mominn8266

So I just bought a 04 TL in April at 137K miles and now im at 141k. Just a couple of days ago the AC started switching between blowing hot air and cold air and then yesterday it was only blowing out hot air. Checked the relay and frion both are good. Showed it to 3 different mechanics and they all are saying the compressor needs to be replaced.

I need some help deciding which type to buy. I was thinking about Denso brand new with 1yr warranty for 215. >> http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sk...gs+Best+Seller

Also the mechanic is asking $130 for labor, is that reasonable? Its way too hot in houston and I cant stand driving 45+ miles everyday without the AC.

Thank you for all the help / suggestions!

anagramjones

did any of the mechanics actually check the pressure in the system, or diagnose the compressor? do you hear it cycling on and off?

you said it blew hot, then blew cold. is it stuck on blowing hot now? if not, some of the gears that control the air mixing get gunked up over time, the grease probably breaks down. anyway, it prevents the hot/cold air mixing from working properly. consequently, you get the air blowing hot, then if you turn the temperature setting down to "LO" it blows colds, and you lose all the in-between temperatures.

figure out if it's actually the compressor before you go and replace it.

3RDGENTL757

Can you see the mag clutch engaging and disengaging when you press the a/c button? If not then you need to get a good scanner hooked up to it and check your body electrical codes because if there is ANY problem with the HVAC system electrically(..blower,blend doors,mode control, fans,control head,pressure switch,inside/outside temp sensors...ect) then the magnetic clutch/compressor is shut down by the ECM/PCM and will not engage. And as anagramjones said it could be the door motors but if they were stuck or not working properly then it will throw a code for it and shut the clutch/compressor down untill it's fixed or if u find it not engaging you can simply disconnect the single wire connector to the compressor and check for 12V going to it when a/c is pressed on and 0 when pressed off. If your getting 12v to it then yea it's your compressor/clutch/field coil. If ur not then sum thing is causing it to shut down....hope this helps

mominn8266

I checked by putting the temp all they way to "LO" but it was still blowing hot air. When i press the AC button, I cant hear the cycling.

All three mechanics checked the wire connecting to the compressor using the DMM tool and they all said the power was fine, it has to be the clutch or compressor. I dont want to risk only getting the clutch when i can get the whole compressor for $100 more.

mominn8266

Also is it worth buying a new compressor? Only reason i want a new one is because it comes with one yr warranty. Will everything come with the compressor that i need to fix this issue?

Sorry computers is more my thing, I have no clue when it comes to cars. Thanks for all your help!

anagramjones

ok, if it still blows hot on "LO" that certainly suggests maybe it's not the blower doors, but doesn't rule it out completely. since you acutally do hear the cycling of the compressor, it might still be the air mix motor.

i suggest you lie upside down under the steering wheel and look to see if the air mix motor is actually moving. maybe it's so stuck that even on LO, it doesn't move properly.

here's the thread where i solved my problem with the air mix motor. the AC cycled on and i got cold air sometimes, but couldn't get intermediate temperatures.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/heat-control-still-not-working-910734/

3RDGENTL757 mentioned that if the air mix motor wasn't working it would throw a code. but this was not my case. the electrical system was working fine, but the gears were physically stuck. so i didn't get any codes.

better rule this possibility out first. i had an older mechanic that suggested i change the compressor too, would have cost something like $600. glad i didn't do it

mominn8266

When i press the AC button, I can NOT hear the cycling of the compressor. Also earlier when i said I could get cold air sometimes, that only happened on the first day. The next day no matter what i did, it only stayed on hot.

Does this fix still apply to me?

nfnsquared

Did any of your brilliant mechanics put gauges on the system?

mominn8266

I wouldnt go as far as to call them brilliant lol but by gauges you mean gague to check for frion level? If so, then yes I saw all 3 check for frion levels and they were normal

nfnsquared

If that's true, the the compressor and clutch are cycling....

mominn8266

So... to fix the cycling, one must replace them?

nfnsquared

No, cycling on and off is normal. If your mechanics properly checked for pressure, they would have done it while the compressor cycles on and off.

dcmodels

Checking the relay is *possible* but most techs do not know how to do it properly - mainly because the contacts inside wear, and there is actually no way to really tell if they are worn to the point of requiring relay replacement.

and since it is a wear item, replacement is only $6, or $30 for the upgraded version part number - and the reason there is an updated version is because A/C clutch relay failure is a known problem, and there is a TSB for it.

The following link is specifically for an RDX, but the relay problem applies to ALL Acura models up to around 2010, when the upgraded A/C clutch relay came standard in the newer models.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14545907#post14545907

nfnsquared

Unless I'm just missing it, I see nothing on this for 3G TLs... no TSB or extended warranty on the A/C clutch....

dcmodels

And I did not say there is - except that an A/C clutch relay problem is a known problem for ALL Acura models, prior to about 2010, as I stated.

My simple suggestion to the OP is to replace the $6 relay, because it is not possible to reliably test an old worn relay. While that may not be his problem, it is a cheap and simple thing to try.

Again, the problem with the A/C clutch relay, is endemic to ALL Acura/ Honda models, including the 3G TL, that use the same relay part number, as indicated in the link I referenced above. I do not know, nor have I checked, the A/C relay part number for a 3G TL - that is why I listed the link above, which gives the part number. Check with a dealer for the correct part number.

But, even if the 3G TL relay part number is different - A RELAY IS A WEAR ITEM, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED AT THE HIGH MILEAGE SPECIFIED BY THE OP. The link is given as a means to explain what happens when the relay is worn and no longer operates reliably.

There is so far as I know, only an actual relay TSB issued for the MDX, which of course, does use the same relay part number also referenced in the link above. Don't know how to make it more clear. I made no reference to the RDX A/C clutch extended warranty, nor is that warranty referenced in the link I gave above.

nfnsquared

OK, we've now confirmed there is no TSB for TLs.

Where is your proof that this issue is "endemic" to all Acura models? I've never seen anything about this issue in the 3G forum..

gsfitzsr

The service manual shows the compressor coil is wired directly from the relay switch in the fuse box under the hood. My compressor cuts in and out all the time so I put my VOM on the relay and it is getting power. I am also getting power to the contact of the relay, so it is being commanded on. When I check resistance from the clutch side of the contact to ground it shows open, therefore I believe my clutch stator coil is defective or open. Or, the ground wire is broken at the ground screw on the compressor. Can someone confirm I'm checking this correctly?

Thanks in advance.
Greg

csmeance

I believe the field coil melted to the compressor or something of the sort and I ended up get my local honda dealer to match the price of the parts online and then 2 hours of labor + the charge for the refrigerant. I believe it was around $600 dollars. Try calling up your local honda dealer and see what they can do price wise.

As far as the relay goes, my MDX had that issue and it was very apparent that the A/C wasn't turning on. Manually jump the relay and check.

dcmodels

It is not practical to verify a reliable relay - when worn it performs inconsistently. Power at the relay does not necessarily mean power output from the relay - just replace the $6 part - it is unclear from your post if you have already done that.

The 09 RDX FSM gives specific test points for checking the clutch stator coil, at the connector on the coil - not at the relay. Sorry, I don't have the test info for a TL.

gsfitzsr

Thanks dcmodels. Yesterday was plugging relays in and out (omron), moving them around and all of the sudden the compressor kicked in. Then the right front door regulator came apart while driving around. One thing after another since reaching 10 years old. But the car still drives nice and iss worth keeping. Regulator was easy enough to get out.

04ManualTL

So my coil or stator took a dump on me. I confirmed by jumping the relay and nothing happened. I got an OEM replacement and went to replace it ($80 shipped from Ebay), everything was easy until I got to the last snap ring. I only had that day to work on my car, So I took off the condenser fan out and i went ahead and took the compressor off the block (4, 12mm bolts) but that still didnt give me enough room (im sure if i had a couple days to work on it, i would of got it at this part.) Since i couldnt get it and running out of time i just took the AC lines off the compressor after i released all the pressure of course. I got the Replacement stator on and bolted everything back together. I was thinking of waiting until i could go to the shop and get the air evacuated out and fill in with refrigerant. But i couldnt wait any longer.
Now here is my question, when the car is off the AC system is all connected Cold and Hot side. So i figured since i had a bottle of Refrigerant could if just blow it through the Cold side port while opening the hot side using a small screw driver letting the refrigerant push all the air out the system through the Hot side, therefore getting rid of the air/moisture?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

You can't push air out of the HVAC system, you need to use a vacuum pump to boil off the condensation.
I've seen people have the system apart and just charge the system w/o encountering any problems, but it's a risky move.
Best to draw a vacuum and let run for maybe 1/2-1 hour.
Also the system should be filled by weight. Not saying you can't do it just by using the gauges, I've done it many times, but weight is the way to go.

04ManualTL

So update: So I went ahead and charged the cold side (1-3 secs on the trigger) with the Hot side open. Then went ahead and closed the Hot side while I Charged the system. I used 1.5 cans 12oz each. Done all this without evacuating and its running just fine. blowing cold. Compressor kicks on for a long while then off for a few secs then repeats. which is normal. So i call this a success.

nfnsquared

....for now