Leaking A/C Compressor!

[Riku89 1]

Ok so this is my first time posting here but have been lurking around for a while reading up on several threads! I took my 2013 1LT Spark in today for poor A/C performance. This is my second time to the dealer first time they performed an HVAC update as well as recharge the A/C system today after looking at it again they diagnosed it with a bad compressor said it was leaking just wanted to share my experience as I have seen people have had plenty of trouble with the dealer and there A/C...

If you guys have any other info regarding the A/C issues and experience with dealers please share here as I would like to resolve it for my self and everyone else!

OK so I got the car back this morning and its 85F not the hottest Texas summer day but warm def. and still experiencing A/C issues not just at idle but at highway speeds as well I am not happy!

BULLETIN #PIC5858A: Insufficient A/C Performance At Idle DATED ( June 13, 2013 )

I can tell you FOR SURE there is no fix..... why? in the Bulletin it states that all spark manufactured after Jan. 29, 2013 are including GM approved A/C dye. Seriously that tells me they are expecting more complaints and concerns and they add it for increased convenience for the Dealers.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Riku89

[WaltK 305]

Welcome to the forum. If you have been reading the threads, then you know the a/c problem is a widespread issue. The dealerships have primarily been throwing new compressors at the problem, but no one has walked out with a valid repair, up to this point. GM is working on some form of fix, that very few dealers seem to be aware of. I personally am awaiting this "fix" rather than running back and forth to the dealership, and unnecessarily tying my car up. A few guys had to wait for more shipments of compressors to arrive from Korea. At this point, it is a very confusing situation. If your compressor is indeed leaking, then you do need to get it replaced, whether that will fix your problem is a crapshoot, but at least you're starting out with a good one.

[Riku89 1]

Welcome to the forum. If you have been reading the threads, then you know the a/c problem is a widespread issue. The dealerships have primarily been throwing new compressors at the problem, but no one has walked out with a valid repair, up to this point. GM is working on some form of fix, that very few dealers seem to be aware of. I personally am awaiting this "fix" rather than running back and forth to the dealership, and unnecessarily tying my car up. A few guys had to wait for more shipments of compressors to arrive from Korea. At this point, it is a very confusing situation. If your compressor is indeed leaking, then you do need to get it replaced, whether that will fix your problem is a crapshoot, but at least you're starting out with a good one.

Thank you! Also I too would rather them not throw parts at it and if it is a leaky compressor hopefully this will be the fix for me atleast. I now you said other have had theirs replaced and still suffer from the issue... Do you know anything about the HVAC update they said it was released from GM I am not sure what it fixed.

[Greg_E 211]

As of last Friday, my dealer knew nothing about any A/C update, they said they checked but you never really know.

[Classing 6]

I havent heard a word from GM since they gave us the 2 year service contract.

[Riku89 1]

Ok so the dealer called me back and told me the compressor was faulty and the are replacing it today and that I can pick it up tomorrow morning. But heres the thing they said they are replacing it due to the symptoms I had stated and that GM had put a bulletin out recently regarding the A/C issues.....I just want to see if anyone has heard this from their dealer also I asked for a print out of the bulletin to take home with me tomorrow so I can share the bulletin here and he said he would give me a copy with along with all my other paper work! MAYBE this is a step in the right direction or MAYBE this is the fix?

[WaltK 305]

It would be great if it was the "fix". The only bulletin I could find from GM, for July was an HVAC upgrade pertaining to certain model Cadillacs actuating doors not behaving properly. Sound familiar? And it turns out to be a firmware/software upgrade. As I said, that is all I could find, doesn't mean there isn't more.

[Riku89 1]

It would be great if it was the "fix". The only bulletin I could find from GM, for July was an HVAC upgrade pertaining to certain model Cadillacs actuating doors not behaving properly. Sound familiar? And it turns out to be a firmware/software upgrade. As I said, that is all I could find, doesn't mean there isn't more.

Well I pick up the car tomorrow morning and they are going to give me a print out of the bulletin and I will then relay the info to you guys I would really like to get it fixed and hopefully post some useful info regarding the issue!!!

[WaltK 305]

That's great, keep us posted, as to how you make out, and particularly how the car is behaving.....

[Riku89 1]

That's great, keep us posted, as to how you make out, and particularly how the car is behaving..

For sure... I will be putting the info up first thing after I get it back showing what the bulletin states as well as if it is blowing ice cubes. I was aware of the situation with everyone and I know people have had compressors thrown at their casr but it seems GM has a released a bulletin to support the issue this time hoping they got a good batch and all is good!

Edited August 6, 2013 by Riku89

[WaltK 305]

That would be great news, I, along with everyone else affected, I am sure, are pulling for you, so we can put this to rest, and move on to some fun topics. Although being prodded, I still haven't taken my car in, but, if I am convinced that they finally got it right, the car will be in the dealership, just as soon as I can make a phone call.

[Greg_E 211]

Don't scan it, the print is actually proprietary info owned by GM that is not supposed to leave the dealership. You have to type out the good parts for us, but include a date if there is one, might show up in a TechLink for August. I just don't want GM coming in here and demanding that copyrighted info be removed. A bulletin number might be all we need, they should be able to look it up when anyone goes to a real Chevy dealer.

I will say that since my compressor change the little dips in idle are gone and I have more power in the low RPMs so I wonder if part of it is the clutch. When these things happened I immediately thought the A/C had come on for a moment. Also I do know the belt is a one time belt that they need to stretch and snap into place (so I was told), there is no tension adjustment. Another one of those cases where the service manual would be nice.

[Riku89 1]

Don't scan it, the print is actually proprietary info owned by GM that is not supposed to leave the dealership. You have to type out the good parts for us, but include a date if there is one, might show up in a TechLink for August. I just don't want GM coming in here and demanding that copyrighted info be removed. A bulletin number might be all we need, they should be able to look it up when anyone goes to a real Chevy dealer.

I will say that since my compressor change the little dips in idle are gone and I have more power in the low RPMs so I wonder if part of it is the clutch. When these things happened I immediately thought the A/C had come on for a moment. Also I do know the belt is a one time belt that they need to stretch and snap into place (so I was told), there is no tension adjustment. Another one of those cases where the service manual would be nice.

Yeah I will give the Bulletin # and give a summary of what the bulletin states and let you know exactly what it resolves!

[sparkfanatic 70]

If the belt is a stretch belt they have a special tool to remove/ replace . Smart cars use the same setup as do a lot of cars . The tool cost $10-30 dollars and has bolt that screws into tthe pulley with a metal lip . Then you turn the center bolt with a wrench and the belt slides on or off . I was going to buy one from Amazon at the time but sold the car instead . Chevy also has a tool to determine if the belt is bad , it's a listening type device where the belt needs to be in a certain frequency range for lack of better description . Just seems easier and more prudent to just put a new belt on .

[bluer101 241]

First off welcome to the club. Hope this works out for you and all of us. But I'm still skeptical.

[Riku89 1]

First off welcome to the club. Hope this works out for you and all of us. But I'm still skeptical.

You have a right to be skeptical! So I get the car from the dealer today and I feel it is worse off not just low A/C performance at idle but even at highway speeds what the heck!

[bluer101 241]

You have a right to be skeptical! So I get the car from the dealer today and I feel it is worse off not just low A/C performance at idle but even at highway speeds what the heck!

Sorry about it. But just read around here. They do not have a clue in how to fix it yet and multiple parts are not the answer. Now yours is worse than before. Now your stuck with taking it back and bitch.

[Riku89 1]

Sorry about it. But just read around here. They do not have a clue in how to fix it yet and multiple parts are not the answer. Now yours is worse than before. Now your stuck with taking it back and bitch.

I will be taking it back trust me I know my way around the dealer I used to be a tech at hyundai! I wont take their crap I told him when I left the drive I will be back regarding the issue and that they didnt resolve the issue. They tried the BS oh well these small motors... I stopped the guy and told him my GF has a 2014 Nissan Versa with a 1.4 and gets ice cold A/C!!! So I am not done and will be lighting a fire under someones a**!

[WaltK 305]

You have to hand it to GM, at least they are consistent. Call the GM customer line, tell them you are not happy, get your complaint documented, and ask for a service request #, and insist that this number remain active until the car is repaired to your satisfaction, this way you have an open ticket, and they can't close it until you are satisfied. I would call the dealer and bitch, just to blow off the frustration, but it seems nothing is going to happen until this "fix" arrives.

Edited August 6, 2013 by WaltK

[WaltK 305]

I havent heard a word from GM since they gave us the 2 year service contract.

They may have also closed your service request, and this is your payment for being a loyal customer. I would call CSR, and make sure that ticket is still open, if not then request a new one, and as I posted above, insist that the ticket remain active, until you are satisfied with the repair, they will close it, they tried to pull that with me, I had it reopened, supposedly, until I notify them that I am satisfied. I call periodically just to check. They are frustrated with me, because I absolutely refuse to bring the car in, until they can assure me that the car will be repaired properly, and not degraded to an even lower level of operation. I have no problem in expressing my feelings and intentions to them, at the same time understanding, that I am talking to the lowest entry level reps at GM.

Edited August 6, 2013 by WaltK

[Riku89 1]

You have to hand it to GM, at least they are consistent. Call the GM customer line, tell them you are not happy, get your complaint documented, and ask for a service request #, and insist that this number remain active until the car is repaired to your satisfaction, this way you have an open ticket, and they can't close it until you are satisfied. I would call the dealer and bitch, just to blow off the frustration, but it seems nothing is going to happen until this "fix" arrives.

I might even push the concern and try to get an engineer out to the dealer! I know at hyundai I had an issue with a rattling noise complaint and could not diagnose for the life of me finally we had a couple hyundai engineers come out and the found a faulty weld. Maybe I can some how get a engineer out to the dealer for the concern but that is hyundai and this is GM!?!?!

[WaltK 305]

The engineers are usually the troubleshooters, that rescue the service dept. when they cant cure the problem. I'm sure they are well aware of this problem, I would guess it is probably of epidemic proportions, given the amount of Sparks that have supposedly been sold. They either don't know what to do, which is highly becoming highly unlikely, or trying to figure a way to skirt around this issue, because they are trying to avoid the expense. I don't hold much animosity towards the dealers, from what I've seen, they are lied to, and kept in the dark, while the suits in Detroit scheme.

[Greg_E 211]

I think the Daewoo engineers are holding a grudge from being purchased and maybe not cooperating as fast as they might be able to work. Or that it all comes down to money and who is going to apy for all these compressor and other parts that are just not up to the task.