Yeah, it's definitely got a leak, I just haven't got any money to take it to a shop, i lead the joyous life of a college kid, scraping by with a part time job. Summer is almost over, and the weather is cooling off, so I'll tough it out with no A/C. Here in a couple months i'm taking it in the shop to have the ball joints worked on, thats a bigger issue than no A/C, so I'll have them check it out then.

 

To Magician: not sure what year your truck is, but if it's an R12 system, you should convert to R134 since your accumulator and compressor are bad.

 

How do u get the compressor to kick in so u can check freon?

 

Welcome to the forum!

Getting the compressor to kick in is not how you check the level of refrigerant. You do that by installing a manifold gauge set to check the pressure in the system. The pressure readings will vary depending on the level of refrigerant in the system.

Forcing the compressor clutch to engage is to confirm the other parts work, such as the compressor clutch field coil, the clutch itself, and the compressor.

-Rod