A/C Failure : Opinion on replacement and cost (1 Viewer)

[bfiehler]

On Tuesday, while on the start of a road trip, got a message of "Check Air Conditioner" that came on the nav screen. Went to the climate and saw the A/C light blinking. Was cool out, so shut everything down and went with fresh air.

Wednesday comes, replace the relay to see if that was the issue and it was not the problem. Took it to a shop that I have had work on the Cruiser before. Verdict : O ring was done and all coolant had leaked out of the system which caused the clutch and compressor to fail and lock up. Cost to replace compressor, clutch, o rings, fill system with coolant : parts and labor $998.

Any opinions on if this is a good, decent, or bad deal would be appreciated.

(FYI, this is for a 2003 LC with 165K and there has been no other issue ever with the a/c on)

 

[TXLX100]

Sounds cheap, is that for OEM parts? Did they try to recharge it? The compressor normally won't run on a low charge, as far as I know. We need AC in November some days, so I'd be fixing that.

 

[bfiehler]

First they replaced bad o-rings and recharged the system. When that did not fix it, they identified that the clutch was done (I was not surprised, you could see the sparks fly when you turned on the AC). Service manager called and told me that they checked and the compressor was good and not locked up. That was yesterday.

Today, instead of getting the "it's ready" call, I got the call that the compressor IS locked up. Reminded him of call yesterday, he is eating half the cost of the compressor and labor for putting his foot in his mouth. New Denso compressor and clutch are going in tomorrow morning.

Mainly, am looking to see if there is anything I need to make sure that they do (clean out lines, etc) and that they are being fair on price.

 

[hondarepairman]

As far as the lines and other components go it really depends if the compressor has an internal failure or if it's just a clutch/coil failure. Make sure they inspect the oil in the compressor for contamination and the suction and discharge ports. If it's all clean your good but if it's dirty then they will need to check how far the contamination has traveled and clean or replace (depending on the part) the affected components.

 

[onpoint01]

You should replace the receiver/dryer material that is contained in the condenser at the minimum. This desiccant sock will catch crap floating in the R134 refrigerant and its condition could be a good indication of any compressor metal that may have made it through your expansion valves and through the Evaporators.