Grinding Noise, Stall, No AC

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Warranty on AC Delco replacement unit is two years. Turns out the shop didn't use a "stretch" tool to install the AC belt which is not part of the serpentine belt system. My son and I were able to fix their belt install problem in minutes.


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[Camaro Dude]

I don't want to sound like a Dork, but when it's confirmed by the dealership that you are out of warranty on parts like AC systems, Transmissions, etc, you go to a Specialist, not the Dealership.

So for a tranny problem, you'd go to a transmission shop that only does transmissions, and for AC, an AC shop.

I have seen many quote on quote ✌️ ✌️ , "$2000" estimates at Dealers, that were really a $200 job. This is not their fault, not picking on them. It is, what it is.

Faulty valve bodies and leaking harness junction points on certain VAG slush boxes comes to mind. Dealer will say, "yep, u need a new tranny sir", when it's only really a leaking seal around where the harness enters the tranny housing...an $80 part, but no universal shop would be the wiser.

Not saying you got jipped almost 2 geez, just telling to be careful, and don't succomb to old habits of comfort zone.

Thinking out_of_the_box has its virtues ; ).

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

I don't want to sound like a Dork, but when it's confirmed by the dealership that you are out of warranty on parts like AC systems, Transmissions, etc, you go to a Specialist, not the Dealership.

So for a tranny problem, you'd go to a transmission shop that only does transmissions, and for AC, an AC shop.

I have seen many quote on quote ✌️ ✌️ , "$2000" estimates at Dealers, that were really a $200 job. This is not their fault, not picking on them. It is, what it is.

Faulty valve bodies and leaking harness junction points on certain VAG slush boxes comes to mind. Dealer will say, "yep, u need a new tranny sir", when it's only really a leaking seal around where the harness enters the tranny housing...an $80 part, but no universal shop would be the wiser.

Not saying you got jipped almost 2 geez, just telling to be careful, and don't succomb to old habits of comfort zone.

Thinking out_of_the_box has its virtues ; ).

Where do you think I went? I did not go to the dealership.

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by CrystalRedTintcoat

Where do you think I went? I did not go to the dealership.

It's your post #8 quote I requoted here below, that may have prematurely led me to this conclusion.

Originally Posted by CrystalRedTintcoat

Update: appointment at chevy 7/13. Appointment in town, a week from this Friday. Appointment across town: pending a callback.

This is the Bay Area problem. Too many people. Not enough service stations.


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In any case, even if not the dealer, did you go to a General mechanic shop, or an AC only specialist garage?

Only curious

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

UPDATE:

* Summary

As of the week before last (sorry I've been to busy to follow-up here) I'm on my FOURTH AC unit. I suspect the shop I went to thought they were buying genuine AC Delco parts but they weren't. When they changed suppliers and received a THIRD unit it worked, flawlessly.

* Details

First Replacement AC

My factory AC broke. I went to a local shop that I trust. They asked me if I wanted a replacement Denso AC or an AC Delco AC. I asked for AC Delco, because that's what GM put in the car, and I asked to have the original one returned to me which I plan to send to Mary Bara. (Anyone have here mailing address?)

They installed a new unit which presented a horrific noise between 2K and 3K RPMs. I likened this sound to a cow being strangled in the pasture. It was an embarrassed for Camaro, Chevrolet and me. They said their "AC Delco" rep wanted to come and hear the noise.

Second Replacement AC

Apparently the "AC Delco" rep agreed this was a problem and ordered second unit which also presented this horrible noise. The shop owner asked me to drive it a while to break in the AC unit. Still after two weeks that strangled cow sound would not abate.

Third Replacement AC

I went back to the shop and spoke to the owner. He told me that he was in touch with the manufacturer. Hmmm. I kept questioning him, "How can Chevy help you if AC Delco cannot?" Think about it. If Chevy buys from Delco and the shop owner buys from Delco how could Chevy get a better product?

The shop swapped in a third replacement unit, I test drove it and it worked wonderfully. But as I was checking out and signing the paperwork, one of the service advisors said something that was really revealing. He said "Yeah, we've been having problems with parts from our parts supplier, Allied. We've installed clutches that didn't work and have had to remove them. Other parts too. Now this."

I'm my head I'm thinking, "WTF? They mustn't have had an AC Delco rep there ... but, rather, a 3rd-party parts supplier rep there."

When I asked the service advisor how they got a replacement unit from GM he informed me that they actually got the part from a dealer, not from GM as the owner indicated.

Conspiracy Theory

I told my good buddy, a mustang owner, about this. He is from Detroit and lives here in the Bay Area with me. His father retired from Ford in HR. Anyway, he's reading a book called, 'The Coming China Wars'. And in that book are seven examples of things China is doing to compete worldwide. Of course we've all heard about knock-off products but they have whole cities dedicated to building counterfeit auto parts. They look identical as the parts the dealer buys, they include identical packaging, but they aren't authenticate parts and, therefore, and not real products. Some examples were brake pads made of straw! This is happening in medicine too where people are taking pills for the heart that the pills are filled with saw dust and dying.

So my buddy and I both wonder, did the parts supplier unknowingly sell this local shop counterfeit Chinese auto parts?

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

It's your post #8 quote I requoted here below, that may have prematurely led me to this conclusion.



In any case, even if not the dealer, did you go to a General mechanic shop, or an AC only specialist garage?

Only curious

You're a good man for keeping honest! I forgot that I booked an appointment with the dealer but didn't go to him. See my latest post. Maybe I SHOULD have gone to the dealer after all!

Oh, the local shop owner charged me $2,000 to replace my AC. But he ended up having to do it 3 times.

[markgws6]

Damn what a saga!! We'll you are gonna need that AC for the next couple of weeks at least... I was coming back from my mom's place when I happened to look down at my outside temps and it read 112F. You'd think after 3 years, they'd have gotten the problems like this worked out of our cars. Any word back from GM/Chevy why the original unit failed?

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Originally Posted by markgws6

Damn what a saga!! We'll you are gonna need that AC for the next couple of weeks at least... I was coming back from my mom's place when I happened to look down at my outside temps and it read 112F. You'd think after 3 years, they'd have gotten the problems like this worked out of our cars. Any word back from GM/Chevy why the original unit failed?

No word back. I'm not convinced the shop sold me genuine AC parts. I think their supplier has problems.