2015 chevy cruze

[cdsn99]

Hi all, my friend ask me to look at his 2015 chevy cruze, a/c has been cooling great for years, all of sudden it went from cold air to hot, when I checked it out the system was empty. After looking underneath the car, there was a large amount of oil on the left side of the condenser, and also a large amount of oil at the drain line , upon further investigation i found that both the condenser and evap are blown. Any idea what may have failed to cause both components to blow out at the same time? any help appreciated,
thanks

[tbirdtbird]

Could be there were other problems causing the high side to go too high a pressure.
Can rocks and road debris get smacked up against the condenser while driving?
The evap may only have a pinhole.

Are you sure the hoses have not failed at the O-rings

[cdsn99]

Could be there were other problems causing the high side to go too high a pressure.
Can rocks and road debris get smacked up against the condenser while driving?
The evap may only have a pinhole.

Are you sure the hoses have not failed at the O-rings

Thanks for the reply, all the hose connections appeared to be clean and dry, just a large amount of oil on the left lower side of condenser, the amount of oil around the drain line appeared to me at least an ounce or more, and when i looked up inside the drain line could also oil on the inside of the drain line. I was thinking maybe high pressure blew them out, but was confused on where a restriction would need to be, in order for both the evap pressure and condenser pressure to get high enough for them to blow out,. I'm not a a/c professional but somewhat understand how the system works, thanks again for replying.

[JohnHere]

Was the A/C system serviced before you got to look at it?

[tbirdtbird]

Like did anyone install any sealer....

[cdsn99]

Like did anyone install any sealer....

the car was bought used, but no service at least in the last 2 years, not sure about before that

[JohnHere]

At the very least, it needs a new condenser and receiver/dryer assembly. As for the evaporator, can you see the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) near the firewall, or is it buried under the dash. If you can see the TXV and nothing is leaking there, I'm afraid that the evaporator will have to be replaced as well. If the TXV is under the dash, it could be the TXV connections and/or the evaporator that's leaking.

Sealer being added to the system is a distinct possibility, as mentioned earlier. It tends to clog-up just about everything, including the TXV and the compressor control valve. That's why the general consensus on this board is not to use sealer. But of course we don't know whether any sealer was added at some time in the past.

Other than sealer being added, the question is, What caused the system to fail? Since none of us on the Forum has the car here to examine it, these are only educated guesses on my part. The compressor disintegrating internally and sending metallic and plastic debris into the condenser is one possibility. Have you tried rotating the compressor's main-shaft by hand? It should turn with moderate resistance, but it shouldn't be impossible to turn. If it won't turn at all and the clutch isn't seized, then the compressor is probably shot.

If the TXV is accessible, remove and examine it (and inside the open ends of the lines) for any debris, like desiccant beads (indicating rupture of the desiccant bag) or a gray coating (indicating sealer in the system). If you find evidence of sealer, then every component will probably have to be replaced with the possible exception of the lines and hoses, which sometimes can be flushed clean.

[cdsn99]

At the very least, it needs a new condenser and receiver/dryer assembly. As for the evaporator, can you see the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) near the firewall, or is it buried under the dash. If you can see the TXV and nothing is leaking there, I'm afraid that the evaporator will have to be replaced as well. If the TXV is under the dash, it could be the TXV connections and/or the evaporator that's leaking.

Sealer being added to the system is a distinct possibility, as mentioned earlier. It tends to clog-up just about everything, including the TXV and the compressor control valve. That's why the general consensus on this board is not to use sealer. But of course we don't know whether any sealer was added at some time in the past.

Other than sealer being added, the question is, What caused the system to fail? Since none of us on the Forum has the car here to examine it, these are only educated guesses on my part. The compressor disintegrating internally and sending metallic and plastic debris into the condenser is one possibility. Have you tried rotating the compressor's main-shaft by hand? It should turn with moderate resistance, but it shouldn't be impossible to turn. If it won't turn at all and the clutch isn't seized, then the compressor is probably shot.

If the TXV is accessible, remove and examine it (and inside the open ends of the lines) for any debris, like desiccant beads (indicating rupture of the desiccant bag) or a gray coating (indicating sealer in the system). If you find evidence of sealer, then every component will probably have to be replaced with the possible exception of the lines and hoses, which sometimes can be flushed clean.

Thanks for the reply , I will check those things out you mentioned, I would hate to repair and have go out again, so I will check for debris and sealant, as well as taking a look at the compressor. Thanks again for the input.

[JohnHere]

If by chance you remove the compressor, drain the oil out of one or both ports, write down how many ounces came out, and take note of its color. It should be a light to medium amber. If it's very dark or black, that would indicate a compressor that's self-destructing internally.