It seems that as soon as I fix one thing with my DD (1992 Honda Prelude)another pops right up.

The A/C stopped working, so I bought a brand new OEM compressor. clutch, dryer online and brought it to the dealer to get it replaced. I went to the dealer beacuse it was just as expensive as everywhere else around here. Maybe south fla A/C shops charge a premium I dont know.

They replaced it all, it was great, yay.

2 Days later I notice the A/C cuts off after 10 minutes of using it. No cold air, and theres a wierd ticking/squeeling sound that sounds like a mis timed belt.

I take it back to the dealer, and according to the dealer them the supposed OEM BRAND NEW (not refurbed) Compressor that I got, has a bad coil that isn't engaging the clutch.

The fix?

www.discountacparts.com --- will send me a replacement over night.

BUT I'm out another $290 that the dealer wants to replace the compressor THAT THEY JUST replaced three days ago.

I understand the dealer can't warranty the parts or labor since its not thier parts, and of course the website isn't gonna pay for labor to replace thier parts, but man it sucks.

So they install the new compressor and the sound is still there though its blowing ice cold.

Shit just keeps getting worse and worse...

Despite it seeming to function correctly (the way it did when I first left the dealer)

They inform me that there are still potentiall metal shards in the condensor, beacuse apparently what ever happened to my original compressor (the one I bought the car with, no the one that they first replaced it with) --- something happened and I dont understand the mechanics but they said it basically went through the side of the compressor and all kinds of metal shards went into the system. Something that they never told me about in the first place.

Apparently they blew out all the **** they could and thought they got it all.... but they are now saying, perhaps they didn't get it all? And theres no way to be sure that they did esp since the noise is still there...

So they tell me that since the noise is still present, that they really recommend I replace the condenser cuz theres a chance that the shards can some how return to the compressor and cause the same damage as my first replacement.

So first thing I'm thinking is why didn't they tell me this in the first place? Chances are there was nothing wrong with that first compressor/coil I brought into them, but it was thier half assed work (not cleaning the system, or at the very least telling me the condenser needed to be replaced too) that caused a need for a 2nd new condensor, and the $250 in labor to do it the 2nd time. Does anyone have any experiience with A/C systems to explain this to me? Should I bother bitching about this?? I just feel that if someone had told me that replacing hte condenser was potentially necessary, I would have spent $350 extra, instead of $600 extra at this point.

So now they want $250 for a new condenser, and $250 to install said new condenser.

I ordered a new condenser from autozone to save $100 bucks, but we're still adding $400 to the overall replacement costs of it - $150 condenser, $250 labor for condenser

So at this point, I've spent $1700 on a new AC system.... and heres the kicker! --- They tell me that even after replacing the condenser, compressor/coil/clutch, that there is a small possibility that there could still be metal in the EXPANSION VALVE which is located under the dash.

Expansion valves aren't expensive, infact I already bought one thinking they'd replace it when replacing the system, not knowing that it was located underneath the dash.... according to them, to replace it, they need to remove the dashboard. Which of course is somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-$400 in labor.

So either I take the chance and hope it'll be okay, potentially having to replace everything again if the metal shards tear through the system even with the new parts... And at that, I have no idea what costs it would be to do it. Labor for all new install, plus parts, probably another 2 grand.

OR I have them do the expansion valve, add another $300-$400 to the bill and just hope that there isn't addition to the story in a week and everything goes well.... that of course ill push the bill to about 2 grand total.

Which at this point its safe to say is about what the whole car is worth in and of itself.

Now I dont plan on ever selling this car, and it is my DD, and I live in South Fla, so I NEED my A/C. So I dont consider it money down the drain, but at the same time potentially $1700 - $2050 for an A/C repair that was supposed to cost me $800 (intial quote for install + parts)--- its hard to swallow.

If you took the time to read all this I really appreciate it, but I could use some advice... do I bitch about the shards screwing up the 1st replacement compressor/coil? Do I suck the cost up while Im' at all this and just have them replace the expansion valve too, or is it worth taking the risk???

PLEASE ADVISE!

TIA!

 

wow, sounds like youre basically bending over. That dealer is no good, just never take anything there again. THe first problem almost sounded like you didnt have enough r134 in the system..(cut off after 10 min, etc etc).

Good luck

 

I live in S. FL too, what dealership was this? I'd like to avoid them... Anyway, I say, bitch, bitch, and bitch some more. It was their shitty install that is causing this headache, no? The least they could do is cover the labor.

 

Really not much you can do about it. You should have purchased the parts from the repairing party to begin with and they would have warranted the work. You went cheaper and got burned but you knew you were assuming that risk going in.

Good luck. Maybe talk to the dealer and see what they might charge you to warrant the work.

 

Ooh. by the way, my friends AC clutch went out for his 5th gen. He got it fixed by a friend, with Ebay parts + new seals and all, for waaay cheaper than what you got man... :/

 

If metal was found in the system they should have told you before installing the new compressor. Then they should have given you a new estimate for the entire system.

The only 100% effective way to remove compressor shrapnel is to replace every AC system component except for the metal hard lines. The hard lines can be effectively flushed, Evaporators and Condensers can not.

If the compressor was really a Honda part, is carries a 12month, 12K mile warranty.

It also depends if you just bought a compressor, or a new compressor clutch and coil. All 3 parts are sold separately.

Off to car talk, not S2k related.

 

they said that the coil was bad, and that that somehow wasn't allowing the clutch to engage, and some ish.

 

Thats the thing... I'm not sure if it was thier shitty install or just bad luck... it is Coral Springs Honda

 

yea man i took the chance and definitly got burned. I was saving 300 bucks by buying parts online and I ended up getting raped for about 500 more than if i were to have just bought it from them in the first place.

live and learn right???


I wish I knew how to do a/c work myself... i mean I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty, I work on the car all the time, but when it comes to the pressuization etc... of an ac system i'm kidna lost. When you work 70hrs a week have like no time to find friends that know how to do this kinda shit. All my friends drink and smoke hookah in thier free time with lilttle to no other interests, esp since football is outta season now.

but back to one of my original questions, what about the expansion valve? anyone think I should just have them go ahead and do it??? If not, is there any risk of that whatever metal shards are in there can some how get into the rest of the system and screw it back up rendering me back to square 1 again?

 

Sorry about the wrong forum there boss.

I did buy an OEM honda compressor, clutch, coil.... It DOES carry the warranty, but since I didn't buy it from them, they wont warranty the job of replacing it with the new compressor which I've already obtained from discountacparts.com

I'm not really pissed about that, it is to be expected.

What I'm pissed at is that I believe (albeit with no real technical knowledge) that part of the problem was that there were still metal shards in the system and that THAT coulda been the reason that the 1ST replacement compressor failed.

My concern is that if someone told me that the original compressor was damaged that way then maybe I would have pressed for more information to find out what else could have be done so that I wouldn't be in the situation I currently am in.

And now, they've replaced Compressor, Coil, Clutch, Condenser, all new O rings etc... The only thing left is the expansion valve. And they are telling me that the labor to replace it is soo high (beacuse apparently they have to remove the dash) --- that its really not worth replacing it on the OFF CHANCE that it could screw the system again.

So I asked what are the chances? I mean if its 50/50 I'd rather pay the extra 300 bucks get the dash pulled replace the last possible component of the system and put this whole thing behind me. They said that even if there is some metal shards left in there that it shouldn't move around ot the rest of the system and shouldn't cause a problem that would cause compressor/coil failure.

So I'm just asking for advice, does anyone know if I should be concerned or heed thier advice on this?

Otherwise I'm afraid that if there is any metal stil left in the expansion valve that tehres a possibility that it screws the rest of the system up and then I'm back to square one dealing with the various broken parts due to metal shards, resulting in me having to purchase not only new parts but pay for labor AGAIN to get it done.