Rock took out condenser

Lost AC on my GMC pickup. It happened so quickly I suspected it had to of lost R134 real fast. $150 tax included for a new one. Didn't take long to change it out.

Was that tax, title, and license, aka system evacuated and recharged, or just for the core. IF TTL you got a deal.

You did add oil to the new condenser?

Did you buy the replacement from "RockAuto"?

That's a bummer especially on a hot day. A few years back we bought a new car and went from Seymour Indiana to Terre Haute on a trip to Texas before a rock destroyed the windshield, and our vacation.

I went to AZ when my truck was 1 year old to visit relatives. Just before I got to Plainview, TX, a rancher thought he was being kind. I saw him ahead pull out of his pasture and he stayed on the side of the road to let me pass, real thoughtful, friendly, gesture. As luck would have it, caught a rock.

When I got to town I asked around for the location of a glass shop. Found one and the folks had the ding glued up in short order and I was back on the road. For the remaining half dozen years I had the truck, the ding never developed a crack and State Farm picked up the bill. Current truck seemed to be a magnet for dings when I first bought it. All repaired and none cracked out.

Back when I was working, a co-worker came in late one day. Said he was on the way to work and a "rock bucket" (18 wheeler rock/gravel truck) was passing him and a piece of his brake drum flew up through his windshield and into his lap........that's what he said. He said he got some slight burns from it and scared the.... out of him (naturally), obliterated his windshield and bent his steering wheel and all, but he made it ok with a change of clothes. Never know what you'll encounter on the road.

My oil has a green dye. Very little green around hole or on truck. Got more green when I removed charging hoses.

That reminds me I need to buy a grill to cover the oil cooler opening on my 2500HD Duramax. GM left a hole in the bumper big enough for a large rock or small pheasant to fit through.

I think I would have changed the dryer and orifice tube while I had the system open.

Do you live in Indiana? or just passing through

3 YEARS ago we traded off a 12 year old car with 205,000 miles that got a cracked windshield when it had about 400 miles on it. Tiny little rock made a pin puncture wound sized chip in the glass that grew at the rate of an inch every 10 miles or minutes at 70 mph. By the time we got home crack was from edge to edge 4 ft long.

My little commuter car got a similar chip about 6-8 years ago right by the left edge of windshield. It grew to almost completely across windsheild to right side, curved up, then back to left and finally went out on left side two inches from where it started. Took three years and 15,000 miles to complete the circle. It too will be traded off/sold with cracked windshield.

Had a lady lose part of a kid's play house from bed of her husbands pickup at 70 mph, the bow tying ribbon she had it tied into the truck broke. Friday afternoon Holiday bumper-to-bumper traffic, nobody stopped but somebody did call the accident into the State police. The piece of play house hit my front bumper, flipped 90 degrees and a corner came thru lower right corner of my windshield. I swerved into median of Interstate hyway at 70 mph, stopped, inspected truck, then drove the 3-4 miles home and called State Police. Waited 2 hours for troopers to show up. Filed accident report. Woman denyed loosing part. She called trooper next day, Saturday and said she did lose part. Don't know what her ticket cost her but the repair bill for my truck was about $3000 that her insurance paid. Was 2 weeks to the day after new windshield was installed I got a BIG Quarter-sized rock chip in new windshield.

Scissors cuts Paper
Paper covers Rock
Rock crushes Lizard
Lizard poisons Spock
Spock smashes Scissors
Scissors decapitates Lizard
Lizard eats Paper
Paper disproves Spock
Spock vaporizes Rock
(and as it always has) Rock crushes Scissors

Why replace parts when not needed??
I pulled a vacuum . Used about $4 worth of 134a. Everything works just fine.
If filter dryer is a problem I will replace it.

I suppose those in the business would replace as many things as they could to run up the bill. 50 years ago I worked on commercial AC's. A car AC is no big deal.

(quoted from post at 17:56:50 09/04/17) Why replace parts when not needed??
I pulled a vacuum . Used about $4 worth of 134a. Everything works just fine.
If filter dryer is a problem I will replace it.

I suppose those in the business would replace as many things as they could to run up the bill. 50 years ago I worked on commercial AC's. A car AC is no big deal.

Click to expand...

eo, how did rock punch hole in condenser without breaking distributor cap? :twisted:

Call me old school if you must but I always replace the dryer (most likely accumulator in your system) and add some oil when ever I open the system to replace parts.

But to each his own.

Electronic ignition.

Yes I would recommend a filter drier as any professional should. Is it a deal breaker NO... I use to do about all the ac evacuating and charging for the local body shops do you think they replace a filter drier.. I never understood it but they don't and sure as ell it add's profit to the ticket... If you go by the book its suppose to be replaced anytime the system is left open for any length of time...

Its yours you can do it your way I spec it will be OK and i am happy for ya...

On a side note 2015/16 chebby truck condensers are a P.O.S. if anyone owne's one be prepared to replace the condenser if you can find one, GM does not have any and don't know when they will they are leaking that bad... Its one ell of a job to replace one on a 16 anyways...

HOBO,
Bought truck new in 2007 GMC. Some people hate everything. I love Auto Zone.
They had a condenser in stock, with lifetime warranty, $150 tax included. It
didn't take long to replace. Didn't have to grow new skin on hands or arms.
I've always been treated right at the zone and they are only 3 miles away. I
asked if the lifetime warranty covered rocks, they laughed.
I purchased 30# bottle of 134 at rural king a few years ago for about $75,
under $3/#. Truck only holds 1.6#. If there was an issue with filter/dryer
truck wouldn't be putting out cold air like this one is.

Don't see why people think everything has to be done by the book. Why replace
something that isn't broken unless you are in business, you want to protect
your reputation and make more money by doubling the price of parts and
labor????

Its yours you can do it your way... When I work on it it's becomes mine I married it When the part belongs to the parts store they sale it at a profit when it becomes mine I sale it at a profit. For some reason I am the bad guy why is the parts store not a bad guy also he made a profit.

If you do it your way and have a warranty issue its yours lets just hope they do not balk because you can not confirm you went by the proper procedures.

If I have a warranty issue the same rules apply other than its mine. They can change the rules anyway that benefits them. All I can do is play by the rules... :wink:

I understand replacing a filter direr is opening up another can of worms it can get nasty... Its your call I have no problem with it, If I don't play by the rules then I have not done the job proper I am a hack...

I am sure somewhere in the fine print a filter drier (Accumulator) is recommended to comply with warranty issues lets just hope they don't check the rules if you have a warranty issue... My bet is they won't balk on a condenser replacement but will if the compressor was replaced with out one...

Its done all the time as I stated about the body shops perform ac repairs.. For the record modern AC leaks don't show up with a oily mess at a leak like they use too... They can be extremely hard to locate with the naked eye.

If I had my day in court I am sure this would come up and I would have no way to fight it if I did not replace the filter Drier... I now own the HOLE system lock stock and barrel... Its insurance I spec...

http://www.airdoctoracrepair.com/self-diagnosis/Filter-Drier/

For some of us it's the "ounce of prevention" thing.

You're in it and don't want to return anytime soon so you add things that make sense. One thing about a dryer is that usually the sight glass is obliterated and you can't tell from a glance, your freon level. That's enough of an incentive for me......quick look and peace of mind, especially at the start of the season before it gets too hot.

I live just outside of Seymour. Born and raised there and they have not ran me off yet. Some would like me to leave but I just ignore them. Actually, great place to live.

ofcourse....I would also.

Tex some times I wounder about those that wright the book... Sometimes I think its so they can put themselves as elite so they can bash others to make them look good...

Like I said I am not gonna bash him even tho its written in stone...