2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 A/C repair followed by fan run-on, rough shutdown, then compressor/belt failure — connected or coincidence?
Howdy! I’m hoping for some insight from mechanics or A/C techs POV. To try to help me make sense of this before I decide how to handle it with the shop.
I have a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4.3L EcoTec3 V6. I originally took it in for an A/C diagnosis, and repair for a leak. The shop ended up replacing the condenser, evacuating the system, and recharging it. As far as I know, the invoice did not show they flushed the A/C lines or the rest of the system, and I’m not aware of them replacing any other related parts besides the condenser.
A few days after I got the truck back, I noticged the cooling fan would keep running after I shut the engine off. That had never happened before the repair. I notified the shop, but they made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. Shortly after, that symptom stopped on its own.
Then, separately, I started noticing the engine would stumble/choke a bit when shutting it off. Again, this was something it had never done before the A/C work.
Within 30 days after the repair, the entire A/C failed completely. When I looked under the hood, I found metal fragments/shards near the compressor and belt area. The serpentine belt was shredding and fraying unevenly, worse on one side, and there was belt debris down in the engine bay.
The shop is now saying there was a loose bolt in the compressor and that it’s unrelated to their previous work. They want about $1,400 to fix it.
I’m not trying to blame anyone unfairly, but the timing feels strange to me:
* Condenser replaced and system recharged
* No A/C line/system flush was done as far as I know
* Within days, cooling fan keeps running after shutdown
* That eventually stops
* Then the engine starts stumbling/choking on shutdown
*Within 30 days of the same system repair, A/C fails completely
* Metal debris near compressor/belt area
* Serpentine belt shredded unevenly
My questions are:
When a shop replaces a condenser and recharges the system, what are they responsible for controlling?
If they replaced the condenser but didn’t flush the lines/system, could leftover debris, contaminated oil, or an incorrect oil balance cause issues later?
Could an overcharge, wrong charge, or improper recharge cause cooling fan run-on after shutdown?
Could A/C system pressure issues or oil imbalance cause the engine to stumble during shutdown?
Can improper A/C service lead to compressor failure or seizure? And if the compressor failed, would metal fragments and belt shredding make sense?
Does a “loose bolt in the compressor” explain all of these symptoms, or does that sound incomplete?
Is it crazy to think that the original repair is the cause of the other the other? Like an improper servicing, or something step skipped? Does this timeline sound mechanically connected to the condenser/recharge work, or is it more likely just bad luck?
I’m mainly trying to understand whether this could be connected from a mechanical standpoint before I push back on the shop. Appreciate any honest feedback from who works on and who knows on these systems and even what’s the industry standard for example should the system always be flushed if opened etc?