A/C Help needed
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On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
A/C Help needed Hello All, been fighting with a shop, that been doing work on my A/C for the 2000 Trans Am Ws6. I am biasing the how cold the unit is, off my 2001 Trans Am and 2001 Firebird.
February - Low Refrigerant .
Shop recharged the system and put a dye it, to detect a leak.
June - A/C Low again
Shop still did not see leak, recharged.
2 weeks later, low again. Shopped replaced the Compressor.
Early August - still not right
On the freeway, A/C works mostly well. In stop and go traffic I am sweeting in the care.
Shop replaced " A/C Low Voltage relay Switch". Sadly the Mechanic was gone, when I got there, and know one could show me, where that relay was located
Late August - Better not yet Right
On the Firebird V6 we have that Vacuum T-Valve that can go bad and mess-up the A/C
Does the V8 tie into the Vacuum system too?
Shop stated, A/C in Trans Am, does not rely on the Vacuum system.
I have noticed the P0420 is popping up over the last couple month, every time I come off the freeway, any possible relation?
I had fixed a long standing O2 Sensor problem on the 2001 Trans Am, that finally went away after replace the PCV Vacuum line "General Motors 12590632, PCV Valve"
Any chance this could be related to my A/C problem?
Much thanks to any help.
February - Low Refrigerant .
Shop recharged the system and put a dye it, to detect a leak.
June - A/C Low again
Shop still did not see leak, recharged.
2 weeks later, low again. Shopped replaced the Compressor.
Early August - still not right
On the freeway, A/C works mostly well. In stop and go traffic I am sweeting in the care.
Shop replaced " A/C Low Voltage relay Switch". Sadly the Mechanic was gone, when I got there, and know one could show me, where that relay was located
Late August - Better not yet Right
On the Firebird V6 we have that Vacuum T-Valve that can go bad and mess-up the A/C
Does the V8 tie into the Vacuum system too?
Shop stated, A/C in Trans Am, does not rely on the Vacuum system.
I have noticed the P0420 is popping up over the last couple month, every time I come off the freeway, any possible relation?
I had fixed a long standing O2 Sensor problem on the 2001 Trans Am, that finally went away after replace the PCV Vacuum line "General Motors 12590632, PCV Valve"
Any chance this could be related to my A/C problem?
Much thanks to any help.
There's a vacuum source needed for the vents but has zero to do with the a/c functions or with the cold air. Replacing the compressor, dryer, orifice tube and all of the seals and pulling a vacuum to check for leaks and if none present then charging the system with the required amount of refrigerant is standard procedure. It's that simple!
Surprisingly, I am still running around with the same compressor and dryer but I did replace all the o-rings on the compresser control valve, all the seals for the lines as well as the schrader valves and the orifice tube in the line. If you're losing refigerant then its obvious that there's a leak somewhere and it could be in any of those areas as well as the condensor, evaporator core, dryer or something as simple as a leaking schrader valve. My advice is to buy the tools and do the job yourself or find another shop.
Surprisingly, I am still running around with the same compressor and dryer but I did replace all the o-rings on the compresser control valve, all the seals for the lines as well as the schrader valves and the orifice tube in the line. If you're losing refigerant then its obvious that there's a leak somewhere and it could be in any of those areas as well as the condensor, evaporator core, dryer or something as simple as a leaking schrader valve. My advice is to buy the tools and do the job yourself or find another shop.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,629
Likes: 2,550
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
None of the other concerns listed in the first post matter in this regard; it has nothing to do with O2 sensors, vacuum lines, catalyst efficiency codes, etc. Only a hard leak can cause refrigerant to disappear, and until the leak is found this problem will continue.
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Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 61
Likes: 7
From: United States
Hello All, been fighting with a shop, that been doing work on my A/C for the 2000 Trans Am Ws6. I am biasing the how cold the unit is, off my 2001 Trans Am and 2001 Firebird.
February - Low Refrigerant .
Shop recharged the system and put a dye it, to detect a leak.
June - A/C Low again
Shop still did not see leak, recharged.
2 weeks later, low again. Shopped replaced the Compressor.
Early August - still not right
On the freeway, A/C works mostly well. In stop and go traffic I am sweeting in the care.
Shop replaced " A/C Low Voltage relay Switch". Sadly the Mechanic was gone, when I got there, and know one could show me, where that relay was located
Late August - Better not yet Right
On the Firebird V6 we have that Vacuum T-Valve that can go bad and mess-up the A/C
Does the V8 tie into the Vacuum system too?
Shop stated, A/C in Trans Am, does not rely on the Vacuum system.
I have noticed the P0420 is popping up over the last couple month, every time I come off the freeway, any possible relation?
I had fixed a long standing O2 Sensor problem on the 2001 Trans Am, that finally went away after replace the PCV Vacuum line "General Motors 12590632, PCV Valve"
Any chance this could be related to my A/C problem?
Much thanks to any help.
February - Low Refrigerant .
Shop recharged the system and put a dye it, to detect a leak.
June - A/C Low again
Shop still did not see leak, recharged.
2 weeks later, low again. Shopped replaced the Compressor.
Early August - still not right
On the freeway, A/C works mostly well. In stop and go traffic I am sweeting in the care.
Shop replaced " A/C Low Voltage relay Switch". Sadly the Mechanic was gone, when I got there, and know one could show me, where that relay was located
Late August - Better not yet Right
On the Firebird V6 we have that Vacuum T-Valve that can go bad and mess-up the A/C
Does the V8 tie into the Vacuum system too?
Shop stated, A/C in Trans Am, does not rely on the Vacuum system.
I have noticed the P0420 is popping up over the last couple month, every time I come off the freeway, any possible relation?
I had fixed a long standing O2 Sensor problem on the 2001 Trans Am, that finally went away after replace the PCV Vacuum line "General Motors 12590632, PCV Valve"
Any chance this could be related to my A/C problem?
Much thanks to any help.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,629
Likes: 2,550
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Check to make sure Freon level hasn't dropped yet again before worrying about anything else. Low Freon will definitely cause the system to work poorly at idle/low rpm.
If this is the case, check your A/C Condenser. It's strapped to the front of your radiator and looks like a second radiator. You might have a dead bird or squirrel mooshed inside it.
If your condenser is clear, then the next thing I would check are the fans that pull air through the condenser and the radiator.
If everything works well when the car is moving but not when its idle, then this is the area where the problem likely lies. ^
If your condenser is clear, then the next thing I would check are the fans that pull air through the condenser and the radiator.
If everything works well when the car is moving but not when its idle, then this is the area where the problem likely lies. ^
