[Plutonium239]

Okay, so I was pulling into St Louis a week or so ago after a long trip from St Roberts Missouri and as soon as I take off after stopping at the first stop light I encounter a medium sized puff of white smoke comes out from the front of my hood. Then my AC suddenly quits. I pulled over to check to see if I was loosing coolant and I wasn't. All I heard was a hissing noise. I continued on afterwards. After going inside the St Louis arch(which was why I was stopping in St Louis), I left and then proceeded back home to Michigan. The day after I got back to Michigan I took the car into Tuffy so they could look at my AC system. They couldn't find anything wrong with it and determined that refrigerant for the AC was released through my pressure release valve because they found UV dye all over my radiator. I purchased a can of refrigerant to replace what was lost but I have not put it in yet. Does anyone know what could cause the issue with the pressure release valve releasing my refrigerant and if it will happen again if I attempt to refill it? I am considering taking it into my dealer to see if they can determine what caused the problem, but I would rather avoid doing this.


Edit: I tried adding more refrigerant anyway, as I am impatient, ended up wasting the can. It began to leak out through the pressure release valve after I started recharging it.

 

[Ranger]

You could just be low on refrigerant. If the system is not cooling properly, it can over pressurize.
Check the basics. Is the condenser clear of dead bugs? Might want to blow it out with compressed air and then flush it with water.
Is the upper radiator sight shield and the lower air deflector in place?
Are the A/C inlet & outlet pipes on the firewall the same (cold) temperature? If not, you may be low on refrigerant.

 

[basscatt]

Okay, so I was pulling into St Louis a week or so ago after a long trip from St Roberts Missouri and as soon as I take off after stopping at the first stop light I encounter a medium sized puff of white smoke comes out from the front of my hood. Then my AC suddenly quits. I pulled over to check to see if I was loosing coolant and I wasn't. All I heard was a hissing noise. I continued on afterwards. After going inside the St Louis arch(which was why I was stopping in St Louis), I left and then proceeded back home to Michigan. The day after I got back to Michigan I took the car into Tuffy so they could look at my AC system. They couldn't find anything wrong with it and determined that refrigerant for the AC was released through my pressure release valve because they found UV dye all over my radiator. I purchased a can of refrigerant to replace what was lost but I have not put it in yet. Does anyone know what could cause the issue with the pressure release valve releasing my refrigerant and if it will happen again if I attempt to refill it? I am considering taking it into my dealer to see if they can determine what caused the problem, but I would rather avoid doing this.


Edit: I tried adding more refrigerant anyway, as I am impatient, ended up wasting the can. It began to leak out through the pressure release valve after I started recharging it.

===============================
I am considering taking it into my dealer
to see if they can determine what caused the problem,
but I would rather avoid doing this.
the "stealership" is the LAST place I would take my car -

look around for an independently owned shop that specializes in AC work -
it WILL $ave you $$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Plutonium239]

When I charged the system, there was 0 pressure in the system, my can of refrigerant brought the pressure up but then the hissing noise began and the pressure began to drop back down to 0. Interesting side note, this morning when I started my car to leave to go vote, it started producing a large amount of white smoke out the exhaust until I put the car in gear and started driving. The smoke smelled rather bad, but not like gas. After the car was warmed up all the way, the smoke stopped. It shouldn't be condensation(correct me if I'm wrong) because it was 54 degrees out.

I did set up an appointment at the dealership to get it looked at. I will shop around for prices to get it fixed after I find out whats wrong(if the dealership wants to charge an outrageous price, which the one I go to isn't unreasonable in prices half of the time).

 

[Ranger]

"White smoke" out the exhaust? Sounds like steam. It shouldn't be condensation at 54 degrees, but perhaps coolant? Are you using coolant or overheating? Is this the first time that has occurred?

As for the A/C, if you had zero pressure it had a bad leak and that was confirmed by hissing noise and pressure drop during the recharge.

 

[Plutonium239]

It does not appear to have lost coolant and I have had no issues with overheating(has stayed exactly at normal operating temperature, not even a single bar over). It is the first time it occurred. I'll have to watch the coolant level. I did a little bit more research into AC systems on google and some have a plug that just one time opens to release pressure. Its possible this occurred. And it can sometimes be caused by the system getting too hot. I'll ask the dealership about the white smoke thing as well.

 

[Ranger]

I did a little bit more research into AC systems on google and some have a plug that just one time opens to release pressure. Its possible this occurred. And it can sometimes be caused by the system getting too hot.

That's what I was getting at in post #2.

Anything out the exhaust is totally unrelated to the A/C system.

 

[Plutonium239]

The dealership concluded that the AC line from the compressor to the condenser is bad and leaking. They wanted to charge me $225 just to find the leak because they claimed they had to put a dye in it and then run the car. I told them when I brought it in, it had already had the dye in it and the guy was like "okay". Then they took the car back into the shop. 20 minutes later another guy came and told me if I wanted to find out the problem they needed to refill it with refrigerant with the dye in it and I then proceeded to tell that guy it already had the dye in it and they should be able to look for the dye. It then took them an hour to tell me it was the line from the compressor to the condenser and they wanted $400 to replace it. Does anyone have a FSM and post a diagram for the AC system? From what I looked at myself, its not a very long line and doesn't seem too hard to do, if I'm looking at the right one.

Also, the white smoke thing was just steam, it was raining the entire night before(I didn't realize it until now and there was no coolant missing at all.) and moisture probably built up.

 

[basscatt]

The dealership concluded that the AC line from the compressor to the condenser is bad and leaking. They wanted to charge me $225 just to find the leak because they claimed they had to put a dye in it and then run the car. I told them when I brought it in, it had already had the dye in it and the guy was like "okay". Then they took the car back into the shop. 20 minutes later another guy came and told me if I wanted to find out the problem they needed to refill it with refrigerant with the dye in it and I then proceeded to tell that guy it already had the dye in it and they should be able to look for the dye. It then took them an hour to tell me it was the line from the compressor to the condenser and they wanted $400 to replace it. Does anyone have a FSM and post a diagram for the AC system? From what I looked at myself, its not a very long line and doesn't seem too hard to do, if I'm looking at the right one.

Also, the white smoke thing was just steam, it was raining the entire night before(I didn't realize it until now and there was no coolant missing at all.) and moisture probably built up.

=================================
The dealership concluded that the AC line
from the compressor to the condenser is bad and leaking.
ASSUMING that information is correct -
rockauto.com sells that line - GPD 4811973 - $47 with shipping -

the OEM part is ACDELCO 1532547 - $52 with shipping -
http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-15-32...automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive
----------------

They wanted to charge me $225 just to find the leak
which is WHY I suggested to go to a local - independently owned shop -

It then took them an hour to tell me it was the line
from the compressor to the condenser
and they wanted $400 to replace it
which is WHY I suggested to go to a local - independently owned shop -

---------------------

because the system is/will be open to air -
you should also replace the Accumulator -
ACDELCO 1510078 - $19 -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012PJRRY/?ie=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER

-----------------

then - of course - it needs to be evacuated - then recharged -
I recommend going to go to a local - independently owned shop -

 

[Ranger]

This what you are looking for?


http://parts.nalleygmc.com/showAsse...odel=14465&modelYear=2004&ukey_category=19390