Fig. 38 · AC & electrical
No cold air in a Florida summer is not a problem you should live with.
AC recharge, leak diagnosis, compressor replacement, and electrical gremlins. Same honest approach as the trans work.
I don't do engines, I don't do brakes, but I do handle AC and the electrical around it. Customers keep asking, so here's the honest list of what I take on.
Fig. 39 · What I do
The 6 things customers ask me to fix most.
I pull 45 minutes of vacuum on every AC job before I put refrigerant in [FIG. 01]. If the vacuum holds, the system is tight; if it drops, we find the leak first.
I. AC compressor + recharge
Compressor, accumulator, orifice, flush · $650 to $1,400.
A proper AC fix is not just dropping a compressor in. I replace the accumulator and orifice tube, flush the system, pull vacuum for 45 minutes to verify tightness, then recharge with the spec weight of refrigerant. UV dye if we need to hunt a leak. Done right once, it lasts through Florida summers.
Recharge + leak check: $120 to $220. Full replace: $650 to $1,400.
II. Electrical gremlins
Soldered, heat-shrunk, no crimps.
Intermittent no-start, phantom CEL, dead accessories, critter-chewed harnesses. $80 to $120 diagnostic, same as trans.
III. Charging + cooling
Battery, alternator, fans.
Load-test and replace. Thermostats and radiators too. Overheating cooks the trans, so we fix both.
FIG. 01 · 45-minute vacuum hold, 2015 Silverado 1500, 112k mi.
What I do, and what I don't
I don't do engine work. I don't do brakes. I rebuild transmissions. That's it.
A shop that tries to do everything does nothing especially well. I picked one thing, the hardest thing under the car, and got good at it.
Great guys. Had them rebuild my 68RFE. They had it back to me within the week. Zero issues, quality work and fair pricing.
AC & electrical questions
Before you call.
Can you do brakes or engine work?
No. I specifically don't. If you need a timing-chain job, I'll send you to someone I trust. Stay in your lane. That's how you stay good.
Will the AC fix hold up in Florida?
Yes. I pull vacuum for a full 45 minutes before recharging. If the vacuum holds, the system is tight. If it drops, we find the leak before I put refrigerant in.
How long for an electrical diagnosis?
Intermittent stuff is hardest. Sometimes takes a day of driving to catch. Hard faults are usually same-afternoon.
Sweating in the car? Let's fix that this week.
Drop it off in the morning, drive home in cold air.