kevinwillis

I have a 2001 Suburban LS and the air conditioner works great for about 5-10 minutes and then stops blowing cold air, as if the compressor has stopped working. We turn the air off and open the windows and wait for about 30 minutes. Then the air will work again, but only for about 5-10 minutes.

I took it to our mechanic who said it has a damper problem that will run about $400, but that he could put in a heater bypass valve for $160 that would fix the problem. Well it didn't.

I researched a bit online and found this to be a common problem, but no real solutions. One person said they replaced the low pressure switch and that fixed the problem. I tried that, but the switch I got at the auto parts store was a different color, but he said it should be fine. We tried it, no luck. I n fact it was worse. I put the old switch back on, but now the AC blows warm air all the time.

This is very frustrating and I really need help!

tech2

...pretty sure there is no damper valve in a 2001.
2 things that come to mind are low refrigerant levels or worn out compressor.


the low pressure switch has a Schrader valve that holds the refrigerant in when the switch is changed....did you lose much refrigerant when the valve was changed? Is the compressor turning on at all at this point?



I have seen some worn out compressors. If you get it back to where it was before the switch....next time the a/c goes warm, rev the engine up to 2500 rpm and hold it there...do you get cold air again? if you do...it needs a compressor.

subfan597

I have the same problem with my '01. It blows ice cold for an indefinite time, then slowly warms up. I popped the hood and wiggled some wires near the accumulator and the compressor kicked back on. The problem has continued, and stopping to wiggle wires is a hassle. Is there a better fix? I'm sure that there is, but it might be a good place to start looking.

extremeadventurer

I also had A/C issues before. I had to replace the compressor itself. It was one expensive problem.

tech2

$250 - $300 new or $27 from pick and pull. For and additional $12 they warranty it for one year. 1.5 hours for install.

extremeadventurer

In my experience, it was wiser to just buy a new compressor.

tech2

that's a good route for when your paying someone else to do it. betcha its $700 at a shop after diag, install and charging the system.
$700 buys a lot of $27 compressors... my old Taurus had a used comp...was still working when I sold it 2 years later.