Question about 2011 V6 AC compressor - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Pearlj10 · 07-10-2021, 10:45 PM

Hey folks, my air conditioning compressor was leaking a very small amount of oil at 41k miles after being parked and sitting in the driveway. I understand that these units only hold about 4 oz total of PAG oil. I checked the bolts on the compressor and the brass nut in the photo below was loose. I saw that it had a hex bolt in its center but tightened the brass nut up (it was pretty loose) and the leaked stopped. Right after, I feel a slight vibration through my brake pedal when stopped and the ac is on. When I turn the ac off, vibration goes away. Does anyone know what the function of that brass nut is? If I’m reading the owners manual correctly, it should be torqued to 45 pounds.

I’m no longer leaking oil from the compressor, but wondering if I might be replacing it soon from contaminants getting in from the leak. Maybe I just need to add a bit of oil to replace what leaked out? I do realize that the best method would be a full evac and recharge after it’s confirmed to hold vacuum. Thanks

Pearlj10 · 07-11-2021, 04:06 PM

As a follow up, I learned that the brass nut is the compressor’s pressure relief valve. I suspect that the compressor may have been getting hot since I’ve been doing a lot of work to the car (new aluminum radiator, changing SC pulleys, logging fuel pressure, etc.) and that idling the engine in my garage while it’s about 1,000 degrees outside (Phoenix summer, lots of 110+ days lately) and the condenser not having any airflow might have caused or accelerated the problem. I’ll check the Freon charge and oil level, the latter using one of those plastic encased cotton filters that probes the low pressure side, and adjust as necessary. From now on, when I’m tweaking things on the engine, I’ll turn the ac off to help preserve the compressor. I might need a new one anyway, but want to evaluate the system beforehand.

07-10-2021, 10:45 PM	#1
Pearlj10 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Az Posts: 367	Question about 2011 V6 AC compressor Hey folks, my air conditioning compressor was leaking a very small amount of oil at 41k miles after being parked and sitting in the driveway. I understand that these units only hold about 4 oz total of PAG oil. I checked the bolts on the compressor and the brass nut in the photo below was loose. I saw that it had a hex bolt in its center but tightened the brass nut up (it was pretty loose) and the leaked stopped. Right after, I feel a slight vibration through my brake pedal when stopped and the ac is on. When I turn the ac off, vibration goes away. Does anyone know what the function of that brass nut is? If I’m reading the owners manual correctly, it should be torqued to 45 pounds. I’m no longer leaking oil from the compressor, but wondering if I might be replacing it soon from contaminants getting in from the leak. Maybe I just need to add a bit of oil to replace what leaked out? I do realize that the best method would be a full evac and recharge after it’s confirmed to hold vacuum. Thanks Attached Images

07-11-2021, 04:06 PM	#2
Pearlj10 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Az Posts: 367	As a follow up, I learned that the brass nut is the compressor’s pressure relief valve. I suspect that the compressor may have been getting hot since I’ve been doing a lot of work to the car (new aluminum radiator, changing SC pulleys, logging fuel pressure, etc.) and that idling the engine in my garage while it’s about 1,000 degrees outside (Phoenix summer, lots of 110+ days lately) and the condenser not having any airflow might have caused or accelerated the problem. I’ll check the Freon charge and oil level, the latter using one of those plastic encased cotton filters that probes the low pressure side, and adjust as necessary. From now on, when I’m tweaking things on the engine, I’ll turn the ac off to help preserve the compressor. I might need a new one anyway, but want to evaluate the system beforehand.