pault57r

A/C went out shop says they tested compressor and it's getting power but not turning on so it needs to be replaced. They want $1,700 to put in a new compressor and some other parts they said they had to replace because I have 160,000 on the car. I don't understand why the number of miles I have on the car determines other parts needing to be replaced but that's what they said. Does this sound reasonable? Thanks in advance for the help.

lusid

Things break down regardless of the number of miles put on the car. With 160,000 miles I do find that the car was used a lot.

I would call around and shop for more quotes, call honda dealerships etc.

Good luck!

nfnsquared

"not turning on"? Could be just a bad clutch or relay. Not an A/C expert, but I would think it's not the compressor itself. What "shop" did you take it to? Go somewhere else, doesn't sound like these guys know what they're talking about or they are just ripping you off.

Do a search, there are a few threads on the compressor not running due to the clutch or relay or something else (might not be using the correct technical terms for these items).

shadowkahn

Also, it's oftentimes cheaper to bring the part in yourself. I just had a shop try to charge me $300 for a $40 part on my MR2. The parts markup at a lot of shops is just insane.

nfnsquared

"Clutch field coil" was the other thing I was trying to think of. Read this thread:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/no-power-ac-compressor-774798/

TLDude876

iTrader: (7)

Had the same issue recently. You need to replace the ac clutch and stator field coil. It cost me around $450 in parts and labor at my dealer.

jda123

I have no idea, but that quote sounds like he has no idea and is going to charge you for the whole thing, just in case.

A/C is easy if you have some time and a few relatively inexpensive tools.

First, is it determine if you clutch is getting power. Take the connector off of the clutch and check with a DMM and see if you are getting power with the AC on in the car - the AC is not always on, so make sure. You should be getting battery voltage in the connector.

Let us know how it goes and we can go from there.

Power means that the clutch could be bad.
No power could mean that the low pressure switch is bad, the high pressure switch is bad or that your system is low on coolant and the low pressure switch did it's job and shut the compressor down.

First, check the voltage going to the clutch.

Majofo

$1700 is a total ripoff even if they did replace the whole unit. Take the above advice.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Rediculous price. First thing to check is to make certain that the system is charged properly. A low charge will inhibit the clutch from engaging. If charge is correct and clutch is defective, a new clutch from Acura would run about $200list $150net, but not everyone can do the install. A new 4 Seasons compressor w/clutch can be had @ $350 from Rock Auto, but then that would necessitate the capturing of the gas, evacuation then recharge after installing the compressor. If the system is opened, another item that should be replaced is the dryer/accumulator. Have done jobs w/o doing a replacement and no problems, but for the cost, $20 worthwhile investment.

pault57r

Thanks for all the advice I think I will take it somewhere else and have them look at the clutch & coil.

YeuEmMaiMai

before you get too involved can you turn the compressor by hand (you know wrench on pully)? It could be that the clutch is working but the compressor seized.....need more details. did you shred any belts?

worse case is that the compressor seized and tossed all sorts of crap into the system and if that is the case you will need some new parts like condensor, compressor, prolly new clutch, and receiver/dryer/accumulator plus a new seal set.

to test compressor energize clutch and turn it with wrench

pault57r

When the problem occurred there was no noise nothing went to a movie on the way had air got in the care after the movie no air. I looked and could tell the compressor wasn't truing when air was turned on but thought there could be many reasons for that.

I took it to another shop which is told me the same thing. They both have said if they can tell power is getting to the compressor and it doesn't turn on the compressor is bad. Can someone tell me if that is true. To me there could be other reasons it wouldn't turn on like being low on the refrigerant.

I asked about a rebuilt compressor and was told it wasn't an option. They also said when replacing the compressor you need to change the condenser and drier unit. Is the true?

Thanks for the help.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

If power to the clutch and it doesn’t engage, clutch assembly is bad, not compressor. Sure, a low charge would not allow clutch engagement, but then you wouldn’t see any power to the clutch assembly.

Drier, but not condenser and any compressor/clutch will come with a warranty.

jda123

Turbonut is right on everything.

If the clutch was engaging and the compressor made noise, ground or leaked freon, then the compressor is bad - when a compressor goes out, you will likely know it. Sometimes, they lock up and smoke your belts - pretty hard to miss that.

Always put on a new dryer when you open up a system. The condenser is not important unless you know that it is bad (leaking or system will not have a good pressure drop/increase). Many shops will tell you that your compressor threw junk into the lines and that they want to change out all kinds of stuff, but most of the time, this is bull - they just want to change out more stuff for a higher bill.

Almost this same situation is why I quit taking my cars in to get worked on and bought some tools and figured some stuff out. A $10 Digital Multimeter (DMM) can tell you whether or not your clutch is getting power. A $40-50 set of R134A manifold gauges can tell you if you system has enough refrigerant, and then more refrigerant it if does not have enough. A $50 set of tools and a super-fine write up on a message board can replace a worn clutch. ...and the tools are yours forever.

Can you test the clutch connector? If not, can you find somebody to help you? Just knowing if it has power will tell you what to do next.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Great advice as many are unfamiliar and have a hands off thought when speaking of the A/C system, but as you so stated, a small outlay for some tools and doing some homework, one will see that's it's not all that complicated.

nfnsquared

Could also be a fuse. Check #12 in the under hood fuse box and #30 in the under dash fuse box. Does the blower still blow air?

You can also check the system for a diagnostic code. Here's how to do it:





Here's the diagnostic chart from the service manual:

pault57r

Thanks for all the advise this group is the best. With it constantly over 110 outside I went ahead and had it fixed:

Compressor: $232
Drier $184
Expansion Valve $252
Evacuate/Flush/Recharge $97
Parts = $765
Labor = $766
Total = $1,531

I've only had it back for a few hours but at first it's not feeling like it's blowing as cold as it did before I had problems. Said they checked and it's blowing 43 degrees.

Thanks again for all the advice and help

YeuEmMaiMai

blowing 43F when it is 110F outside is pretty dang good

rbf351

184 for the drier? the part is 28.29 bucks, and the expansion valve is 58.67 bucks. the compressor is the only thing they didn't rip you off on. i paid 10 bucks more than you did.

hope they replaced the washers on all those parts, should have been a total of 8 washers

this is why you should do the work on your own or at least do a little research on part pricing.

how many hours did it take for them to do the job? only takes about 2 tops if you know what you are doing.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Purchase a stick thermometer and put it in the center outlet and take a look at the temp full cold,recirculate windows opened. That will give you an idea of the outlet temp to confirm the shop's reading.

slcxow

I would get a different opinion before dropping $1,700