Kelsen

I paid a Firestone place. Doing it yourself involves having a way to extract all the refrigerant currently in the system, and literally measuring the weight of the refrigerant you put back in. If done right, it won't mess up the AC system, and it is a bit easier than it was a few years ago. That said, I elected to pay someone else. It was about $170, as I recall. One of my valves had to be replaced; I might have spent a lot more money finding that out! YMMV, of course.

RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
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Not many people realize just how well known I am.

t0md0

Got it. Thanks for educating me on this.

So with that said.. since the chances of me needing my system to be recharged, is it likely I might have a leak somewhere or maybe a valve or something like @Kelsen mentioned needs to be fixed? I was reading online somewhere about how it's a closed loop system and that it shouldn't need to be charged theoretically unless there is an issue.

Or can it just simply be because.. hey I'm low and just need to be topped up using the above method you mentioned.

jimbo1763

Seals aren't perfect. They leak some, and every year--a few percent annually adds up. If your car is 11 model years old, it's time to have your charge checked.

t0md0

Welp.. for anyone that cares.. Got my car diagnosed. The refrigerant refill/diagnostic was $125. I was .5 lbs low. Our car calls for 1 lb total. Turns out there was a leak on the condenser. He said I could take the car as is and just pay the $125 with it topped off but it'll eventually just leak again. I honestly just didn't want to deal with it and said screw it.. just fix the damn thing. It's been going on for a year now since last summer when I noticed that the driver side wouldn't cool as much as the passenger side on hot days and when I'm not on the freeway. The rest of the year in socal it's usually not an issue hence why I didn't bother fixing it then, but it's overdue.

He was said he'd waive that $125 and just charge me for labor and the condenser for $800 out the door if I did the work today. Super expensive. SMH. Not sure what the going rate is typically for this. Hopefully I didn't get ripped off. But I have a feeling I def paid a bit on the higher end? If anyone has had theirs' replaced please feel free to chime in.

Lastly, he mentioned to me that for some reason on our 2nd gen RDX's that the relays tend to be an issue. He said it would fail and which would then burn up the condensers. He's actually going to replace that for me as well since he doesn't want that to happen to my new condenser.

Kelsen

A new condenser and the installation is indeed very expensive; a rip-off by everyone, so you're not getting 'ripped off' in the classic sense. It's simply a matter of fact that they have you by the short hairs, and can charge you accordingly.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
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Man, thin-skinned people don't like being called "thin-skinned," no matter how nicely you say it.

t0md0

Yeah I guess when I look at it like that.. sure I guess not in the classic sense. However, since I'm a masochist and I love punishing myself.. I'm now seeing genuine Acura condenser's online going for $200ish. Their aftermarket was $294. Labor was $440.. with some small hazmat fees and refrigerant to total $800.

In hindsight I prob could've just taken my car after paying the diagnostic, buy a condenser myself which would put me at around $350 (give or take for shipping and tax) total, then try to find someone who can install and add refrigerant for less than $450 and find savings there but whatever.. I digress. At least it's working fine now, done right, and it only took a couple hours.

Jakestill

I have the same symptoms with our 2013 RDX and have read all the contributions on this thread. Sounds like I need to take the vehicle in. I would be skeptical of any tech. who mentions “burning up a condenser”? I don’t see how that is possible. Could he have been referring to the control relay for the cooling fans?

t0md0

Yeah I honestly have no clue. Probably more of a figure of speech?

But from what it sounded like, he told me he had a customer come back a couple times for our exact car (he actually thought I was the other customer when I first pulled up lol) and it was due to some relay going bad. He initially replaced the condenser first without changing the relay (unknowingly) only for it to eventually make the new condenser crap out.

DCS

Condenser don't crap out from a fan relay not working. Without the fans running the pressures and temperatures will be higher in the condenser but there's also an A/C system high-pressure switch that stops the compressor from running when the pressure gets too high, the limit is 455 psi, which is 195F for R134A refrigerant. Neither this pressure or temperature should harm the condenser. What usually takes out the condenser is a rock or some other flying object hit while on the road.