Admitting defeat....

[300UGUY]

I am planning to sell my 1999 GMC 2500 truck. I rarely use it, putting on less than 1K per year over the last several years. It's lived in the barn, has 96K miles. I cleaned it up nice, then found that the a/c didn't work, the compressor is locked up. I think no problem, I've done a couple of a/c repairs in the past, on cars. And trucks are easier to work on, right? So off I go to Autozone, get a new compressor, and enough refridgent to recharge the system. I looked on Youtube for vids, didn't find one on a 4x4 with a 6.0L gas engine. But I did find one on a "v8", kind of a generic vid I suppose. So I took the fan shroud off, then the air filter system, then the skid plates from underneath. At this point I could see what else I had to get off - the fan and clutch, and the heater hoses, or the water pump. The water pump sits right on top of the compressor. I started looking at all the hoses, clamps, all original, and all rusty. I started to think of all the things that could go wrong, and the thought of cracking a hose or otherwise spilling all the coolant all over the floor bothers me. And pulling the fan and clutch off is problematic. All the stuff is 14 years old, OEM. It works, but I don't want to deal with the mess. I think I will just put it all back together and sell it as is. The compressor alone was 216, the fluid was 37, and tax brings it close to $300. I think labor on this would run $300 or more. I can't see spending probably 700 to sell it. Any thoughts?

 

[TCJatko]

Have you seen the price of new or used vehicles? Fix it.

 

[300UGUY]

Have you seen the price of new or used vehicles? Fix it.

I am selling it. I know without a working a/c, I'll have to knock the price down, but that isn't the end of the world.

 

[Clint S]

Just price it accordingly. My take would be if it turned a 5k car into a 7k car for $600 do it. If it turned a 5k car into a $5700 car forget it..

 

[DT86]

If you were to leave the new compressor in the floor board you might not take as bad of a hit. You should at least be able to get your money back. After all how hard can changing it out be...

 

[murphy1244]

I would not buy a truck without air in that price range.

 

[RoMad]

If the truck is in good condition other than the AC I think you would add more value to the selling price than a $700 repair. If I was looking at a used vehicle without working AC I would want a worst case discount. Of course it may not be as big a deal in Michigan as it is in Florida.

 

[murphy1244]

It is the difference between a 3000$ truck to a 5 or 6000$ truck here.

 

[Ken45101]

In Michigan? Who needs a/c? 4x40 a/c should be adequate.

 

[CliffordK]

I'm not sure what your goals are...
I would keep it as a "farm truck". 1K miles a year isn't bad. It should last a long time. Are you planning on upgrading?

Options?
Cab style?
4x4 (I think you said yes)
6.0L V8.

Anyway, it looks like it is probably worth somewhere in the $2000 to $4000 range.

As far as AC. I guess I have it in my Blazer, but never have turned it on. No other cars I've owned have had working AC. It all depends on the environment. How necessary is it in Michigan?

If you were selling the rig in Texas, you would take a big hit on the AC. But, in Michigan, perhaps not so much, especially if you sell it, maybe in September.

Is your AC pump connected to the cooling system? It would seem like you wouldn't have to mess with the cooling system. I certainly would rather bust up a hose in the shop than out on the highway. Clamps are easy to replace, with nice stainless ones if you wish. I find that hoses that are rusted on are a pain to get off, so I wouldn't worry about accidentally knocking one off.

Anyway, it is up to you, but I would think it would be easy enough to just replace the AC pump, as long as you have reasonable access to it.