2000 GMC Sonoma A/C not cold anymore

Tiny
TRAUMATT24
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 GMC SONOMA
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 95,000 MILES
I have a 2000 GMC Sonoma V6 4.3L. I got the truck at like 40,000 miles 7 years ago, A/C worked fine except it used a lot of gas and robbed engine power. So I used my a/c sparingly. After a while, I never used my a/c. At the most I turned it on maybe once a year for a few years. For the past 3-4 years, I would turn it on like once a year to see if it worked. I heard the clutch come on, but over the years it began to blow warmer air. This past week, I wanted to see if I needed just a recharge because I am going on a trip. I turned on the a/c and the clutch wouldn't engage now. I bought one of those recharge kits at and auto store, and my friend helped me out. Put a little bit in and the a/c clutch turned on, but it appears that I already had enough refrigerant. Do I need to evacuate the system now and start with new refrigerant? Because it doesn't blow cold air.
Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 6:21 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
You probably do not have enough freon in the system yet.
One can is not enough, and the only way to tell is with a manifold gauge set attached to read the high and low side readings. Clutch cycling frequently? That means freon is low.
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 8:35 AM
Tiny
TRAUMATT24
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
My only problem with adding more refrigerant, is my pressure is already where it should be, and yes the compressor is cycling frequently. I don't want to overcharge my system. That is why I am wondering that since I rarely used my a/c, I didn't let the oil and refrigerant circulate. Should I go get it evacuated and recharged?
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 11:51 AM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
If it's cycling frequently it means the low pressure cutout switch is detecting low pressure, this happens when there isn't enough freon, add more. USE manifold gauges, not refrigerant bottles with a dial.
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 11:14 PM

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