crankbait2009 Posted June 9, 2011 Posted June 9, 2011 Hey all, I am having a couple problems with my 2002 Chevy S10 pickup. I have posted 2 threads on the following forum: http://www.diychatroom.com/f46/refilling-freon-chevy-s10-107191/ http://www.diychatroom.com/f46/battery-light-stays-when-car-off-107188/ They are both by Crankbait09 (that's me) If anyone Can help me I'd REALLY appreciate it!!! You can either respond to that thread or this one....................... I am out of ideas what else to check Quote
OHIO Posted June 10, 2011 Posted June 10, 2011 Air conditioners are hard to work on IMO, so I would take it to a shop if possible. The battery light and odo light staying on is a mystery to me. It's probably just faulty wiring behind the gauge cluster. If you're not engine savvy, I wouldn't mess with anything to prevent more things going wrong. Where do you live? I'm in Mason and I know of a good shop you could go to that does great work. Quote
Super User bilgerat Posted June 10, 2011 Super User Posted June 10, 2011 As for the ac, the guy that told you that you needed to pull a vacuum was right. Now the system has got air in it, it will not work until it's pulled down and recharged. Another thing is that you may have lost some compressor oil in the process. It's time to find a pro. Ditto for the electrical problem. The money you spent on an alternator would have been better spent on a tech hooking into the onboard computer and properly diagnosing it. Once you install an electrical item, you own it. There are no returns on electrical items. As for taking the advice of a guy behind the counter of the parts store, that's risky at best. Throwing parts at a problem is always the more expensive way to go in the long run. Quote
crankbait2009 Posted June 10, 2011 Author Posted June 10, 2011 thanks OHIO, I have a mechanic out in New Richmond tha tI always go to but was trying to bypass him and do the work myself. This is what I get for trying to be a RENT-A-MECHANIC!!!. Now, since I have drained my Vacuum unintentionally, will this harm the compressor or any other part of the engine? Or does it only effect the A/C system?? Quote
Super User bilgerat Posted June 10, 2011 Super User Posted June 10, 2011 As long as the built in safety switches (high pressure, low pressure, etc.) have not been bypassed or tampered with, you should be ok. They're there to protect the compressor, which is the most expensive part of the system. The compressor clutch will simply spin while the engine is running, but nothing inside the compressor will turn. When you get it fixed, they will likely tell you you need a new dryer installed. They are NOT trying to scam you. This is a critical part that removes moisture from the system. It works similar to a desiccant bag. Once the system gets air in it, the dryer is done. slonezp knows way more about this stuff than me, see what he has to say later. Quote
crankbait2009 Posted June 11, 2011 Author Posted June 11, 2011 OK, I ran in to an old friend today that just happened to have his own used car lot where he also has his own car garage. So I was explaining all my issues to him. He pulled up a wiring diagram which laid out the battery all the way back to the cluster in the dashboard. After looking at the engine and taking voltage measurements he was able to trace it back to the CLUSTER being the issue. So I at least figured out what the real problem was. I realize I spent wasted $135 but I was intending on having to spend a lot more money to have the truck diagnosed this week at the dealership. So at least we narrowed that down. Nothing to be highly concerned about at the moment. So all is well. Next thing. I explained the whole A/C issue. He started my truck up, and threw his freon/gauge on and started to fill the system from the same location I was. So the auto parts guy didn't lie about that part. So even though I released all this air out of the system (which could have been freon, and I didn't know it) he at first thought he was going to have to revac the system. he started filling the freon and the compressor was staying on longer and longer...............eventually my truck's A/C was running and blowing COLD air. I'm not sure what he did differently than I, but his freon worked. All is back to normal. I drove the truck home with the air on and all seemed well. So it sounded like I may have dodged a bullet.....for now....... Light is now off for whatever reason and the air is once again cold. What lesson have I learned? Start off by getting car looked at by a mechanic and not assume I can be a rent-a-cop. Can cost me more in the long run!!!! Quote
OHIO Posted June 11, 2011 Posted June 11, 2011 Glad you got things fixed up. I would put the old alternator on Craigslist to try to make some money back if I were you. Quote
crankbait2009 Posted June 13, 2011 Author Posted June 13, 2011 I never thought of that. Not sure how much I would have got for it. I got $25 back from the auto part store. Quote
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