Maybe we should start a thread for '04 owners who have not had an A/C issue.
Would probably be a shorter list!

 

^ lol.

 

Seriously

 

For now, you can put me on the list of 04 owners who have not had any AC (or stereo) problem.

Is there any maintenance or other things that I can do to try to avoid the AC problem in the future?

 

The only thing I can think of is use manual from now on and avoid Auto Climate Control to limit the use of the A/C...sad solution huh?

 

I'm starting to come to terms with this problem and that I may have to loose the money on it. I really don't want to pay for labor anymore on this car so my question is:

How difficult would it be to replace the condenser myself if I had an official Acura Maintenance Manual?

I was in the Navy and worked on submarines for 8 years, so I'm pretty handy with instructions as long as they are decent. It's my understanding that I would be able to replace the condenser, but have to bring it to a shop to recharge the R134a?

Can someone explain what is involved. I'm an electronics type...so A/C systems are a new game for me. I want to learn, but I want to get to work everyday too

 

I exclusively used manual mode and my system failed.

 

We are all DOOMED

 

when the a/c goes out on me, i'm just going to trade in the TSX rather than fix it.

 

Anything can be worked on, given time and patience. But the question is what specialty tools are needed to r&r the HVAC components. You don't want to get 1/2 way through and find out you need a hyperspanner whammer-jammer doo-hickie thingie to finish the job.

 

Are there any parts we can change now that will prevent the expensive repair?

 

I remember my clutch set fell off; which started the clunking noise in my engine followed by A/C failure. The clutch wheel was sitting on the bottom engine tray when I looked from atop. Perhaps changing the clutch set (which is about $192.xx) could save the cascade of failures.

Clutch set failed ---> compressor / condensor failure ----> coil set ----> $1,800+ damage.

 

it sounds like you should be able to do this on your own...especially if you are at all familiar with cars...when I did mine, i purchased the following online from the cheapest websites I could find:
- a/c condensor (about $575)
- clutch assembly (about $135)
- filter/bag/moisture/filter-bag-thingee ($35)
- s-belt ($ I forgot)
- not letting the dealership rip me off for labor (priceless)
- other washers, etc. since I also changed my oil and trans fluid since I was going to be down there anyways...

It's pretty simple and would only take me a couple hours since now I know exactly what to remove and in what order (when I changed my a/c it was my first time and I had to kind of stop and assess exactly what I had to do)
here is a brief and abbreviated list of the steps...
- using the tension pulley, remove the s-belt
- remove the tensioner pulley thing
- remove the bottom plastic cover thing on the front bottom of the car (front bumper)
- drain all R-134 (or whatever it is called, I forgot) using the check valve at the side of the engine compartment
- remove intake and exhaust hoses/tubes (metal) from the condensor- be careful with the rubber/silicone O-rings on these tubes as they are crucial to sealing off the R-134 and keeping the system running- if you damage these, purchase new ones though I found out afterwards that they are supposed to be replaced whenever removing the hoses/tubes
- remove the condensor - it's a bit hard to get at but with the proper tools and attachments, shouldn't be too difficult.
- remove and replace the filter/bag/moisture/filter-bag-thingee
- attach the new clutch assembly to the condensor
- install the condensor/clutch assembly
- put everything back as it was (note: S-belt was really really hard to get back on - you will need at least 2 people to do this)
- after everything was installed, i took the car to an air conditioning place near my house & had the system checked for leaks and recharged...they also replaced all my check valves with better, heavier duty ones (the stock check valves are crap)-cost about $45

My A/C has been working perfectly for almost a year now and I saved about $1,000+ of labor and other dealer rip off tactics...

I did not appeal to Acura for any kind of goodwill refund or anything, but might just for fun...

I took pictures of a lot of the install process and can email them should anyone want to take a look at them....

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions...

 

I'll be the first to say host them up here; if you don't mind of course.

 

can you tell me how to do that???....Sorry, I've never done this before...

 

PM sent

 

Add me to the broken A/C list. As I was driving yesterday with the ac on (it's unbelievably hot and humid here this week) the engine started acting like it was going to stall when I was sitting at idle. There was also a smell like burning clutch or something. I turned the ac off and it stopped acting up. I turned it on and it started again. I waited until I got on the highway again before I tried to turn it back on and nothing but warm air. Now it still pumps out warm air, but there is no more smell or drag on the engine.

At this point I don't know what to do. I'm still waiting for my new half shafts to arrive due to the front axle problems I'm having. This could turn into a $3000 month of car repairs for me.

All this and I still have year left to pay it off!

 

I'll do my best to get these up by tomorrow..sorry, I had to mentally prepare this afternoon for the Laker game!....

GO LAKERS!!!

 

 

Per a suggestion, hide your name/address, but scan and post up your repair documents so we have the evidence to show our dealerships should they say, "We don't have any on record."

UPDATE:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43601

 

do you like Kobe in #8 or #24?

 

2004 Acura TSX owner here with the exact same intermittent A/C problem. For me the A/C works fine in the city (stop and go traffic) and starts blowing warm air when I'm moving at a consistent speed (highway).

I went to the dealership and ran into some bad customer service as well. They are pretty condescending and assume that I don't know how to work the A/C. I mentioned this community and the similar problems everybody else has had but they obviously don't take us seriously. I offered them potential solutions based on everyone's experiences but once again they didn't care to listen.

That being said, I'm now having my water pump replaced which I haven't read about yet on this thread. They offer no guarantees and its basically an educated guess which is probably wrong. The only thing they know how to do is sqeeze money out of us.

I'm pretty fed up with Acura's customer service and their refusal to take customer's complaints seriously, their denial, and overall poor quality for a self proclaimed "luxury" brand. Fortunately we have communities like this and other new outlets (blogs, social networks, etc) where the consumer has a much louder voice. I work in the marketing industry and I know for a fact that major companies are afraid of what people say online. Negative press can spread very fast and very far.

If anybody else is pissed off at Acura I am willing to start an online petition regarding this A/C problem just to show them how many people are being effected. If you want to hit them real hard, they just launched the new TSX and it is being heavily promoted. Right now is the last time they need negative press.

I will check to see if there is any interest.

 

I had gotten use to #8; sometimes catching myself saying, "Who's #24?"

Moda - I'll try to post up my repair doc tonight.

 

Okay...I should start out by saying that if I knew I would be posting pics of this I would have used one of my better cameras, but since I didn't want to get them dirty, these pics may be a bit less than what you are used to as far as forum how-to's...but here they are...hopefully someone will find this useful...

Before you do this, let out all remaining R134 at the check valves so you don't have any unwanted pressure releases...keep in mind that this stuff smells

Here's the engine compartment after removing the s-belt (in hindsight, if you are going to install a new s-belt, you could cut it, but I'm not sure how hard it would break apart & you may get hit in the eye or something-at least I would with my luck!.. )




Next, remove but don't disconnect the hoses...it can be pushed to the side to keep it out of your way...




Remove the belt tensioner..I'm not quite sure if this is completely necessary, (can't remember if it makes it impossible to get the alternator off) but it does give you at least some extra elbow room to work...




Remove the alternator - unplug the wiring harness, etc. first!!




This is what you should see after removing the main pulley assmbly, belt tensioner & alternator.




Remove the bottom plastic "aerodynamic" cover thingy - the one that covers the oil pan/tranny. It should look like this...




Looking straight down, this is what you should see...This pic was taken after I already removed the hoses...as you can/will see, the hoses are metal at the about the last 6 inches...I put a piece of painters tape at the end of the hoses since it is crucial to keep them free of any debris...after the hoses are removed, and the bottom "aerodynamic" cover thingy is removed you will be able to see the two bolt/screws that you will have to remove to get the compressor free...Don't get frustrated here as they are difficult to get at...sorry I don't have a pic of it, but you can figure it out...




Here's the old compressor with the missing clutch...as you can see, the shaft that held on the remainder of the clutch assembly sheared off & disappeared into the Tustin streets...




New compressor w/out the clutch assembly attached yet...but you can see the piece that broke off my original compressor.




Since we didn't have any special tools to get put the base of the clutch on, a 2x4 & rubber mallet seemed to do the trick.




You will need a c-ring tool (or whatever it's called) to secure all the pieces together.




Here's the fully assembled compressor and clutch assembly next to the old one...an impact drill seemed to work well for the main bolt on the compressor. Make sure you reference the wiring set up on your old compressor and match them to the new parts.




Here's a diagram of the parts from the Acura service manual.




Prior to replacing the new compressor, you will want to loosen the condensor and remove and replace the condensor filter bag (it calls for a fairly large allen wrench attachment.




the silver piece is the plug that must be removed to replace the condensor filter bag - the tire in the background is the front drivers side for reference.




Afte the condensor is taken care of, re-tighten it and go ahead and reverse the order from which you took everything off...Finally, here's a pic of the compressor installed without the hoses attached. As you can see, in order to keep any debris out of the new compressor, there are thin metal plates...remove these and immediately attach the hoses so you don't let anything fall in the compressor...If ANYTHING gets into the system, it will most likely destroy your entire a/c system and you will be back to where you started.




After everything is put back together and tightened...you can do as I did and take the car to an A/C shop for a leak test and recharge...I'm in the OC so if you are in the area I took my car here:
Garden Grove Radiator,
Air Conditioning & Auto Repair
13089 Century Blvd. (Behind Costco)
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Tel: (714) 537-2658
Alt: (714) 539-5101
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5pm
Saturday, 8:00am - 3:30pm

I purchased my parts online since they are hundreds of dollars cheaper than buying them at my local dealerships...
http://www.oemacuraparts.com
http://www.hondapartsunlimited.com/

Let me know if you have any questions/comments...this is my first DIY post so I'm not sure how helpful it was or wasn't....Good luck!

GO LAKERS

 

^^Nice write up. Question - is the condenser filter bag reusable?
Noticed the clutch set is so tiny. No wonder it blew apart.

 

Based on my research & talking to a service tech, the filter bag thing should not be reused and SHOULD be changed anytime the A/C system is opened up simply because moisture and other impurities will inevitably and unintentionally enter the system..and the bag is crucial in absorbing and filtering any pollutants...What I figure is for about $25-35 bucks, it's kind of worth it just to be safe....

 

^^Cool.
I noticed you did the repairs wearing slippers. Nice; that's how I've done all my maintenance.

 

It's the only way...plus my buddy's garage has an epoxy coating on it so it's like working on the car inside!!!....

 

Also, I have a question for anybody that can answer it:

When I took apart the A/C system...I couldn't figure out for the life of me how the clutch assembly actually works...can someone explain to me how the wires, the greasy-spongy stuff and the mechanical parts of the clutch assembly works???...It would be appreciated just for my own curiosity's sake.......Thanks!

 

Sorry - you'll also have to purchase the coil set/solenoid (it's the round, black, greasy spongy thing....)
[part #: 38924-RBA-006]

 

Personally, you should've made your own post. If you want, I can copy the source of the thread an you can make a brand new thread titled DIY - A/C Compressor Clutch Repair. PM if you are interested, you should get the props for this.

 

+1 ... ... Make a DIY post, list it in the appropriate maintenance FAQs, throw ticker tape parade, etc. DIY's listed on FAQs get much better visibility (and more readers benefit).

 

Is there a way to check the clutch to see if it fell out off the vehicle? I did hear a loud clank while I was driving with the AC on followed by difficultly turning the system on and a release in air pressure sound (psss), but when I took it in they couldn't find the problem.

 

Yes, what I did was get a flashlight & either look from the top (just follow the belt down to the compressor, or you can pull out the passenger side vent thing from the bumper & look through there...if you don't see the cluch assembly like in the picture, then you don't have a clutch assembly...or you can just switch your a/c on and off & if you don't hear it click on, it's a goner....

 

What I'll do is create a new post & make it more complete by listing the part numbers, etc...
What section of the forum do I do this in ?.....

(p.s. I won't have time to work on this til tomorrow)..

 

I would say right here in Problems & Fixes . Anyone second the motion?

 

Thanks knakane!

Much appreciated.

Problems and Fixes would be perfect.

 

Done!

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43622

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

My TSX is an 06. When I first got the car the A/C worked very well. Now it seems is not quite as cold even thought the center register read 38 degress. I also noticed that the fan speed seems to be lower in the auto mode with the temp set at 71. I barely hear the fan running at all. Is the problem me or the car?

 

Combining with the other A/C issues thread. No reason to have it outside that one.