[Obi-Wan]

My wife notified me today that the A/C in our 2001 Tahoe (5.3L LT) wasn't working. It blows fine, but isn't cold. It worked fine a couple days ago, so I don't think it's a freon leak. I fiddled with it this afternoon, and it doesn't seem like the compressor clutch is kicking in when the A/C is on.

I tried unplugging the clutch wire connector and applying 12V to it, but it still didn't click on. The connector is hard to reach, so perhaps I just didn't get the terminals connected properly. I think I did, though. There are 2 wires in the connector -- is one of them ground, or are they 2 separate 12V wires that use the compressor body as a ground?

Is this a common problem with newer Tahoes? Do the compressor clutches go out frequently?

If that's probably the problem, how hard is it to replace the compressor (or just the clutch) with a rebuilt unit? I've done this sort of thing with older compressors (like the York in my Jeep), but the working clearance in that Tahoe is pretty tight. I dread paying dealer prices for labor and for a new clutch -- even used junk yard compressors run about $150-250.

Opinions / suggestions?