1997 Blazer--Deal or no deal

Just bought a 97 blazer 4x4,green,74,000 miles. in great shape and paid only 3,600 cash title,license,and all.
The ac compressor isn't working though. The tech told me it would be $625 to fix. Is this a good price for fixing the compressor. how much would one cost me?

Welcome to the board.

$625 sounds like alot of money to me, but I supose it depends whats wrong with it.

Do you know exactly whats wrong? Get a second opinion. Also see your local scrap yard and maybe get a new compressor for cheap.

Yes, Welcome!

I would never get a used compressor from a scrap yard. You have no idea if it is good anymore nor do you know how long the system has been open. All scrap yards are required to recover the refrigerant and open the system, atleast they are around me.

Depending on what needs replacing, the cost seems average for a compressor replacement at a dealership.

You could purchase a reman from your favorite autoparts store and replace it yourself after having the refrigerant recovered, then take it back to a repair shop after replacing the compressor and adding the required amount of PAG oil to have it vacuumed and refilled.

As far as the oil goes, my references state to drain the oil out of the old compressor and measure the amount. If the amount is less than 2 fl. oz. add 2 fl. oz. of new PAG oil. If more than 2 fl. oz., add that exact amount of new PAG oil.

PAG == Poly-Alkaline Glycol which is a synthetic refrigerant oil.

Now, what I would do first is get a second opinion as Jman has suggested. Typically you can have the system recharged and have a dye put in making leaks easily visible. If your system integrity is good and it is found that your compressor definitely is bad, then replace it.

Also, if you wanted to try some things yourself, I would jumper the compressor to a 12v source to engage the clutch. If by jumpering the compressor you get semi-cool air out of the vents, then you may just need a recharge. If that is the case, you could grab the $30 (or so) kit from Walmart and recharge it yourself to see if it'll get colder. The compressor clutch must be engaged while recharging the system to pull the refrigerant in. If after recharging it to the proper levels, you still cannot get the compressor to cycle when requested (wired normally), then you may have a faulty high pressure switch (back of the compressor) or low pressure switch (on the accumulator). If either of these switches indicates either low or high pressure, the clutch will not engage.

I have more trouble shooting steps that can be performed, but there is a LOT of stuff to go through. If you would like this information, let me know.

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you got a good deal on that Blazer. The $625 for the compressor actually sounds pretty good, my dad had to get his replaced in his silverado, and it was about $900. I agree on the second opinion, $625 is quite a harder hit on the wallet than $30.

Welcome to the site. I hope these guys have helped.