Bmwolf21 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 My AC has been blowing progressively warmer over the last couple months, and today it was just blowing warm air. So I know I need to get the AC checked and probably recharged (I'm hoping that's all it is and it doesn't need a condenser or something much more expensive). Anyone know how much I am looking at to recharge the coolant? I've seen estimates on the web from $75 to $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteBills4ever Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I work at a dealership and we charge about $40.00 for the Freon, and half an hour labour another $40.00, $80.00 total, so anything above $100 just for filling it up is overkill...But if you need a condenser or worst a compressor your looking at much more $$$ depending on make and model, unless you are still under warranty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteBills4ever Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Forgot to mention that filling it up might not solve the problem, and therefore the higher quotes you got on the web might also include diagnostic of the problem which include filling it up and further testing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 My AC has been blowing progressively warmer over the last couple months, and today it was just blowing warm air. So I know I need to get the AC checked and probably recharged (I'm hoping that's all it is and it doesn't need a condenser or something much more expensive). Anyone know how much I am looking at to recharge the coolant? I've seen estimates on the web from $75 to $250. if it turns out you need a compressor...discountcompressor.com has new ones for about 225...very cheap.Then you gotta figure 3hrs labor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I work at a dealership and we charge about $40.00 for the Freon, and half an hour labour another $40.00, $80.00 total, so anything above $100 just for filling it up is overkill...But if you need a condenser or worst a compressor your looking at much more $$$ depending on make and model, unless you are still under warranty $80 is overkill ... I bought a kit last year at autozone and used it to recharge all three cars. At the end of the summer bought a can of coolant on sale for $5. Then recharged them all again this year. So six recharges for a total of about $45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 $80 is overkill ... I bought a kit last year at autozone and used it to recharge all three cars. At the end of the summer bought a can of coolant on sale for $5. Then recharged them all again this year. So six recharges for a total of about $45. BM, I would do with BuffaloBill said above... You can get the kit yourself cheaply, even with the little gauge thing... Also, I think some cans come with the dye (to detect if you have a leak)... Some with sealant. Anyway... It is a closed system, so you should be losing it. Do you hear your compressor "clicking" and kicking on? Oh... BuffaloBill... You probably have a leak... I have had A/C blow cold for years... Again, it is a sealed system. YOu can usually find where the leak is on a tube by a whole bunch of dirt and grime that sticks to that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 $189 for a diagnostic and a fill at AAMCO. Just had it done last month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 $189 for a diagnostic and a fill at AAMCO. Just had it done last month. Yikes! Just put the top down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 BM, I would do with BuffaloBill said above... You can get the kit yourself cheaply, even with the little gauge thing... Also, I think some cans come with the dye (to detect if you have a leak)... Some with sealant. Anyway... It is a closed system, so you should be losing it. Do you hear your compressor "clicking" and kicking on? Oh... BuffaloBill... You probably have a leak... I have had A/C blow cold for years... Again, it is a sealed system. YOu can usually find where the leak is on a tube by a whole bunch of dirt and grime that sticks to that area. See here is where I've run into conflicting reports. Some things I've read online say that even if it is a "closed" system there is no such thing as a service-free AC, and that they all need a recharge every now and then. The vehicle is 9 years old, so it wouldn't surprise me I've also heard that the kits don't work well at all, that the system needs to be pressurized and you have to have the right equipment to do that. I also don't have the space nor the time to do it myself. Anyways thanks to everyone for the info. We have an appointment tomorrow morning to get it recharged, and the cost is $80 - $100. They said there may be a leak or it may just need recharging, but if it does they can just recharge it for now and worry about finding/fixing the leak later, since there are only a few weeks left in summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Oh... BuffaloBill... You probably have a leak... I have had A/C blow cold for years... Again, it is a sealed system. YOu can usually find where the leak is on a tube by a whole bunch of dirt and grime that sticks to that area. Exilled Thanks - I probably should have been clearer in my post - In Dallas we run AC all the time for about 9 months (at max much of the time) out of the year. Mrs. BB likes it as cold as it can get. So when I discuss recharging three cars twice I am only pointing to a few ounces of coolant. I likely do have a leak in the older car - 98 chrysler that is otherwise very mechanically sound and low mileage - but the other two are nearly new and w/o problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Just got the call back from the shop...needs a new compressor and a valve. Mechanic says a valve snapped inside the compressor, and he's surprised we didn't hear the noise. Quoted price - around $1,000. Guess what's not getting repaired right now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Just got the call back from the shop...needs a new compressor and a valve. Mechanic says a valve snapped inside the compressor, and he's surprised we didn't hear the noise. Quoted price - around $1,000. Guess what's not getting repaired right now? Guess who is rolling down the windows! Just like the old days, just hope your power windows don't go out... Hope you have cranks. Usually the compressor will "click" just like when say a window unit's compressor kicks on. Too bad all those clunkers where squished... Try finding used parts that ARE good anymore... Now that is RECYCLING! Try telling the gov't that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Just got the call back from the shop...needs a new compressor and a valve. Mechanic says a valve snapped inside the compressor, and he's surprised we didn't hear the noise. Quoted price - around $1,000. Guess what's not getting repaired right now? GET A 2ND OPINION. I took my car back to the dealership when I started having trouble with the AC a couple of years ago. They told me it the compressor was shot and wanted to charge me $1500 to repair it. I took the car to a friend of a friend who owns an AAMCO. He had his tech take a look. Turns out it was a faulty value which was $7 to replace. Dude didn't even charge me for labor. Unfortunately the dude who owns the place retired so I don't have my hookup anymore. Even so, I still give my business to AAMCO now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 GET A 2ND OPINION. I took my car back to the dealership when I started having trouble with the AC a couple of years ago. They told me it the compressor was shot and wanted to charge me $1500 to repair it. I took the car to a friend of a friend who owns an AAMCO. He had his tech take a look. Turns out it was a faulty value which was $7 to replace. Dude didn't even charge me for labor. Unfortunately the dude who owns the place retired so I don't have my hookup anymore. Even so, I still give my business to AAMCO now. Is it an American compressor? I can't imagine why they charge so much... Can't that hard... Unless the thing is buried... Yet, it has to be close to where the belts are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Is it an American compressor? I can't imagine why they charge so much... Can't that hard... Unless the thing is buried... Yet, it has to be close to where the belts are. The quote does seem high, but I haven't seen a final estimate on the work yet. The website that Tcali posted - discountcompressor.com - lists a remanufactured compressor for my vehicle at $250, and I don't know how much they charge for labor, but 3 hours seems like a reasonable rough guess. Unless they are charging $200 an hour for the labor, it seems tough to get all the way up to $1K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 GET A 2ND OPINION. I took my car back to the dealership when I started having trouble with the AC a couple of years ago. They told me it the compressor was shot and wanted to charge me $1500 to repair it. I took the car to a friend of a friend who owns an AAMCO. He had his tech take a look. Turns out it was a faulty value which was $7 to replace. Dude didn't even charge me for labor. Unfortunately the dude who owns the place retired so I don't have my hookup anymore. Even so, I still give my business to AAMCO now. Thanks for the heads-up, Ray. I am planning on getting a second opinion - the $1,000 just seems high and I obviously don't want to pay for something that doesn't need to be repaired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 The quote does seem high, but I haven't seen a final estimate on the work yet. The website that Tcali posted - discountcompressor.com - lists a remanufactured compressor for my vehicle at $250, and I don't know how much they charge for labor, but 3 hours seems like a reasonable rough guess. Unless they are charging $200 an hour for the labor, it seems tough to get all the way up to $1K. What kinda vehicle? The compressor may be buried under all kinds of stuff! It is usually easy to fiind though... Runs off a belt towards the front of the engine. My 1994 Chrysler was sweet... Right there in plain view!!! Same thing with my Jeep... Now my Pacifica is probably another story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 What kinda vehicle? The compressor may be buried under all kinds of stuff! It is usually easy to fiind though... Runs off a belt towards the front of the engine. My 1994 Chrysler was sweet... Right there in plain view!!! Same thing with my Jeep... Now my Pacifica is probably another story! It's the wife's Honda CR-V. From my limited experience with repairs (this is the first major repair it's needed since we've owned it, almost 5 years) the Honda engines are usually laid out pretty well and everything is in a pretty accessible spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Is it an American compressor? I can't imagine why they charge so much... Can't that hard... Unless the thing is buried... Yet, it has to be close to where the belts are. It is Ford, and yes, the f-cker is completely buried. Basically you need to take apart the entire dash to get to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 With a few simple parts, you can fix the problem yourself How to get air conditioning for your car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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