said no to the uncovered items/flush and that contributed to the problems. Hopefully the OP, @Lonny, will respond back.

 

[swathdiver]

Keep your GM vehicle All GM. Not all aftermarket compressors have oil in them too.

 

[Lonny]

Hi guys - thanks everyone for all the advice. I got the Denali back from service on Friday. Apparently, there was some debris in the condensor that was causing the compressors to fail. So the compressor was replaced yet again, along with the condensor. All was going well.

Until...

Today (Sunday), out driving again and the AC system wasn't able to muster anything beyond "kind of coolish" even with the control setting on max.

I'm at a loss about what to do here.

 

[OR VietVet]

The debris is also in the lines, orifice and the evaporator and also the accumulator. If the accumulator is still the same on this trip in and the rest of the system was not flushed out or replaced and the orifice not done.....well that means some idiots are working on that a/c system. That is what happens when a warranty company gets involved. were you approached by the tech to address all that I laid out and the warranty company would only pay for part of it and you would be on the hook for the rest and you said no? Not accusing, just asking.

 

[Lonny]

The debris is also in the lines, orifice and the evaporator and also the accumulator. If the accumulator is still the same on this trip in and the rest of the system was not flushed out or replaced and the orifice not done.....well that means some idiots are working on that a/c system. That is what happens when a warranty company gets involved. were you approached by the tech to address all that I laid out and the warranty company would only pay for part of it and you would be on the hook for the rest and you said no? Not accusing, just asking.

According to the service inspection report, the entire system was evacuated, flushed and recharged on three separate occasions. Now the AC is not working yet again (fourth time!). I'm not sure what is killing it after a day or two out of the shop, but this whole situation is starting to become Not Fun.

 

[OR VietVet]

You can flush till the cows come home. If you don't replace the accumulator each time you are asking for it. The condenser has the same small passages as the evaporator. The condenser was replaced and the evaporator was not. There is no way the flush is under the same pressure as the system when it is working. Plus, how do they know it isn't just leaking refrigerant? How are they to be sure the blend doors/actuators are working correctly.

 

[Lonny]

You can flush till the cows come home. If you don't replace the accumulator each time you are asking for it. The condenser has the same small passages as the evaporator. The condenser was replaced and the evaporator was not. There is no way the flush is under the same pressure as the system when it is working. Plus, how do they know it isn't just leaking refrigerant? How are they to be sure the blend doors/actuators are working correctly.

Great stuff, I will be asking almost all of these questions tomorrow morning! I just returned home from dropping off the vehicle, and will be giving the shop a call first thing in the AM. I do know they did leak checks with dye and came up empty on each of the first three go-rounds.

 

[OR VietVet]

When they look at it tomorrow, the first thing they should do is put gauges on the system and see what it shows, stagnant and while on.

 

[Lonny]

I will report back as soon as I have an update from them. My frustration level is starting to get the best of me as I feel like I’ve been living in Ubers and rental cars this past month. I’m also starting to worry that there is a gremlin in there that simply can’t be traced. Bad memories of my 2010 Maxima’s recurring electrical issues that couldn’t be solved no matter what, culminating in a short circuit that caused all the windows to roll down whenever it started raining. Ugh.

 

[Lonny]

UPDATE -- Just talked to the head of the shop to find out the latest. The replacement GM OEM condenser exploded! Refrigerant all over the inside of the engine compartment. So that's the good news. The bad news is that the quality of these OEM parts appears to be dreadful and we have burned through them like crazy these past few weeks. It raises a lot of concern for me about what ongoing maintenance for both the AC system and the vehicle overall will look like.

 

[Lonny]

Hi guys

I’m afraid I have bad news to report. We drove to Palm Springs from San Diego in the Denali. The AC system worked great during the trip here…and now that we’re here, it’s dead yet again.

This marks the FIFTH time the system has crapped out on me in the last four weeks.

I’m at a complete loss about what to do here. Service records show all of the prescribed recommendations in this thread have been done — on multiple occasions.

Also, it’s going to be 90 degrees here in Palm Springs this week.

Open to any and all advice.

Lon

 

[OR VietVet]

What exactly is failing when the system stops working? You likely have said but I am lazy and don't want to go look.

 

[Lonny]

What exactly is failing when the system stops working? You likely have said but I am lazy and don't want to go look.

It stops blowing cold. The air doesn’t get anything below “slightly cooler than the outside air.” I can put it on Max Cold and comfortably hold my hand in front of the vents for a hour without feeling the slightest discomfort. They get it working at the shop and it’s BLASTING cold air and then a day or two later it stops.

 

[OR VietVet]

Ok, it does not sound like a mechanical failure. I want to know what is causing the problem. You are telling me the result of something that is taking place. What is taking place to cause this problem. Is it a leak? Pressures not registering correctly? Blend doors closing or partially closing? System freezing up? You have a supplied a list of what they have replaced but what is causing the problem?

 

[RoadTrip]

You are getting great advice here, but I’ll say it more bluntly: Replace every damn component in the system because that debris is throughout the entire system and they’ll never get it clean enough not to plug up lines, causing extreme pressure (your blowout) or jamming the compressor (any of the previous 3 replacements).

I’ve been down this road before a few times, and have wasted so much time chasing problems and wrecking other components.

You’ll have to get your service manager on board. He’ll actually make more money if it’s not fixed right because you’ll have to keep coming back.

 

[Lonny]

UPDATE - I had to drive the Denali tonight and the AC appeared to be working a little better than earlier today. It could just be due to the fact that it was 90 degrees here in Palm Springs. But again, I drove 15 minutes each way to a restaurant with one hand in front of a vent both ways, and the AC set to max cold.

In terms of the work that has been done thus far from the past four AC system failures (working from memory as my documentation is at home in San Diego):

-Four new compressors
-Three new condensers
-Four total system flushes
-Three total system leak checks
-Belt replacement
-Four refrigerant recharges

There may be a few additional items I am forgetting. Notably, the most recent condenser failure was due to a bad weld on the part that caused the unit to essentially blow apart. I had a long chat with the shop manager and he mentioned that parts failures are to blame in all of this - at least, that’s what I’ve been told.

 

[OR VietVet]

So, the abundance of crud in the system is still trapped in the evaporator. Bits and pieces and chunks are working loose and going on vacation inside the system. The evaporator is not absorbing heat efficiently.