1999 Buick Century air conditioning

ROBBIE ALDRIDGE

MEMBER
1999 BUICK CENTURY

1999 Buick Century 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic

Help. The air conditioning in my 1999 Buick stopped blowing cold air, first on the driver's side, followed days, weeks (?) Later by the passenger side. Due to financial constraints, took car to a part time mechanic (does repairs out of his home). He thought the problem was in the control switch panel (it has a separate control for the temperature for passenger or driver's side). He replaced the control panel on the dash and put in new refrigerant (or whatever you call it). Only cost about $250, worked fine for a week or so, but now is not cooling again. My daughter called him and he said there is probably a leak somewhere and that there is a new kind of leak stop that costs about $50 that can be put in to stop the leak. Is this a good or bad idea and if bad, how bad.

Also about a year or two ago I had a leaking battery that caused a lot of damage and had to have the motor mount replaced and a lot of other work done, that I do not remember. Anyway I do not remember what time period the air conditioning trouble started in relation to that, but my second question is- Is it possible that that could have damaged something to do with the air conditioning? My daughter says not, but I wonder about that. I do not drive a lot, am retired, but my daughter does use my car some. I live in Florida so air conditioning is almost required.

2 Replies

ROBBIE ALDRIDGE

MEMBER
2 POSTS

In my previous question about the driver's side not blowing cold air, what actually is happening is that hot air blows out on the driver's side while cold air blows out on the passenger's side, but this was followed by the passenger's side being less cold and not cooling the car. I had just posted this question on July 9, so please see that posting. I could not afford what the dealer said it would it could cost, so in comparison $250 seemed cheap. The mechanic replaced the control panel for the AC that is on the dash with a used one. He said he had to try four different ones because the first three all blew hot air on one side and cold on the other. He said if the 4th one did not work, I would need to pay about $300 for a new one. He put in new freon, and then I got the car back after 2 weeks and it worked for about a week or so, nice and cold and now is back to the same hot on driver's side cold, then not very cold on the passenger's side. The mechanic says it probably has a leak somewhere and there is something he can put in the system that will seal the leak, and that it costs about l$50. I do not have that right now and so have to wait. My daughter says that he fixed the first problem and now I have a leak. I am not arguing about anything, I just want my AC to work and I do not care whether he did not fix the right thing, but I do wonder if it is safe to use the leak sealant. I could save up enough to get it fixed eventually, and I do not want to ruin my AC. I live in Florida. My daughter uses my car sometimes and she thinks I should go ahead with getting the mechanic to put in the leak stop as soon as I can.

Any opinion would be appreciated, I am currently broke (I am retired). Thanks.