Anyone replaced their condenser? what did you pay? part+install.. oh, i won't be going to a dealer for that, their prices are outrageous. thx

 

I'd think the condenser would be covered under the factory warranty, which the majority of TSX's out there would still be under the time period of the warranty, if not also the mileage. (You joined in July 2005 and own an 04 TSX, so maybe yours is still covered)

EDIT: And even if you're actually out of warranty just based on mileage, it would be worth seeing if the dealer will offer any assistance, especially since this part not part of the drive-train and not something that you could "abuse" per se.

 

My guess is its cracked. (likely hit by a rock) so the dealer won't cover it. Still may be worth a try to have some of it covered.

I unfortunately haven't heard of anyone having this fixed outside a dealer. But if I recall correctly, it was close to a K at the dealer.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ight=condenser

Here's what I was thinking. It was a $700 (Canadian) repair. So you can probably expect paying in the neighborhood of $500 US.

 

yeah, i think i hit a piece of a tire laying in the middle of the road @ 80mph.. have a small crack in my bumper and a shot condenser (donno how bad it was cracked tho).. the aftermkt condensers seem to go for 120-160+shipping... not sure what my mechanic would charge for the labor.. but def less than the dealer.. thx

 

You can probably find a condenser for TSX on a local junk yard for around $100 ($300 dealer), change it yourself, and recharge it for $50-100.


To change it, you need to remove the radiator/fan assembly first, and possibly the front bumper.

First make sure that the leak in in the condenser, though. You don't want to waste all that money and time to later find out that one connection was loose.

If you did any car work yourself, then you'll be fine.

MBA

 

Whatever you do, do not use a "junkyard" condensor. You have no way of knowing if a used condensor has internal contamination, and whatever is stuck in it WILL be circulated through your entire A/C system. Not to mention that if the condensor has been "open" for any length of time the desicant in the reciever/dryer that's mounted on the side will be saturated and useless.

Not too hard to replace yourself. Bumper has to come off and it's a little tight to get it out, but the radiator does not have to be removed as mentioned by someone above. Just use a new part, and take the car to someone who will charge the system properly, as overcharging will cause all kinds of problems.

 

Hmmm. It's actually illegal to do that in many states without proper certification -- you can't even buy refrigerant locally without being certified.

I'm not sure about automobile HVAC systems, but on others you also need to pull a good vacuum on the closed portion of the system (e.g. line set, evaporator coil, condenser coil) before charging it, which requires special equipment. Otherwise, not only will the system not cool well, but the compressor won't last as long either.

Any shop certified to do A/C system work will have the right equipment, but I don't know about this being a "do-it-yourself" job for most people.

 

My AC condenser was punctured not long after I got the car. (Bought the car in October of 2003 and the condenser was hit during the winter that followed.) My local dealer said the damage must have been done by an "outside force" so the warranty wasn't applicable. My vague recollection is that when I asked the service adviser what the fix (replacement of the condenser) would cost me, he tossed out a figure of $600-something; whether than included labor or was just the cost of the part(s), I can't remember. Fortunately, I got a call from the dealer about a week later to say that the service manager had decided to replace the condenser at no charge to me as a "good-will gesture."
(I'm still living in fear that the second condenser will meet the same outside-force fate that the first one did. You know, I think I'll turn on the AC today to see if it's working after another New England winter. Because of all the extra crud -- sand and salt -- on the roads, winter has to be the most dangerous time of year for an AC condenser.)

 

I haven't looked, but is the TSX condenser just hanging out in the breeze under the car (seems unlikely from an aerodynamic standpoint) or protected by some sort of service panel?

 

It's directly in front of the radiator.

 

Bite the bullet and have it done right. You'll also get the warranty on the new part and have the dealer on the line if any labor related problems arise later. For peace of mind alone, your A/C system repair work should be performed by a professional with all the right equipment. Too many bad (ie: expensive) future problems could arise if the repair is not done to spec. Driving around wothout an A/C is no fun. I would put this problem behind me and get back to enjoying your ride.

 

Ah, so the main risk is debris coming through the grill, like a rocks kicked up by the car in front of you?

 

Here's what happened to me.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=conditioner

 

Cool. Glad to see that Acura helped you out even though it was out of warranty.

This is was why I suggested Roman-dude at least investigate whether the dealer might help him out on the repairs. They might cover the parts and just make him pay the labor (a common dealer accommodation when they are actually willing to meet you at least somewhere in the middle).

 

yeah, thx for the suggestion.. I'll try to see what caused the damage, but I highly doubt that they'd be as accommodating. Here's why - why in most of the stories here the damage was caused by the road debris (meaning that while not directly responsible, Acura did screw up by not engineering a sufficient protection for normal driving conditions), mine was caused by what I think was a piece of a blown up tire in the middle of the road that I hit @ 80mph... this caused me to lose both of my fog hole plugs (if anyone wants to sell theirs, let me know , and a small crack in the bumper on the lower lip by the right fog light hole. Hence, it's far less their problem (poor engineering) than mine - debris on the road. What I'll do, is go to my mechanic to check this out - if it'll look obvious that the damage is from a stone etc, I might try the dealership, but if it'll clearly show that it's from the hit, I think a trip to a dealer would be a waste of time.. basically, like going there to have a dent fixed under the warranty ... lol ..

thx and keep yorur comments coming

 

I understand.

It also depends on what sort of relationship you have with the dealer (e.g. all or at least recent scheduled maintenance performed there, whether they are jerks anyway, etc.)

They have surprised me before when I thought they wouldn't help with something.

Good luck!

 

Did you think to check your insurance coverage? Just a thought...

I would give the dealership a try. You'll never know unless you ask. Besides, they may end up helping you with some of the out-of-pocket costs.