With climate change and global warming upon us, your AC is an important component of your car. Most people cannot even drive to the supermarket on the corner without using their AC. This component comes in handy on a very hot day but it is prone to failure, just like other car components.
What happens when your Chevy Silverado AC is not working? You must be perplexed at this and seeking the fastest solution. This post was written for people like you and it will teach you the reasons for the AC failure. We will also tell you how to fix the different possible problems.
Chevy Silverado AC Not Working: Common Causes and How to Fix
It is very easy to take your car’s AC for granted until it stops working. Asides from the fact that a car without an AC isn’t fun, it could also be dangerous on very hot days. The interior of cars gets heated very quickly. Without a means of cooling it down, the occupants of the car could be exposed to dehydration or heat stroke.
When your Chevy Silverado AC stops working abruptly, the first question that comes to mind is “why?” Interestingly, there are so many reasons. Some of these reasons may be peculiar to your vehicle while others are more common. In this section, we will discuss the most common reasons for this problem as well as ways to solve them.
Refrigerant leaks
Refrigerant leaks are among the most common reasons behind car AC failures. The refrigerant is the reason why the AC cools the air in your car in the first place. Without it, your AC will only produce hot air from the car vents.
Where does the refrigerant leak from? When you check your car’s HVAC system, you will notice that there are several pipes and hoses. The refrigerant passes through these pipes and so it could leak from any one of them.
Sometimes, the leaks occur at the points where hoses join the rest of the system. Such points are protected by rubber seals. The hoses and rubber seals could get damaged or broken at different points. When this occurs, the refrigerant escapes and your AC seems not to be working.
Solving the problem is pretty easy. Simply locate the position of the leaks and fixing them. In some cases, you may need to change the hose or the rubber seals. It all depends on the damage. After changing them, refill the refrigerant and the AC should start working normally.
Broken cooling fan
The job of the cooling fan is to blow air to the hoses to keep the refrigerant cool. After this, it helps to circulate it to the rest of the car. Without the cooling fan, the refrigerant will not be cool enough. Also, it will be impossible to circulate the air. Either way, the AC will not function as it should.
There are several reasons why the cooling fan could stop working. One of them is a blown fuse (this is the most common reason for cooling fan failure). Another is wiring issues. Others include clogging from dirt and debris, mechanical faults, or a broken fan.
Check the fuse box in the engine to locate the fuse associated with the cooling fan. If it is blown, replace it and the fan will start working again. You can also ask your mechanic to help check the wiring of the fan. If you notice that the fan is clogged, clean it up and it should start working normally. It is very odd to have a broken fan, however, if it is broken then you have to change it altogether.
Condenser issues
Without the condenser, your Chevy Silverado AC will not work. It is the condenser that cools the refrigerant down. This component also gathers the humid air within the air compressor, depressurizes it, and liquefies it. In a nutshell, the compressor creates the cool air that comes out of the vents in your car.
If this component stops working, the AC will no longer be cool. Just like the cooling fan, there are several reasons why this component may stop function. It may be clogged with dust or debris which will result in malfunction. Also, it could develop wiring problems or the associated fuse may be blown.
As we mentioned above, you should start by checking the associated fuse. If it is broken, replace it to get this component running again. Also, check the wiring to see that everything is okay. Finally, if you have done everything and the compressor is not working, it means that it is broken or damaged. In this case, your best option is to replace the condenser.
Electrical issues
The air conditioning system of your car requires electrical power to function. It means that if any of the connections are bad, the AC will not function. This brings us to the question, “what makes up the electrical circuit of your air conditioning system?”
The major components are fuses and wires. If the fuses are blown, then the AC wouldn’t. The same goes for when the wires are broken. Another electrical component of this system that may develop a fault is the control module.
Whatever the electrical issue is, it is very important to locate it and fix it very quickly. If you don’t, you may end up compounding the problem and making it more complicated. Your best bet is to reach out to your mechanic to help you out with fixing electrical problems.
Blocked AC system
The final issue we will discuss in this post is a blocked AC system. When the system gets blocked, mostly the hoses and pipes, it restricts the flow of the refrigerant. This will hamper the circulation of the refrigerant, hence, there will be no cold air. If the problem is a blocked AC system, a technician needs to help you sort it out.
Conclusion
These are the most common reasons why your Chevy Silverado AC is not working. Some cases may be complex, so if you try these fixes and they don’t work, reach out to your mechanic.
