scrim67

My '98 GS 300 needs a new AC compressor and I got an estimate for this job to be about $1,000.

A few months ago I replaced the AC Condenser for $800.

Summer is about to end in the northeast so i'm thinking of putting off this work until next summer.

My vehicle has 290k miles and runs pretty well separate from the AC issues.

What would you do?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

scrim

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

up to you - really shouldn't hurt anything to wait...

it is nice to use the a/c to defrost windows and such though...

speeds27

Yeah i would recommend you hold off. No point in putting 1k into the car right now if you don't need it. You never know, maybe within the next year you'll get a new car and not have to deal with it.

BTW, is the 1k parts and labor? seems pretty hefty. Might be able to find parts for cheaper.

Eurosport

hold off on it until next spring/summer see how you feel about it then, like others said

scrim67

update...I got the work done two days ago to replace the compressor this time. Sadly, I'm pretty sure the AC is still not working correctly.

So bottom line i've put about $2k to fix the AC and it's still not right.

I'm going to stop by the mechanic tomorrow to have him take a look. I have never had a situation quite like this so my question is:

When a mechanic does work and the problem is not fixed what is protocol? Can I get a refund? If so, how much? Just the parts? Labor? both?

Just wanted to get an idea of what my rights are.

I do know he told me the work is guaranteed for 18 months or 18,000 miles....

thanks in advance for any feedback

scrim

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

Depends on the situation...

What was the a/c doing, what is it doing now? (or not doing)

What exactly was done? You said compressor - were other parts replaced as well? many times compressors do a darn good job of messing up other parts in the a/c system - little metal shavings of the compressor get suspended in the oil of the system and they clog the condenser, orifice tube or expansion valve, and evaporator (as well as the lines that connect all of them... typically most pieces get caught up in the condenser and expansion valve, which is a good thing, as they are both significantly easier to replace (usually) than the evaporator (behind the dash).

Here's why you need to know a little about the a/c system - if he diagnosed it wrong and you replaced a compressor that was working properly and your issue was elsewhere, then he should repair whatever it takes to make it work for the original estimate. If, however, the compressor truly was bad, and other parts were affected that may not have shown up, or been masked by the compressor, then you may need to purchase the other parts, and hopefully, the tech will cover the labor... At least that was our policy when diagnosis went wrong when I was in the business...

Typically, two things lead a tech to diagnose a faulty compressor - 1) a jumpy pressure gauge needle on the high pressure side or 2) the low side is higher pressure than it should be and the high side is lower than it should be

If he diagnosed it due to #1, and the new/reman compressor is operating properly, but your a/c is not blowing very cold, I would guess the old compressor sent shavings through the system decreasing the effectiveness of the condenser, and possibly plugging the expansion valve

If he diagnosed it due to #2, there is a chance he misdiagnosed an expansion valve issue

There are other things that cause techs to diagnose a faulty compressor, but they are mostly wrong, so hopefully its none of those...

There is always the possibility of it just being a faulty compressor, which can and does happen...

I highly doubt you will get any money back either way...

scrim67

replaced condenser in beginning of summer and AC worked for about 6-8 weeks before failing again.

replaced compressor a few days ago and it appears not to be working again.

putting 2k into this car with almost 300k miles on it has been frustrating...

I do love the car though and don't want a car payment but at this point i'm questioning everything.

scrim

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

If the work was all done at one place, I would take it back to them, give them plenty of time with it and say that they have replaced two of the major parts of the a/c system within the past two months, yet it still doesn't work, and that you want to know why, and what they can do to help you out...

Hopefully they will tell you some good news and that they will fix it for you... I just hope they know what they are doing...

VVT-i

I though you may wait until next spring or summers before you do any repair when I read this thread.
Why did they replace the condenser? Only we replace the Condenser when it is clogged up or leak(most of the time the debris from the road hit it).
What was wrong with compressor?
What is wrong with the a/c? Please give us more detail, like cold for about 10 minutes,a/c light flashing,not cold at all or can not adjust the temp.

scrim67

The condenser and three months later the compressor were replaced because of leaks.

One day after replacing compressor the AC would only blow cold for a few minutes and then blow warm again.

I spoke to owner after getting another 1k estimate to fix it.

I told him he has two options:

Fix it for free OR give me half my money back.

He fixed it for free and it's working for now.

He said there was a clog in the system which he flushed out.

Even though it is now autumn I will run the AC system to make sure it is working and if it breaks again i'll take some kind of action.

scrim