1995 Grand Prix A/C Leak

I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with my car's a/c system. It's worked fine until recently when it started blowing nothing but warm air out, so I assumed it needed recharged. I bought a recharge kit that came with a gauge and when I checked the pressure before recharging it read zero psi. So I recharged and got the pressure to where it was supposed to be, and the air now blows cold again but when i turned the car off and was looking under the hood, I heard a slight hissing sound. Not being able to tell exactly where it was coming from I tried to follow it the best I could and I'm pretty sure its coming from the compressor right around where the pulley is, or close to it anyway. I'm pretty sure I've never heard that before so I was wondering if maybe its the refridgerant leaking out? And if so could anyone point me in the right direction as to where I would start to try and fix it? Thanks!

Welcome to AF.

It sounds like your compressor shaft seal is leaking. It will require the compressor to be removed to inspect.

Thanks for the welcome and the quick reply! :)

So once the compressor is removed, what should I be looking for to know if it really is the compressor shaft seal? Thanks again!

You can bet it is the shaft seal-- based onmodel, vintage etc-- that compressor is known for shaft seal and body o-ring leaks..I reseal 2 or 3 a week during the hot season....

I agree with Brcidd, it's definitely the seal. By inspect, I was referring to whether or not the bearings are bad as well causing the shaft to occillate and causing the leak. This would determine whether or not your existing compressor is worth repairing, or if replacement would be a more viable option.

Ok that was my next question, is the old one worth trying to tear apart and find the problem (as in, is it a pretty simple fix?) or would the better option be just replacing it with a new one since I'll have to take the time to remove the old one anyway? Thanks again for the help everyone! :smile:

Also, the 2 cans of refridgerant that I put in last night to get it to about 30 psi (it was at zero before recharging) were completely gone by this morning and it was blowing normal outside air again, so in a matter of about 12 hours it had all leaked out. Does that still sound like the seal?

repair or replacement really depends on funds vs your time.