AC not blowing cold

Got a 2008 2.7 4x4 and my ac is not blowing cold air. It was working pefect when I bought the truck about 6 months ago from a dealership and was told the AC was recharged but I noticed recently that the AC is not blowing cold. The AC light comes on and the fan works but I notice I dont hear the compressor kick on. I also had after market fog lights installed and Im not sure if a bad wiring job may have something to do with this. I hope I dont need an expensive repair. Any ideas?

 

Still under some kind of warranty? take it back to them. Fog lights shouldn't be related.

AC doesn't need to be recharged unless it's leaking.

 

Get some gauge readings

 

Look under your hood e.g. above radiator where a dealer may even have put a label/sticker indicating tracer has been added. Possibly the recharge guy at dealer added tracer, in 2015 my toyota dealer recharged my leaky system and put the sticker shown here on. Of course my recharge lasted 2 weeks.

If the magic additive/tracer that glows under UV light is in your leaky system, a $15 UV flashlight (walmart even) will make things around the leak glow green. (attempts to capture this w/camera are foiled by some scientific/wavelength reason).

If yours failed like mine did, and has tracer, try to find the glow around the compressor front shaft seal .....visible all around the pulley/side. If so, buy a Denso compressor from RockAuto BUT you'll need a buddy or shop with a vacuum pump and recharger+gauges?(i forget)..., and even an extra O-ring last-minute that for some reason didn't come with the compressor, if you dare do it yourself. The compressor attachment bolts are are not real thick... I felt like I almost broke my bolt removing it, IIRC I gave the engine block a brief heat/oxy-acet torch and got it. Dealer quote including compressor AND condenser because they THOUGHT i might need one: $2500. My cost around $300. I'm amazed it's still holding its charge 3 yrs later.

 

..oops, meant to recall it glows greenish / YELLOWish
.....hugely/obvious in my case, inspected in evening !
Not purple for sure, though from "blacklight" experiences you might have thought purple

 

If replacing compressor, buy one already setup with (new) clutch. I lied about $300....now
pulled my RockAuto receipt; and i KNOW i saved tons over dealer compressor + clutch.
......... below extras I decided to replace re belt system/idlers/tensioner
but not the actual belts:
=======EXAMPLE 2006 2.7: w 95k in 2015: (a bit over proactive perhaps)
ACDELCO 36173 Idler Pulley $ 31.79
ACDELCO 36174 anOTHER Idler Pulley $ 43.79
DENSO 4719196(471-9196 A/C Compressor)$ 359.79
Holycrap this one was pricey and i assume/believe Gates is still a good name:
GATES 38422 Belt Tensioner $ 97.79 $20ship $553 total back then.

and Freon, and pay/bribe shop/friend w A/C recharge tools. And beware needy O-rings.