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2013 Silverado condenser

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    2013 Silverado condenser

    5.3L V8, 1500 Z-71
    `
    I turned on the air conditioning Saturday and nothing. The light on the climate control panel blinked and the compressor wouldn't come on. I noticed UV dye on the bottom portion of the condenser. The system had only 5 psi of static pressure. That explains why the compressor wouldn't engage.

    No matter what I try, I can't get the high side hose of my manifold to connect to the high side port. It goes on part of the way and won't go far enough for the lock collar to latch. The check ball can be depressed with a screwdriver. Is there some kind of adapter needed for the high side fitting? The low side hooked up without any problem. Is the procedure to add one oz. of refrigerant oil to the new condenser? The leak was a slow leak - I saw the leakage about a year ago when I replaced a rotted transmission cooler line so it took almost a year for it to leak out. The decal on the trim piece over the radiator & condenser says R-134a PAG oil and right below that there is a symbol of two green rectangles with a white "X" connecting them and next to that symbol it states R-134a POE oil. The refrigerant capacity is 0.726kg or 1.6 lbs. I think the green rectangles with white X may indicate a hybrid which I do not have. I am surprised there isn't a 46 or 150 viscosity label.

    It looks like I need to replace the condenser - it seems to me that this is a premature failure for a 7 year old 60,000 mile vehicle is having issues with the A/C.

    It doesn't look like it is going to be too bad of a job but I probably just jinxed myself...lol.
    Last edited by Willie; 05-27-2020, 10:48 PM.

    #2
    Condensers get eaten up by the de-icer they spray in the winter.

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      #3
      The new condenser arrived today. I found out the truck uses PAG-46 refrigerant oil which I'll buy tomorrow. New o-rings weren't included. I have a refrigerant o-ring assortment. Hopefully, the correct size is in the assortment.

      Does anyone have a torque spec. for the nuts on the line connections?

      I still can't get the high side hose on my manifold gage set to attach to the high side port. I might need to vacuum it down just from the low side port.

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        #4
        I'd try a different high-side connector.

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          #5
          Update: As of a couple of weeks ago the truck is fixed and the A/C is cold again. The condenser R&R was a PITA - 2-1/2 hours (instead of 20 minutes,...) due to the hood latch support being welded to the upper radiator crossmember instead of being bolted. That required access to three bolts on each side from the underside which were difficult to access. The headlight assemblies had straps that went over the radiator crossmember - had to remove the fender liner on one side to access a hidden bolt for the headlight in order to get it out of the way enough to remove the crossmember.

          The old condenser was completely rotted - the fins were gone from the bottom 20% of the condenser and the bottom tube was rotted off and laying in the lower radiator support. Those condensers are cheap pieces of %^#$&. It was only 5/8" thick and the tubes were thin as tin foil - it's a wonder how it even made it out of the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. I flush water through the grille at every car wash in the winter - probably why it lasted seven years and not 2-1/2...

          I never could get my high side hose to connect to the port. I just vacuumed it down from the low side as soon as I had the refrigerant lines hooked up. By the time I had everything bolted in place, it was time to add the refrigerant. It blows 40 degree air now so I should be good for three or four years before this one rots out...LOL.\

          What brand of refrigerant manifold hose do you guys recommend? My gage set is Interdynamics which is not a quality brand in my opinion.

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