2003 Chevy Impala - AC blowing cool not cold air.

[mcvickj]

Last night on my way home from work I noticed my AC was not pumping out the frigid air like it normally does. It was working fine earlier this week. I'm guessing something happened to the AC system and the freon leaked out?

What are some possible failure points for the AC system? I'm going to start calling around to a few places after lunch to see what this is going to cost me. The dealer quoted me roughly $150 to fill it with freon and put in a tracer to determine where the system is leaking. They said if I were to decline repairs they would evacuate the system and charge $50 for the diagnostic work.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Buy a can of the R134a with UV dye in it. Hook it up to the low side and fill. Use a UV lamp to find the leak.

Alternatively, buy UV dye and put it in a mister. Spray all the a/c components and use a UV lamp to find the bubbles.

Seal/repair/replace the hose/etc. that is leaking. Use a freebie rental from AutoZone to vacuum out the old refrigerant. Use freebie rental manifold gauges and buy cans of R134a whereever. Then use a scale weigh out how much to fill the system with (amount in pounds/ounces is either in the manual or under the hood).

Sounds like you've already sunk $50 into it. Up to you whether your time is worth the $100 extra for them to find it. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't trust a dealer not to come back and say I need a new $400 compressor or Johnson rod when all they did is replace or JB Weld a hole.