🔧 Trax - A/C Compressor Replacement

Replacing the A/C compressor on your Trax involves removing the drive belt, disconnecting the refrigerant lines, swapping the compressor, then evacuating and recharging the A/C system. The most important part is handling refrigerant correctly and keeping moisture/dirt out of the system.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-6 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Refrigerant must be recovered with proper equipment; venting is unsafe and illegal.
• ⚠️ Work on a completely cool engine; turbo/lines can burn you.
• ⚠️ Keep all A/C ports and lines capped; moisture ruins A/C components fast.
• ⚠️ Support the vehicle on jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is recommended before working near the belt/alternator.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Metric socket set (8mm-15mm)
• 3/8" ratchet
• 6" extension (3/8" drive)
• Torque wrench (10-100 Nm range)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Trim clip remover
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Pliers
• A/C line plug/cap kit (specialty)
• A/C manifold gauge set for R-134a (specialty)
• Vacuum pump (specialty)
• Refrigerant recovery machine (specialty)
• Refrigerant scale (specialty)
• UV leak light (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• A/C compressor assembly - Qty: 1
• A/C compressor line O-ring set - Qty: 1
• PAG A/C oil (GM-spec compatible) - Qty: 1
• R-134a refrigerant - Qty: As specified on underhood label
• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1 (optional)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• Have a shop recover the refrigerant first, or use a refrigerant recovery machine (specialty) to pull it into a recovery tank.
• Disconnect the negative battery cable using a 10mm socket.
• Clean the area around the A/C line connections so no dirt falls in.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Confirm refrigerant has been recovered

• Connect the A/C manifold gauge set for R-134a (specialty) to the high/low service ports.
• Verify system pressure is at/near zero before opening any A/C line.

Step 2: Raise the vehicle for access

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front of the vehicle at the proper jacking point.
• Support it with jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove any lower splash shield(s) using a trim clip remover, flat-blade screwdriver, and metric socket set (8mm-15mm) as needed.

Step 3: Remove the serpentine belt from the compressor

• Use a serpentine belt tool (specialty) to rotate the belt tensioner and relieve tension.
• Slip the belt off the A/C compressor pulley first, then carefully release the tensioner.
• Take a photo of belt routing.

Step 4: Disconnect the compressor electrical connector

• Locate the compressor connector and release the lock tab using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Unplug the connector and move the harness aside.

Step 5: Disconnect the refrigerant lines at the compressor

• Place rags under the connection to catch any residual oil.
• Remove the line retaining bolt(s) using the appropriate size from your metric socket set (8mm-15mm) and 3/8" ratchet.
• Pull the lines straight out (do not pry on the sealing surfaces).
• Immediately cap/plug the open lines and compressor ports using an A/C line plug/cap kit (specialty).

Step 6: Remove the A/C compressor

• Support the compressor by hand.
• Remove the compressor mounting bolts using your metric socket set (8mm-15mm), 3/8" ratchet, and 6" extension (3/8" drive).
• Remove the compressor from below. Reposition as needed for clearance.

Step 7: Prepare the new compressor (oil balancing)

• Drain the shipping oil from the new compressor into a clean container.
• Measure how much came out, and match the oil amount required for your Trax setup (compressor-only vs. other components replaced).
• Add the correct amount/type of oil using PAG A/C oil (GM-spec compatible).
• Too much oil reduces cooling.

Step 8: Install new O-rings and reinstall lines

• Replace the line O-rings with the A/C compressor line O-ring set.
• Lightly coat O-rings with clean PAG A/C oil (GM-spec compatible).
• Seat the lines straight into the compressor, then install the retaining bolt(s) using a 3/8" ratchet.
• Torque to OEM specification (use factory service info for exact Nm/ft-lbs).

Step 9: Install the compressor

• Position the compressor and start all mounting bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Tighten mounting bolts evenly using a 3/8" ratchet.
• Torque to OEM specification (use factory service info for exact Nm/ft-lbs).
• Reconnect the electrical connector until it clicks.

Step 10: Reinstall the serpentine belt and shields

• Route the belt correctly and use the serpentine belt tool (specialty) to rotate the tensioner.
• Slip the belt onto the compressor pulley and verify it is fully seated on every pulley.
• Reinstall splash shields using a trim clip remover, flat-blade screwdriver, and metric socket set (8mm-15mm).

Step 11: Evacuate (vacuum) the system and recharge by weight

• Connect the A/C manifold gauge set for R-134a (specialty) and vacuum pump (specialty).
• Pull vacuum for at least 30 minutes, then close valves and verify it holds (no rapid vacuum loss).
• Recharge using a refrigerant scale (specialty) with the exact underhood-label charge amount.

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✅ After Repair

• Reconnect the battery negative cable using a 10mm socket.
• Start the engine, set A/C to MAX, and confirm the compressor engages and vent temperature drops.
• Check for leaks at the compressor line connections using a UV leak light (specialty) if dye is present.
• Listen for belt noise and re-check belt alignment with the engine off.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $900-$1,700 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $250-$900 (parts only, assuming you already have A/C service equipment)

You Save: $650-$800 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.

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🔎 Two quick questions so I can make this 100% accurate

• 🧾 What does the underhood A/C label list for refrigerant charge (oz or g)?
• 🧰 Will you be doing the evacuate/recharge yourself (vacuum pump + scale), or having a shop handle that part?