Here's a couple of pics of the damage to my A/C condenser picked up at a recent service.

Be interested to know what you guys think happened.

 

That sucks...! How did you realize that it happened?

I never run the AC, but I'm sure you do down under...

It doesn't really look like rock did that...but hmmm.

 

I'm not sure how it happened. It was picked up at the 18 month service.

We seldom use A/C in Aus in a convertible. In fact the only time I use it is on really hot days with the roof down, or rainy days when the window fogs up.

Needless to say, it really doesn't look like a rock did it.

 

Boy, that sure looks like a screwdriver was the cause of that....

 

From a distance it looks like a screwdriver blade to me. Of course with all the exotic bugs you got down there it might have been the elusive Mechanicus Stupidius Moronicus (pesky stupid moron mechanic)!

 

Would a Flying Screwdriver count as an exotic insect? Maybe a peculiarly shaped rock?

 

Doesn't look like a rock did that. If it was a rock, it should've crushed the other stuff around it too. Looks like a screwdriver. What kind of service did you have done on the car??? Did they go near the condenser??

 

Unless a nice flat rock jumped up square into the middle of the condenser, I'd have to say it was a buffoon with a flat head screwdriver.

Lemme guess...he says he didn't do it?

 

It was the 18 month service. According to the dealership they don't go near the condenser for that service. But after checking the A/C and finding it was not functional they inspected the system and found this problem.

I couldn't justify the repair cost and, as I am fairly mechanically inclined, I pulled the condenser out and took it to a local radiator repair place that does aluminium welding. Their first words were 'That's a screwdriver'. I had every intention of leaving it there but after those words I decided to get the dealers feedback.

Their response was 'It looks like a rock hit it'. Yeah, a rock miraculously shaped like a screwdriver. It was even suggested that it would be near impossible to do that damage with a screw driver. I said 'Almost as improbable as doing it with a rock'.

I didn't accuse the dealership of this damage as there are several other possibilities (although remote) as to when this may have happened, but they sure did get defensive. And they are the only party who has seen it and not said 'Screwdriver'.

Whereas they won't even entertain the idea that it was done with a screwdriver they have offered to run it past Honda (why? what do Honda have to do with it) and get back to me.

I guess we'll find out what the response is shortly.

 

The original surface was convex and quite thin - making it tough for a screwdriver to hit it right on to make that dent. Maybe it happened during manufacture and the problem only presented itself as the radiator underwent more use/exposure.