2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission A/C question??

[Truckie]

I had to recharge my system for the first time in a year and a half, and the next day when I went to use it I turned it on and got an oily smell from the air vents. I also noticed an oily substance on part of the frame where the water usually drips from the evaporator. My question is, is this the evaporator? And about how much will it cost to have repaired?

MIKE

 

[Chris N5CWM]

I've heard that the evaporators in the 2nd gen Rams develop pinhole leaks. My 01. 5 needs to be recharged every couple of months and I suspect my evap is the culprit.



Sounds to me like yours finally let go. I have no clue what is involved in replacing one though. I seem to recall that it isn't easy!

 

[CATCRACKER]

my buddy has the same problem with his 01 what is the cheapest way to fix it? and best replacement parts to use? thanks

 

[DUtsch]

My truck is a '99 and I replaced my evaporator coil in the fall of 2002.



The original equipment failed in the spring of 2002, the dealership re-charged my system with dye containing refirgerant. That lasted three months. Back to the dealership only to be told that everything under the hood looked good, so the problem must be in the evaporator. Service manager said "gunk, like leaves and other stuff, get's lodged in the bottom of the air housing and rots out the evaporator coil". Estimated service charge to replace the coil was +$850 and a full day in the shop. No thank you... .



I was not in a position to pay that kind of money, so I pulled the evaporator coil myself. Parts $135 for the coil, another $10 for the plastic tool used to remove the coil from the pressure and return lines, and another $100 to recharge the system at a local service garage. About eight hours to do the work of removing the dash board completely, pulling out the air box (the mounting bolts through the fire wall are a pain in the butt) , splitting the air box, replacing the evaporator, and re-assembly. Pay special attention to the motorized damper position for hot/cold adjustment... recommend moving it to full cold position before disconnecting. Be sure to correctly engage the drive shaft of the damper into the motor when re-assembling... or you will find yourself pulling it all out a second time like I learned (the hard way).



More than a year since I replaced the evaporator... and still working.



This is the type of expensive repair work that fumes me #@$%! ... engineers know that junk will be sucked into the air handler, so design accordingly.



Good luck with your situation.

 

[y-knot]

I think it sounds more like a compressor problem myself. The oily smell and residue in the vents is classic signs of compressor seal problems. The system will need to be flushed and the evaporator may or may not need to be replaced, depends on how much of the compressor has failed and been forced Thur the system.

Ball park figures for the fix are hard to come by, but figure 200 for a rebuilt compressor, 75-100 for a evaporator, 50 for new lines and about 300 for labor and gas.

 

[Truckie]

Ya but like I said earlier in the first post the oil has all dripped out of the drip tube on to the frame. And IM assuming it has to be the evaporator because of that and the oily smell I got from the vents. Right now the system is so bone dry the compressor wont even kick on. When I smelled the oil and here the compressor kicking on and off rapidly I then turned of the A/C system all together.

Well, I talked to the ******* dealer and they want $750. 00 labor, $215. 50 for the evaporator, and they didn't even tell me how much to charge it after it was replaced.

I said screw that and stopped at the little local garage by work and asked them what they wanted, and he said $350. 00 labor, and $175. 00 for the evaporator, and then what ever the charge will be.





MIKE